The Integrated Summary: A Documentation Tool to Improve Patient Care
Michael A. Stelman, MD
This easy-to-use template enables you to see the full context of a patient's health on a single page.

Making Family Practice Doable in Everyday Life
J. LeBron McBride, PhD, MPH
Having trouble coping with the demands of your profession? Self-examination can make your work more meaningful and manageable.

Evaluating Health Plans: Finding the Keepers
Rod Aymond
Dropping certain health plan contracts can boost your bottom line and reduce hassles. The author's spreadsheet will enable you to choose carefully.

EDITORIAL
The Challenge of Urban Family Medicine
Denise Hooks-Anderson, MD
After an eye-opening move to a new community, one physician discovers she is more than just a doctor to her patients.

GETTING PAID
Anatomy of the Medicare Appeals Process
Kent J. Moore
Recent changes speed up the process and make additional levels of appeal more accessible.

CODING & DOCUMENTATION
Answers to Your Questions
Kent J. Moore
Night admission • New or established patient? • Allergy injections

MONITOR
Malpractice crisis spreads; legislation pending • Physicians, patients have differing views on disclosing errors • Practice pearls

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE
Making Paper Charts More Efficient
Lisa McTavish, MD

Simple interventions, such as using self-inking stamps to document lab results, can make your charts more legible, consistent and complete in less time.

PRACTICE DIARY
Sanford J. Brown, MD
Coding consult • A bold woman • Schooled!

ASK FPM
PDAs and HIPAA • Using RVUs in compensation formulas • Paper for paperless systems?

BALANCING ACT
Keeping the Human Touch
Frank H. Boehm, MD
The more high-tech we get, the more we need the healing power of the human touch.