• FEATURES

    Improving Patient Communication in No Time

    Ellen J. Belzer

    Here are quick ways to evaluate and refine your communication style to better suit your patients' needs.

    Holding the Gains in Quality Improvement

    James M. Giovino

    In QI, enacting a positive change within your practice isn't the end. You must continue moving forward.

    Becoming an Effective Physician Leader

    Michael K. Magill

    Your clinical practice has planted the seeds of leadership skills, but they need intensive cultivation to flourish.

    Physician-Owned Groups: The Best Strategy for Success

    H. Jeffrey Wilkins, Richard J. Pierotti, Robert J. Motley, Hal D. Cohan, James L. Conrad, R. Lawrence Derstine, Peter Mertzanis, A. Douglas Bender

    Managed care has pushed physicians into new practice arrangements, but none is positioned for success like the physician-owned group.

    A Case Study in Developing a Successful Medical Group

    Al N. Hawks

    This group thrives by keeping doctors in control and by putting the interests of primary care physicians first.

    Developing ‘Groupthink’ in a Multispecialty Group

    Joseph A. Cincotta

    Following these ‘commandments’ leads doctors along a path of humility, commitment to the group — and success.

    EDITOR'S PAGE

    Group Practice Magic

    Robert L. Edsall

    One aphorism we have heard frequently from practice integration consultants over the past few years is, “The magic is not in the model.” That is, there is no “best” integration model: The fact that, say, a physician-hospital organization (PHO) down the road is going great...

    EDITORIAL

    Flying Solo

    Joe D. Haines, Jr.

    Flying Solo

    LETTERS

    Enough, already!

    Joseph J. Baum, Lynn Terry

    Managing patient expectations

    Charles H. Cummings

    Two-way communication

    Jean Antonucci

    This is the future?

    GETTING PAID

    Medicare, 2000 and You

    Kent J. Moore

    Take preventive steps now if you don't want your practice to catch the Y2K bug in its interactions with Medicare.

    CODING & DOCUMENTATION

    Should You Modify Your Use of Modifiers?

    Kent J. Moore

    They can help you code for your services more accurately and get paid for the work you really perform.

    MONITOR

    Monitor

    HCFA's Y2K hotline now available | OIG finds providers lagging in Y2K preparation | AHCPR announces new prevention topics | How salaried physicians are being paid | Charity care suffers in managed care | QI brings improvements in Medicare | Microchip enables precise drug...

    PRACTICE DIARY

    Practice Diary

    Sanford J. Brown

    Endurance | Malpractice | Diets | Electronic data

    IMPROVING PATIENT CARE

    Finding Diamonds in the Trenches With the Nominal Group Process

    Robert H. Moon

    To harness the best ideas for improvement and to help build support for them, let everyone's voice be heard.

    COMPUTERS

    Organize Your Data With Microsoft Excel

    Thomas G. Savel

    Its ease of use and flexibility make it a helpful tool for managing information from the most mundane to the most complex.

    OUR FEATURED WEB SITE

    Clinical Decision Support From EDHome

    David C. Kibbe

    The Internet and World Wide Web are great resources for doing literature searches, accessing evidence-based guidelines and communicating with your patients. But are these tools ready for the exam room?

    ASK FPM

    Ask FPM

    Kent J. Moore, Todd C. Dicus, Gail Levy, Alice G. Gosfield

    FPs and productivity | ADA's effect on solo practice | Optimal practice size | Supervising MLPs

    BALANCING ACT

    Get a Life by Clearing the Clutter

    Dianna Booher

    These techniques will turn your mountain of work into a manageable molehill.



    Disclosure

    All editors and editorial advisory board members in a position to control content for this activity, FPM journal, are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships. View disclosures.



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