Why I Love My EMR
William D. Soper, MD, MBA
Two years after he took his practice digital, the author addresses the concerns of others who contemplate leaving paper records behind.

Ten Reasons to Be a Self-Employed Family Physician and Ten Ways to Do It
Sanford J. Brown, MD
Independent practice could revive your career, but do you have what it takes to succeed?

Understanding the Physician Liability Insurance Crisis
Richard G. Roberts, MD, JD, FAAFP
Just when you thought declining reimbursement and rising expenses had squeezed your practice dry, liability insurance premiums began to climb dramatically. Here's what's behind the increases.

EDITORIAL
The Elephant in the Room
Nancy Wilson Ashbach, MD, MBA
Why does nobody talk about the real problems with health care today?

GETTING PAID
New ICD-9 Codes Take Effect This Month
Kent J. Moore
Our summary of the changes and updated coding tools will help you to code more accurately and efficiently.
Special Feature: ICD-9 Reference Card

CODING & DOCUMENTATION
Answers to Your Questions
Kent J. Moore
Face-to-face time • CPT codes for NP visits • Coding prolotherapy

MONITOR
Medicare payment increases expected, Rx drug benefit less certain • Physician productivity jumps; compensation rises slightly • Process errors most common in primary care

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE
Rethinking Refills
Jodie Escobedo, MD

Here's an easy way to improve service, decrease errors, facilitate compliance and go home earlier.

PRACTICE DIARY
Sanford J. Brown, MD
Sniffers • Risky business • The preceptor

Computers
Good Medicine: E-Prescribing
Louis Spikol, MD
Electronic prescribing improves patient safety and increases efficiency by providing important drug information at the point of care.

ASK FPM
RHC protocols • Supervising an NP • Closed to new Medicare patients

BALANCING ACT
Taking Time Out
Jennifer Bush
If you find you can't fully escape from the office even on the weekend, consider taking a personal retreat.