Thirteen ways to reduce the burden of prior authorizations -- FPM
If you've spent any time on the phone with an insurer seeking approval for certain medications or procedures, you likely wished for an easier way. Here are a number of possible avenues to shorten the process.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/prior_authorization_tips.html
Treating migraines? There's an app for that -- FPM
Treating migraines is difficult because of the many factors that can trigger an attack. Suggest this mobile app to patients so they can be more engaged in their own care.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/Migraine_Buddy.html
Hospital/Inpatient Care -- FPM Topic Collection
Jun 24, 2019 - Advertisement Topic Collection Hospital/Inpatient Care Editors' Choice of Best Available Content How can you provide efficient care to your hospitalized patients? This article collection features popular FPM content on this topic and more. Categories Clinical Issues...
Family Practice Management : Topic Collections
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/topicModules/viewTopicModule.htm?topicModuleId=103
A sample workflow to address medication nonadherence related to cost -- FPM
To quickly screen for and address prescription cost concerns, use this sample workflow.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/prescription_costs.html
Think 99214 if you see these problems or procedures -- FPM
The risk component of medical decision making is more subjective and can be difficult to identify, so here’s what to look for.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/99214_presenting_problems.html
Add some fun to your practice -- FPM
Patients often come to your practice feeling anxious, hurt, or afraid. Adding some levity can help put them at ease, and it can help your stressed-out colleagues as well.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/workplace_fun.html
Is your EHR slowing you down? -- FPM
No one got into medicine for the typing. Here are ways to speed up your use of electronic health record systems.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/ehr_tips.html
Got an idea to reduce physician burden? CMS wants to hear it -- FPM
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has opened a request for information, looking for ways to reduce paperwork and allow physicians to spend more time on patient care.
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/reducing_physician_burden.html
Three tips for making a referral for counseling -- FPM
Some patients may still believe there is a stigma attached to seeking counseling. But if you believe it would benefit him or her, here are some suggestions to help make the process easier.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/counseling_referral.html
Test your E/M coding skills -- FPM
E/M coding for repeat patient visits during the same day can be tricky. How would you code this scenario?
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/coding_skills.html
Work after clinic: seven ideas for regaining control over your time -- FPM
Although changes are needed to address the underlying problem of administrative complexity in health care, individual physicians can take practical steps to improve efficiency and reduce the amount of time they spend working after hours.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/work_after_clinic.html
Medicare changing rules for modifiers to override claims edits -- FPM
Medicare and some private payers are set to make it easier to use modifiers to override claims edits.
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/modifiers_override_claims.html
How to establish yourself as a physician leader -- FPM
Because of their medical authority, every physician is a leader in their organization to some extent. Those who expand their leadership potential tend to have four characteristics.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/physician_leadership_tips.html
The right (and wrong) way to make sure patients understand your instructions -- FPM
An estimated 50 percent of patients leave their medical visits without understanding what their physician told them. The teach-back technique can help.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/teach_back_the_right_way.html
Risk Stratification: A Two-Step Process for Identifying Your Sickest Patients -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - Assessing the health risk of your patients can yield improvements in efficiency and use of resources.
Family Practice Management : Articles
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p21.html
Seven Habits for Reducing Work After Clinic -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - Imagine shutting your office door at the end of the day and not having any work that you need to take home. These shifts in practice can help you reclaim your time.
Family Practice Management : Articles
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p10.html
A Practical Approach to Reducing Patients' Prescription Costs -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - A single screening question and an arsenal of cost-reducing strategies can help you help your patients afford their medications.
Family Practice Management : Articles
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p5.html
Transitional Care Management: Practical Processes for Your Practice -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - Helping patients safely bridge the gap from acute care to ambulatory care is good for patients and practices too.
Family Practice Management : Articles
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p27.html
Coding & Documentation - May-Jun 2019 -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - Same-day return visit | Modifier for incident-to services | Inpatient care billing by teaching physician | Biopsy of the outer ear | Multiple X-rays
Family Practice Management : Coding & Documentation
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p31.html
A New Lexicon for Physicians: A Poem for Physicians Who Care -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - What if EHRs, MIPS, and MACRA all stood for something else--something truly meaningful?
Family Practice Management : The Last Word
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p36.html
Improving Vaccination Rates for the 2018-2019 Influenza Season -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - This organizational supplement summarizes information and resources the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) develops, utilizes, and disseminates to family physicians and their health care teams to increase influenza vaccination rates.
Family Practice Management : Articles
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p17.html
Rethinking Roles: Your Colleagues' and Your Own -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - How can you foster teamwork when you aren’t the boss?
Family Practice Management : From the Editor
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p4.html
Practice Pearls - May-Jun 2019 -- FPM
Jun 1, 2019 - Create annual visit plans for your patients | Use your EHR to close care gaps | Use passwords to practice mindfulness
Family Practice Management : Practice Pearls
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2019/0500/p32.html
Seven ways your medical assistant can help you provide patient-centered care -- FPM
Need new resources to provide better patient care? How about following these seven strategies to better use the medical assistants you already have?
