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Articles by Leigh Page
EHR Copy and Paste Can Get Physicians Into Trouble
Physicians who misuse the “copy-and-paste” feature in patients’ electronic health records (EHRs) can face serious consequences, including lost hospital privileges, fines, and malpractice lawsuits. In California, a locum tenens physician lost her hospital privileges after repeatedly violating the copy-and-paste policy developed at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Santa Rosa, California.
EHR Copy and Paste Can Get Physicians Into Trouble
Physicians who misuse the “copy-and-paste” feature in patients’ electronic health records (EHRs) can face serious consequences, including lost hospital privileges, fines, and malpractice lawsuits. In California, a locum tenens physician lost her hospital privileges after repeatedly violating the copy-and-paste policy developed at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Santa Rosa, California.
Receiving Unfair Negative Patient Reviews Online? These Apps Pledge Relief
Physicians’ negative online reviews — fair or unfair — can scare away new patients. But practices don’t have to sit idly by and watch their revenue shrink. Increasingly, they’re turning to apps and automated systems like DearDoc, Rater8, and LoyalHealth that ask satisfied patients to post reviews. The goal: To counteract the effect of negative reviews. Not all of these systems are effective, according to physicians who’ve used them. Asking patients for reviews is still not fully accepted, either.
How to Deal With the Hidden Problem of Underpayments
When insurers pay less than the rate specified in a practice's contract, it can drain revenue without physicians even realizing it. As much as 3% of a typical practice's expected revenue is lost to underpayments, according to one estimate. To win back underpayments, billing staff must first root them out and then try to collect the correct amount from the insurer.
Prior authorization software: Saves time but hurdles remain
New England Baptist Hospital has been grappling with a serious problem facing health care today: insurers demanding prior authorizations for services ordered by physicians. Meeting payers’ requirements eats up time, delays treatment, and can be a costly drain on doctors’ practices. To deal with this problem, the Boston orthopedic hospital has opted to automate submission of prior authorization requests on behalf of more than 100 mostly orthopedic surgeons on staff.
Prior authorization software: Saves time but hurdles remain
New England Baptist Hospital has been grappling with a serious problem facing health care today: insurers demanding prior authorizations for services ordered by physicians. Meeting payers’ requirements eats up time, delays treatment, and can be a costly drain on doctors’ practices. To deal with this problem, the Boston orthopedic hospital has opted to automate submission of prior authorization requests on behalf of more than 100 mostly orthopedic surgeons on staff.
Prior Authorization Software: Saves Time but Hurdles Remain
New England Baptist Hospital has been grappling with a serious problem facing healthcare today — insurers demanding prior authorizations for services ordered by physicians. Meeting payers' requirements eats up time, delays treatment, and can be a costly drain on doctors' practices. To deal with this problem, the Boston orthopedic hospital has opted to automate submission of prior authorization requests on behalf of more than 100 mostly orthopedic surgeons on staff.
How to Keep Your Practice Profitable Despite Staff Shortages
While physicians are working hard to see many patients and keep their practices profitable, there's an insidious underlying problem that saps/sabotages/drains their major efforts: staff shortages that prevent them from efficient work, and perhaps even from billing for the work they've done. Is there any way physicians can offset or successfully deal with this eroding problem?
Could your practice be more profitable if you outsource?
Outsourcing certain staff functions in a practice to outside contractors working in remote locations has become commonplace in many medical practices. Health care outsourcing services, also known as virtual assistants (VAs), were already booming in 2017, when volume grew by 36%. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 normalized off-site work, which was a boon to outsourcing providers.
Are More Med School Tuition Cuts Likely to Come?
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine Eleven medical schools have eliminated or reduced tuition in the past 5 years.
Could Your Practice Be More Profitable if You Outsource?
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine Outsourcing certain staff functions in a practice to outside contractors working in remote locations has become commonplace in many medical practices.
Kidnapping and treatment risks come with medical tourism
In March 2023, four “medical tourists” from South Carolina who were seeking health care in Mexico were kidnapped by a drug cartel. Two were killed when they were trapped in a shootout. One of them was scheduled for tummy-tuck surgery, and others were seeking cheaper prescription drugs. The news reached Bruce Hermann, MD, a plastic surgeon in Denton, Tex., who brought up the incident in a segment of his podcast, “Nip Talk,” in which he talked about the risks of medical tourism.
