The 2020 Medicare Documentation, Coding, and Payment Update

KENT MOORE, AMY MULLINS, ERIN SOLIS, CINDY HUGHES

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is trying to make Medicare documentation less burdensome and planning more changes that should result in a pay raise for family physicians in the future.

Improving the Waiting Room Experience

PHILIP B. COLLINS, JOSHUA S. COREN, THOMAS J. DINZEO, SUSAN LEHRMAN

Adding a touch of tech, a dose of education, and plenty of creature comforts to your waiting room can make it more palatable for patients.

Social Media for Doctors: Taking Professional and Patient Engagement to the Next Level

BICH-MAY NGUYEN, EMILY LU, NATASHA BHUYAN, KENNY LIN, MIKE SEVILLA

Some of the top family physicians on social media share their best practices for building a following and avoiding common pitfalls.

Physician Well-Being: Prioritizing Your Own Health Through a Personal Health Improvement Plan

CATHERINE FLORIO PIPAS

You can’t take care of others optimally unless you first take care of yourself. Start today.

Goal-Setting Theory for the New Year

Sarina Schrager

Research points to four factors that will help make your goals more effective.

Thank You, FPM Peer Reviewers

Quality peer reviews help the FPM editors select and publish articles that are accurate, authoritative, and useful to family physicians and others in primary care. We would like to thank the following peer reviewers, who completed at least one manuscript review in 2019....

Why Family Physicians Should Not “Just” Be Family Physicians: Rethinking Physician Roles in Community Health Centers and Beyond

CHRISTINE HANCOCK, JARED GARRISON-JAKEL, VERONICA JORDAN, TARA SCOTT, JESSICA LES

In some settings, the cause of burnout isn’t having too much work — it’s having the wrong type of work.

CODING & DOCUMENTATION

CINDY HUGHES

VAPING-RELATED ILLNESS | BILLING “QUALIFIED MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES” | ELECTROCARDIOGRAM RECORDED BY A HOLTER MONITOR | LUNG FUNCTION TESTS

PRACTICE PEARLS

Nicole Provost, Rebekah Bernard

NAVIGATE PATIENTS’ ANXIETY ABOUT PELVIC EXAMS | ASK OLDER PATIENTS THESE QUESTIONS TO ASSESS DEMENTIA RISK | TELL PATIENTS UP FRONT HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE

Listening to the Little Voice Inside

SANFORD J. BROWN

That nagging little voice can sometimes save you from a medical mistake, so don’t ignore it.

Primary Care First: Practice Assessment Checklist

Starting in 2021, PCF will be open to primary care clinicians practicing in 26 participating states and regions. Use this checklist to assess your practice’s readiness to participate in PCF, including care delivery capabilities, data infrastructure, and potential financial...