By Michelle Andrews

Medical tests can reveal critical information about a person’s health, but only if the results are communicated to clinicians and patients. Sometimes, the ball gets dropped somewhere between the lab or the radiology department and the clinician who ordered the test and the patient.

In Peggy Kidwell’s case, a mix-up over doctors’ names led to a year-long delay in a breast cancer diagnosis.

After her annual gynecological exam and mammogram several years ago at a medical center near her Virginia Beach home, she got a letter from her doctor saying …

By Lynn Lucas-Fehm, MD, JD
When the AMA was formed in 1847, the founders could not have imagined how health care delivery would change in the ensuing 150 years. The goals of the 19th century medical profession were ambitious but clear – to assure that the highest standards of excellence became the foundation for the practice of medicine.

At the first meeting of the AMA, the delegates developed policies by introducing, debating, amending and ultimately passing resolutions.  One example was the policy establishing the requirement for “gentlemen” entering the profession:

Resolved, that this …

By Nicholas Gaudiosi

I’ve thought for months about how to write this article and actually get my point across without sounding like a psychic, because I certainly don’t possess an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses. The fact is, I’m not a psychic and I don’t have a crystal ball; if I did, I wouldn’t be working for a medical malpractice insurance company. But, since I’m just a regular guy and I work for HPIX, I feel it is my obligation to raise awareness among physicians and their …

By Rebecca Roberts, Ph.D.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental estrogen that can affect development and health by disrupting normal hormonal signaling.  Estrogen, working at very low blood concentrations, triggers responses in cells and tissues and is critical during fetal development and in normal health and reproduction.  BPA binds to the same cellular receptors as estrogen and may lead to detrimental health effects.

In June of this year, the American Medical Association formally recognized BPA as an endocrine-disrupting agent.  Physicians can play an important role in educating their patients about this pervasive …

By Lucia Francesca Bruno, JD, LLM, MBA

The proverbial statement, “You only get one bite at the apple” couldn’t be truer than when negotiating a Physician Employment Agreement.  Whether you’re the head of a medical practice inviting an experienced physician to join the group, or a resident contemplating a Letter of Intent, fair and effective negotiations are paramount to establishing a long-term working relationship.

Forethought, preparation, and the ability to listen are essential to success.  Regrettably, by the time most physicians realize that the terms of their Agreement are less than propitious …

By Tracy Krulik

In 1998 I wound up in a South Florida emergency room following a week of nausea, vomiting, and frail-octogenarian-like weakness. After a brief exam, an overnight stay in the hospital, and an endoscopy, the internist sent me home with motility drugs to combat his diagnosed cause of my problems — gastroparesis. That was the start of my nine-year illness, which was misdiagnosed at every turn. Mine is a story of how I survived a medical odyssey that included a tumor on my pancreas as well as …

By Patricia A. Costante

Thanks in part to the widespread attention of concussions among high-profile professional athletes, the medical community, many states and other groups have recognized that these types of head injuries can also have a devastating impact on young athletes. Second and third concussions could have long lasting and even catastrophic effects. As the 2011-2012 school year gets into full swing, physicians have an opportunity to take a proactive role in addressing what’s become a serious medical issue among those 18 and younger.

Startling statistics

Research on the prevalence and impact …

By Dr. Michael West

Two classes of physicians are slowly forming, those who use electronic medical records and digital mobile technology and those who stick with paper charts. You might call these the digital haves and the digital have-nots.

No one among my friends and colleagues has yet pooh-pooh’d the idea of mobile tech, but I admit that the mobile tech crowd is still fairly small in the world of electronic healthcare. The bottom line is that most doctors are still on paper charts.

In my case, though, my EMR and mobile technology are …

Do you have a story about a medical bill that was higher than you expected it to be? Or a time when you wanted to know how much a medical test or treatment might cost? How about a time you figured out a way to save money while still delivering high-value care?

Costs of Care, a physician-run nonprofit based in Boston, has launched its second annual national healthcare essay contest, with the goal of expanding the public discourse on the role of doctors, nurses, and other care providers in controlling healthcare …

By Franklin Rooks Jr., PT, MBA, Esq.

Introduction

Health savings accounts (HSA’s) were created under “The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, as a consumer-driven mechanism to combat rising medical inflation.  They promote savings for future health related expenses and allow consumers to be more judicious with their health care expenditures.  HSA’s are becoming increasingly popular.  In 2011, 35 percent of organizations provided health HSAs, up from 29 percent in 2007.[1] Two reasons may be behind their rise in popularity.  First, HSA’s are accompanied by a generous tax …