Kidnapping and Treatment Risks Come With Medical Tourism Original
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine In March 2023, four "medical tourists" from South Carolina who were seeking healthcare in Mexico were kidnapped by a drug cartel. Two were killed when they were trapped in a shootout.
Malpractice risks for docs who oversee NPs or PAs
Court cases show that physicians continually underestimate their liability in supervising nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). Even in states that have abolished requirements that NPs be physician-supervised, physicians may still be liable by virtue of employing the NP, according to William P. Sullivan, DO, an attorney and emergency physician in Frankfort, Ill. Indeed, the vast majority of lawsuits against NPs and PAs name the supervising physician.
Malpractice Risks for Docs Who Oversee NPs or PAs
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel Court cases show that physicians continually underestimate their liability in supervising nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). Even in states that have abolished requirements that NPs be physician-supervised, physicians may still be liable by virtue of employing the NP, according to William P.
Malpractice risks for docs who oversee NPs or PAs
Court cases show that physicians continually underestimate their liability in supervising nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). Even in states that have abolished requirements that NPs be physician-supervised, physicians may still be liable by virtue of employing the NP, according to William P. Sullivan, DO, an attorney and emergency physician in Frankfort, Ill. Indeed, the vast majority of lawsuits against NPs and PAs name the supervising physician.
Docs struggle to keep up with the flood of new medical knowledge. Here’s advice
Publish date: March 3, 2023 The amount of medical knowledge is said to double every 73 days, making it much tougher for physicians to identify innovative findings and newer guidelines for helping patients. Yet not keeping up with the latest information can put doctors at risk. “Most doctors are feeling lost about keeping up to date,” said John P.A. Ioannidis, MD, professor of medicine at Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine.
Docs Struggle to Keep Up With New Medical Knowledge. Here's Advice
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine The amount of medical knowledge is said to double every 73 days, making it much tougher for physicians to identify innovative findings and newer guidelines for helping patients. Yet not keeping up with the latest information can put doctors at risk.
Income Could Plunge for Out-of-Network Doctors
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine Out-of-network (OON) status has been financially advantageous for doctors who could not get reasonable in-network reimbursement rates with insurers.
Legal and malpractice risks when taking call
Taking call is one of the more challenging - and annoying - aspects of the job for many physicians. Calls may wake them up in the middle of the night and can interfere with their at-home activities. In Medscape’s Employed Physicians Report, 37% of respondents said they have from 1 to 5 hours of call per month; 19% said they have 6 to 10 hours; and 12% have 11 hours or more.
Legal and Malpractice Risks When Taking Call
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel Taking call is one of the more challenging ― and annoying ― aspects of the job for many physicians. Calls may wake them up in the middle of the night and can interfere with their at-home activities.
You and the skeptical patient: Who’s the doctor here?
Gregory A. Hood, MD, remembers a patient of his who was perpetually dubious about COVID-19 – and then couldn’t be saved. “I spoke to him on many occasions about the dangers of COVID, but he just didn’t believe me,” said Dr. Hood, an internist in Lexington, Ky. “He just didn’t give me enough time to help him. He waited to let me know he was ill with COVID and took days to pick up the medicine.
You and the Skeptical Patient: Who's the Doctor Here?
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel Gregory A. Hood, MD, remembers a patient of his who was perpetually dubious about COVID-19 — and then couldn't be saved. "I spoke to him on many occasions about the dangers of COVID, but he just didn't believe me," said Hood, an internist in Lexington, Kentucky. "He just didn't give me enough time to help him.
Why private practice will always survive: Seven doctors who left employment tell why
Employed physicians are often torn. Many relish the steady salary and ability to focus on being a physician rather than handle administrative duties, but they bemoan their employers’ rules and their lack of input into key decisions. And thus, many doctors are leaving employment to start a private practice. For this article, seven physicians talked about why they chose private practice. Leaving employment is ‘an invigorating time’ On Sept.
Why Private Practice Will Always Survive
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine Employed physicians are often torn. Many relish the steady salary and ability to focus on being a physician rather than handle administrative duties, but they bemoan their employers' rules and their lack of input into key decisions.
Physicians' Medicare Pay Keeps Dwindling ― How Bad Will It Get?
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine John Ratliff, MD, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University, is tired of the way the Medicare program keeps paying physicians less and less.
Should you sell your practice to a private equity firm?
More and more physicians are being wooed by private equity firms that want to buy their practices. The total value of private equity deals in health care in 2019 is estimated at about $120 billion, and it’s expected to grow over the coming years. While the potential profit may seem alluring, physicians have mixed feelings as to whether this will be a boon or a disappointment.