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/medical_assistants.html
Transitional care management: four areas to improve -- FPM
Patients sometimes fall through the gaps when moving from an acute care environment to home. Improve these four areas to prevent that from happening.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/transitional_care_management.html
How to encourage more appropriate quality measures -- FPM
Many quality measure do not help patients or are out of the physician's control. If facing such measures, here are two things physicians can do.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/appropriate_quality_measures.html
The first step to changing your practice culture -- FPM
If your practice's culture isn't inspiring you and your colleagues to do their best work, change it. Start by sitting down and answering this key question.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/practice_culture_change.html
How to create simple annual visit plans for your patients -- FPM
Family physicians often have to think through a patient's future care needs during a visit, which can hurt efficiency and allow things to go unaddressed. Creating annual visit plans with each patient may help.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/annual_visit_planning.html
Five problems with clinic design -- FPM
The success of a clinic is often tied to how it is laid out and operated. If your practice has any of these five features, you could have a problem.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/clinic_design.html
Are your patients taking their medications? Seven questions to help you find out -- FPM
Asking your patients directly if they are taking their prescribed medication may not give you an accurate answer. Use these more specific questions to get a better feel for their adherence.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/improving_medication_adherence.html
Three practical ways to assign risk levels to your patients -- FPM
Determining who your sickest patients are ahead of time can help you more proactively manage them and make better use of limited resources. Here's how.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/risk_stratification.html
How to legally provide free transportation to patients -- FPM
Federal rules allow physicians to provide free transportation to Medicare and Medicaid patients. But the rules are strict. Here's how to stay out of trouble.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/patient_inducements.html
Electronic Health Records -- FPM Toolbox
May 14, 2019 - Download tools to help you evaluate, select, and optimize your electronic health record system.
Family Practice Management : FPM Toolbox : Electronic Health Records
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/toolBox/viewToolType.htm?toolTypeId=7
Disease Management: Diabetes -- FPM Toolbox
May 14, 2019 - Download encounter forms, patient agreements, and flow sheets to help you manage diabetes care.
Family Practice Management : FPM Toolbox : Disease Management: Diabetes
https://www.aafp.org/fpm/toolBox/viewToolType.htm?toolTypeId=10
CMS clarifies documentation for teaching physicians' E/M services -- FPM
Physicians who bill for E/M services while teaching medical students may face some changes under newly clarified federal guidelines.
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/teaching_physician_services.html
States to lose ability to divert Medicaid payments -- FPM
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is eliminating a 2014 rule that allowed states to divert Medicaid payments to third parties.
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/Medicaid_final_rule.html
One way to increase physician autonomy and job satisfaction -- FPM
Physician autonomy is crucial to fostering job satisfaction and a culture of continuous quality improvement and creative problem solving. Unfortunately, physician autonomy is shrinking in many health care organizations. Here's one solution.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/physician_autonomy.html
Motivational interviewing: four steps to get started -- FPM
Motivational interviewing is a brief counseling technique that can be effective at helping patients overcome reluctance and make behavioral changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. The OARS acronym highlights four essential aspects.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/motivational_interviewing.html
Four bad habits you need to break when it comes to email -- FPM
To reduce the intrusion of email into your daily work life, stop doing these four things.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/email_bad_habits.html
CMS Primary Care Initiative provides new payment models -- FPM
The Primary Care Initiative announced by CMS will give family physicians new payment streams aimed at increasing value-based care.
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/CMS_Primary_Care_Initiative.html
Three steps to coding for Medicare wellness visits -- FPM
The Medicare annual wellness visit and the initial preventive physical examination provide a number of benefits to patients and physicians. Follow these suggestions to get properly reimbursed.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/coding_wellness_visits.html
Eight things to do before you quit your job -- FPM
High demand and job dissatisfaction may have family physicians considering leaving their practice for a new one. These eight steps could make the transition easier.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/leaving_a_practice.html
What standing orders can do for your practice -- FPM
Standing orders allow nurses, medical assistants, or other health care team members to perform certain clinical tasks, freeing the physician to focus on complex care. Here's how to make standing orders work for you.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/potential_standing_orders.html
Four tools to help you identify patient medications that need to be deprescribed -- FPM
If your patient is taking multiple medications, some of which may have become unnecessary or harmful, use these four tools to begin the process of deprescribing.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/deprescribing.html
Family physician pay goes up, satisfaction with pay goes down -- FPM
An annual survey of physician compensation shows a healthy gain for physicians. How do you compare?
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/2019_compensation.html
How to get support for your health policy goals -- FPM
Public officials can be a great resource for helping you achieve changes in local health policy. Here are four steps to get elected leaders on your side.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/elected_officials.html
Four ways to better care for patients with a history of childhood trauma -- FPM
When caring for patients with a history of childhood trauma, some simple shifts in your communication habits can signal to patients that your practice is a safe space for them and help avoid re-traumatization.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/childhood_trauma.html
Stop multitasking, and do this instead -- FPM
Constantly switching your focus from one task to another comes at a cost, decreasing your cognitive ability and productivity. What’s a better approach?
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/stop_multitasking.html
Practices gain a second chance to review 2017 QPP results -- FPM
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is giving practices additional time to review 2017 Quality Payment Program performance data before making it available for public view.
Family Practice Management : Getting Paid : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/gettingpaid/entry/2017_performance_data_review.html
How to handle negative reviews -- FPM
As patients increasingly use online reviews to express their opinions about their medical care and search for doctors, practices need to be paying attention to this information.
Family Practice Management : Quick Tips : FPM Home
https://www.aafp.org/journals/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/negative_online_reviews.html