A Systematic Approach to Identifying Drug-Seeking Patients

Richard W. Pretorius, Gina M. Zurick

When patients present with suspicious complaints of pain, these seven steps can help you prevent the misuse of prescription drugs.

A New Approach to Group Visits: Helping High-Need Patients Make Behavioral Change

Jean Antonucci

The most difficult patients have one thing in common: They need to change their health habits. Group visits can help them.

Closing the Physician-Staff Divide: A Step Toward Creating the Medical Home

Benjamin F. Crabtree, Reuben R. McDaniel, Paul A. Nutting, Holly J. Lanham, J. Anna Looney, William L. Miller

If your staff's job is to keep patients moving through the system and yours is to take care of the patients they supply, your practice is flawed.

Stark III: Refinement Not Revolution (Part 2)

ALICE G. GOSFIELD

The regulations include good news for physicians who work with hospitals.

How to Protect Your Data When You're on the Web

Adarsh K. Gupta

Every time you access the Internet, a world of criminals is trying to steal personal information – yours and your patients'. Here's how to stop them.

What You Need to Know When Called Upon to Be a Good Samaritan

Robert J. Dachs, Jay M. Elias

Understanding your legal protections and ethical obligations can make it easier to respond when duty calls.

A Quick Tour of the Changes in FPM

Robert Edsall, Editor-in-Chief

Board here. The tour bus is about to depart.

Why Teamwork Will Make or Break Your Practice

Bruce Bagley

Without it, practice transformation and optimal outcomes will be difficult to achieve

Contemplating Robin Hood practice

Patient vs. “customer-owner”

Edward Thompson

Evaluating the RUC

James Wedell

Curing Baumol's disease

Allen Horn

NEWS & TRENDS

2008 Match Results: Family medicine shows slight improvement | Communities needed for EHR demonstration project | Majority of FPs wouldn't do it again despite strong job market

CODING & DOCUMENTATION

Cindy Hughes

Tobacco cessation codes | Specimen transfer to lab | Home health services | Diagnosis code for prothrombin time testing | Hospital discharge when the patient dies | Hepatitis test | Nebulizer supplies

PRACTICE PEARLS

Andy Pasternak, Jesse Bracamonte, Hien Nguyen, Sweety Jain, Alice G. Gosfield

Monitor records transfers | Use analogies to increase patient compliance | Have a garage sale | Focus on special needs | Tracking follow-up care

A New Epidemic: Administrative Fibrillation

William E. Chavey

If you're prone to overcommitment, you may be at risk for A-fib.