features

20 Virtual Office Visits: A Reachable and Reimbursable Innovation (PDF available)

Michelle Eads, MD

They're convenient, they're efficient, and for a growing number of physicians, they pay.

25 Are Your Patients Ready for Electronic Communication? (PDF available)

Allen L. Pelletier, MD, FAAFP, Greggory R. Sutton and Raymond R. Walker, MD, MBA

This simple survey will help you gauge patients' ability to interact with your practice via the Internet.

28 Recruiting and Retaining the Right Physicians (PDF available)

Jack Valancy, MBA

Your practice can hire the best candidates by knowing its needs and anticipating theirs.

35 Coding Flu Shots: Immunize Against Lost Revenue (PDF available)

Cindy Hughes, CPC

Make this hectic time of year a little smoother by reminding yourself and your staff how to code flu shots.

DEPARTMENTS

8 from the editor

Let Your Ideas Shine: The 2008 Reader Challenge

Robert L. Edsall

Got a good idea? Don't hide it under a bushel.

9 opinion

Rebuilding Family Medicine From the Foundation Up

Douglas Smith, MD

The mere fact that we talk about "access to care" is a sign of serious illness in the health care system.

11 letters

Do you think we need primary care? • The huddle agenda • Grade your payers

12 news & Trends

Insurer to pay $12 million to settle claims-related complaints • More physicians move to mid-sized practices • Companies make unhealthy employees pay

15 Coding & Documentation

Cindy Hughes, CPC

Determining the chief complaint • Biopsy vs. excision • Billing for a hospital discharge • Follow-up visits and global periods • Swing bed care • E/M visit + vaccination • Assessment after a car accident • Billing for teaching rounds

41 Practice pearls

Offering vaccines in your office • Manage expectations and waiting time • Note pronunciation of patient names • Understand lease terms • Create a clear objective for your employees • Develop a clear policy on personal computer use • Keep good staff members on board

43 CME QUIZ

Earn 3.25 CME credits.

50 the last word

Moving Beyond "Noncompliance"

William E. Cayley Jr., MD, MDiv

When we focus on our own agenda rather than our patient's, we too can become noncompliant.

2 Contact FPM

47 Classifieds

49 authors guide