Articles
Why It’s Time to Purchase an Electronic Health Record System
The old reasons for holding off may have lost their validity.
Negotiating Your Semi-Retirement Package
The right contract can help you reduce your workload and ease into retirement on your terms.
What Motivates Staff?
Good wages and pleasant working conditions are important, but true motivation stems from something deeper.
Five Ways to Retain Good Staff
The most effective strategies won’t cost you a dime.
Do You Have the Right Malpractice Insurance Policy?
Here’s how to make sure your expensive policy doesn’t contain any unpleasant surprises.
From the Editor
A Gift for Our Reviewers: CME Credit
FPM’s peer reviewers will soon have something more than satisfaction to show for their efforts.
Opinion
Spoofing Spurious Science
Statistics can be skewed, as shown in this satirical study of the risks surrounding premature aging and death.
Letters
Getting Paid
Navigating the Medicare Web Site
A guide to unearthing answers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web site.
Coding & Documentation
CODING & DOCUMENTATION
A limit to 99214? | When someone else discharges your hospitalized patient | Coding a flu shot | Coding for a delivery by the resident | Same-day E/M & circumcision | Coding assessment and CPR | Observation to inpatient status | Coding for sports event coverage | ICD-9 code…
Monitor
MONITOR
AAFP Congress moves to create political action committee, approves other resolutions | Administrative tasks cost practices thousands | What patients want | PRACTICE PEARLS from here and there | Medicare changes for 2005 | Withholding pay for medical errors | R<sub>x</sub…
Improving Patient Care
Estimating the Risks of Coronary Angioplasty
Clinical decision rules make it easy to give patients more precise estimates of their risks of complications.
Practice Diary
Ask FPM
ASK FPM
Starting a practice in a health professional shortage area | Dictation reminders | Medicare teaching rules
Balancing Act
Using Updates to Ease Your Workday and Your Mind
Providing simple updates can relieve worried patients, calm stressed-out colleagues and give you peace of mind.