Big Ideas to Help Your Practice Thrive
Your family physician colleagues share their best ideas for energizing and strengthening the practice of medicine.

Group Visits Hit the Road
Douglas Dreffer, MD
By taking group visits to his elderly patients, this physician found a way to meet their needs and those of his practice - and have fun at the same time.

Making Time to Listen
James R. Dykes, MD
This family physician created a model of practice that allows him to spend quality time with patients.

"Insuring" the Uninsured
Claudia Aguero-Vazquez, MD, and Javier Vazquez
By offering uninsured patients a set of services in exchange for an affordable monthly fee, this practice has reduced no-shows and improved its patients' health.

GETTING PAID
ICD-9 Changes: Update Now or Pay Later
Kent J. Moore
Failing to update your ICD-9 codes by the Oct. 1 effective date could cost you.

SPECIAL FEATURE: ICD-9 Reference Card

CODING & DOCUMENTATION
Answers to Your Questions
Kent J. Moore
Hospital care for partner's patients • School physical forms

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE
Starting the Doctor-Patient Relationship on the Right Foot
Robert E. Smith, MD
Enrollment interviews will help you educate potential patients about your practice and assess whether it's a good match.

BALANCING ACT
Making a Living and a Life
Eugene Guazzo, MD
Family medicine allows you to create the life you want, so make your wish list - and then make it happen.

EDITOR'S PAGE
18 Glimpses of Tomorrow
Robert L. Edsall
The "big ideas" described in this issue offer 18 different views of the future, individually incomplete, but collectively suggestive of a shared vision.

LETTERS
How different are internists and FPs? • Money and status • Just what is a family physician, anyway?

PRACTICE DIARY
Sanford J. Brown, MD
Preserving the solo physician • The vampire

ASK FPM
Writing off patient balances • Billing for precepting