Should You Sell Your Practice to a Private Equity Firm?
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Business of Medicine More and more physicians are being wooed by private equity firms that want to buy their practices. The total value of private equity deals in healthcare in 2019 is estimated at about $120 billion, and it's expected to grow over the coming years.
Violent patient throws scalding oil on MD; other patient dangers
Ralph Newman, MD, got a taste of how dangerous medicine could be at age 10, when he witnessed a physician being shot by a patient. “I was visiting a friend whose father was a psychiatrist,” Dr. Newman recalled. “We were playing in the living room when the doorbell rang. My friend went to the door and opened it. Then I heard a shot. I ran to the front hall and saw my friend’s father slumped at the bottom of the stairs. He had come down the stairs to see who was there.
Patients Who Want to Kill Their Doctor - and Some Succeed
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Features Ralph Newman, MD, got a taste of how dangerous medicine could be at age 10, when he witnessed a physician being shot by a patient. "I was visiting a friend whose father was a psychiatrist," Newman recalled. "We were playing in the living room when the doorbell rang.
‘Can I survive without payments from insurers?’
It took Michael Golden, MD, 5 years to decide to switch to a concierge practice, in which patients pay a monthly or annual fee for more personalized care. Dr. Golden, an internist in Beverly, Mass., changed course in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m not sure why I hesitated for so long,” said Dr. Golden. Once they take the plunge into concierge practice or direct primary care (DPC) – a related form of retainer-based practice – many doctors are delighted with the change.
'Can I Survive Without Payments From Insurers?'
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Features It took Michael Golden, MD, 5 years to decide to switch to a concierge practice, in which patients pay a monthly or annual fee for more personalized care. Golden, an internist in Beverly, Massachusetts, changed course in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Docs Find New and Better Ways to Cut EHR Documentation Time
The traditional scribe is a pre-med student who wants to get acquainted with medicine and is thus willing to make a fairly low income. This career trajectory is the reason scribes have a high turnover. As demand surged, the scribe pool was supplemented with students aspiring to other healthcare professions like nursing, and even with people who want to make a career of scribing.
Docs Find New and Better Ways to Cut EHR Input Time
close Please confirm that you would like to log out of Medscape. If you log out, you will be required to enter your username and password the next time you visit. Log out Cancel News > Medscape Medical News > Features Sixty percent of physicians cite documenting information in the electronic health record (EHR) and other paperwork as major contributors to burnout. Physicians have been working with a variety of ways to reduce their documentation burdens; could one of them be right for you?
Docs Find New and Better Ways to Cut EHR Input Time
Sixty percent of physicians cite documenting information in the electronic health record (EHR) and other paperwork as major contributors to burnout. Physicians have been working with a variety of ways to reduce their documentation burdens; could one of them be right for you? Two methods involve human scribes — working either on-site or off-site.
Will Docs' Lives Get Easier With Recent Changes in MOC Rules?
Jonathan Weiss, MD, an internist in Middletown, New York, remembers the "nightmare" of having to study for three high-stakes exams in general internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine required by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for recertification. "I spent months studying for one exam, and then I had to turn around and study for the next one," he says.
10 things not to do in a medical board hearing
Latest News Publish date: February 2, 2022 A Florida doctor told his patient her test result would be available in 3-4 days. When the patient didn’t hear back, she called the practice several times, but she didn’t receive a return call. So she filed a complaint against the doctor with the medical board. When the board investigator interviewed the doctor, the physician said he wasn’t aware the patient had called. But his staff said otherwise.
10 Things Not to Do in a Medical Board Hearing
A Florida doctor told his patient her test result would be available in 3–4 days. When the patient didn't hear back, she called the practice several times, but she didn't receive a return call. So she filed a complaint against the doctor with the medical board. When the board investigator interviewed the doctor, the physician said he wasn't aware the patient had called. But his staff said otherwise.
Are physician-owned large groups better than flying solo?
Feature Publish date: December 7, 2021 Large, physician-owned group practices are gaining ground as a popular form of practice, even as the number of physicians in solo and small practices declines, and employment maintains its appeal. As physicians shift from owning private practices to employment in hospital systems, this countertrend is also taking place. Large group practices are growing in number, even as solo and small practices are in decline.
Are Physician-Owned Large Groups Better Than Employment?
