Why It’s Time to Purchase an Electronic Health Record System

Kenneth G. Adler

The old reasons for holding off may have lost their validity.

Negotiating Your Semi-Retirement Package

Daniel M. Bernick

The right contract can help you reduce your workload and ease into retirement on your terms.

What Motivates Staff?

C. Carolyn Thiedke

Good wages and pleasant working conditions are important, but true motivation stems from something deeper.

Five Ways to Retain Good Staff

Roger Shenkel, Cathy Gardner

The most effective strategies won’t cost you a dime.

Do You Have the Right Malpractice Insurance Policy?

David R. Dearden, Michael R. Burke

Here’s how to make sure your expensive policy doesn’t contain any unpleasant surprises.

A Gift for Our Reviewers: CME Credit

Robert L. Edsall

FPM’s peer reviewers will soon have something more than satisfaction to show for their efforts.

Spoofing Spurious Science

Thomas L. Horton

Statistics can be skewed, as shown in this satirical study of the risks surrounding premature aging and death.

An apostle of “big ideas”

George C. Xakellis

Including deaf patients in the conversation

Rational world a better environment for physicians

Douglas Iliff

Accentuating the positive in family medicine

Brenda O’Hara

Creating the lifestyle you want

Anthony Valdini

Put yourself in patients’ shoes

Michael D. White

Crunching the numbers

“Listen” article inspires med student

Kathryn Winslow

Navigating the Medicare Web Site

Kent J. Moore

A guide to unearthing answers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web site.

CODING & DOCUMENTATION

Kent J. Moore

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...

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_x...

Estimating the Risks of Coronary Angioplasty

Mark H. Ebell

Clinical decision rules make it easy to give patients more precise estimates of their risks of complications.

PRACTICE DIARY

Sanford J. Brown

Horses vs zebras VI | A missed appointment

ASK FPM

Keith Borglum, Debra Phairas, Kent J. Moore

Starting a practice in a health professional shortage area | Dictation reminders | Medicare teaching rules

Using Updates to Ease Your Workday and Your Mind

Pamela J. Vaccaro

Providing simple updates can relieve worried patients, calm stressed-out colleagues and give you peace of mind.