Large, physician-owned group practices are gaining ground as a popular form of practice, even as the number of physicians in solo and small practices declines, and employment maintains its appeal. As physicians shift from owning private practices to employment in hospital systems, this countertrend is also taking place. Large group practices are growing in number, even as solo and small practices are in decline. Do large, physician-owned groups bring benefits that beat employment?
New land mines in your next (and even current) employment contract
Feature Publish date: October 18, 2021 Physician employment contracts include some new dangers. This includes physicians taking a new job, but it also includes already-employed doctors who are being asked to resign a new contract that contains new conditions. A number of these new clauses have arisen because of COVID-19.
New Landmines in Your Next (and Even Current) Employment Contract
Physician employment contracts include some new dangers. This includes physicians taking a new job, but it also includes already-employed doctors who are being asked to re-sign a new contract that contains new conditions. A number of these new clauses have arisen due to COVID-19. When the pandemic dramatically reduced patient flow, many employers didn't have enough money to pay doctors and didn't always have physicians in the right location or practice setting.
MDs Doing Wrong-Site Surgery: Why Is It Still Happening?
In July 2021, University Hospitals, in Cleveland, Ohio, announced that its staff had transplanted a kidney into the wrong patient. Although the patient who received the kidney was recovering well, the patient who was supposed to have received the kidney was skipped over. As a result of the error, two employees were placed on administrative leave and the incident was being investigated, the hospital announced.
MDs doing wrong-site surgery: Why is it still happening?
Feature Publish date: September 30, 2021 Author(s): Leigh Page In July 2021, University Hospitals, in Cleveland, announced that its staff had transplanted a kidney into the wrong patient. Although the patient who received the kidney was recovering well, the patient who was supposed to have received the kidney was skipped over. As a result of the error, two employees were placed on administrative leave and the incident was being investigated, the hospital announced.
MDs doing wrong-site surgery: Why is it still happening?
Feature Publish date: September 30, 2021 In July 2021, University Hospitals, in Cleveland, announced that its staff had transplanted a kidney into the wrong patient. Although the patient who received the kidney was recovering well, the patient who was supposed to have received the kidney was skipped over. As a result of the error, two employees were placed on administrative leave and the incident was being investigated, the hospital announced.
Why Should Doctors Be Penalized for Patient Outcomes?
A patient with diabetes went to an orthopedic surgeon for treatment of a severe leg problem. The surgeon determined that the patient had a vascular problem and directed him to go to the emergency department next door for a vascular consult. The patient would not go, saying he was "too busy moving and getting divorced." The patient's condition worsened, and his leg had to be amputated. The patient sued the orthopedic surgeon for not sufficiently helping him.
Docs fight back after losing hospital privileges, patients, and income Original
Feature Publish date: August 10, 2021 In April, a group of more than a dozen cardiologists at St. Louis Heart and Vascular (SLHV) lost their privileges at SSM Health, an eight-hospital system in St. Louis. The physicians did not lose their privileges because of a clinical failure. Rather, it was because of SSM’s decision to enter into an exclusive contract with another set of cardiologists.
Docs Fight Back After Losing Hospital Privileges, Patients
In April, a group of more than a dozen cardiologists at St. Louis Heart and Vascular (SLHV) lost their privileges at SSM Health, an eight-hospital system in St. Louis, Missouri. The physicians did not lose their privileges because of a clinical failure. Rather, it was because of SSM's decision to enter into an exclusive contract with another set of cardiologists. "The current situation is economically untenable for us," said Harvey Serota, MD, founder and medical director of SLHV.
‘I did nothing wrong’: MDs used their own sperm for fertility patients | MDedge
Martin D. Greenberg, MD, was sued in May for secretly using his own sperm to inseminate one of his infertility patients 38 years earlier. The patient’s daughter found out last year when she used a DNA test from 23andme to learn about her family history. The 77-year-old New York gynecologist is retired in Florida. Dr. Greenberg is one of more than 30 U.S. physicians who have so far been identified as having used their own sperm without telling their patients, and more cases are likely.
'I Did Nothing Wrong:' MDs Used Own Sperm for Fertility Patients
Martin D. Greenberg, MD, was sued in May for secretly using his own sperm to inseminate one of his infertility patients 38 years earlier. The patient's daughter found out last year when she used a DNA test from 23andme to learn about her family history. The 77-year-old New York gynecologist is retired in Florida. Greenberg is one of more than 30 US physicians who have so far been identified as having used their own sperm without telling their patients, and more cases are likely.
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