Editor's note: This is the first article of a two-part series about flu season. Next month, we'll tell you how to keep your patients informed about available vaccines and other preventive measures. It starts with a little sniffle here, a polite cough there. Then, before you know it, your waiting room is congested with people suffering from the full-blown influenza virus (i.e., the flu). If this describes your waiting room year after year, it may be time to change the way your practice prepares for flu season. Whether you see hundreds or thousands of patients, take the following steps to get your patients vaccinated and keep the spread of the flu in your community under control

Tried and true healthcare marketing techniques-from testimonial-driven advertising campaigns to health fairs that offer free screenings to members of the community-suddenly got a lot more complicated with the advent of the federal privacy law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). In general, HIPAA's privacy rule says healthcare organizations must get prior authorization from individuals before using their protected health information (PHI) for marketing purposes. Afraid of running afoul of the law, some stopped using patient data for marketing purposes altogether.

One of the key topics listed in the 2007 Work Plan just published by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is billing with the correct place-of-service code. Reimbursement is typically based on place of service, and Medicare and other third-party payers consider several factors (e.g., the overhead costs of the facility or office) when reimbursing a provider for professional services. Billing with the correct place-of-service code is critical. If the visit code is not mapped to the correct place-of-service code (in other words, if the service actually took place in a different location), the provider's documentation will not match the billing and the claim could be deemed fraudulent/rejected.

Incorporating music into your work day can help you cope with stress, ease the transition between your life as a doctor and your life outside of your practice, and even help you connect with your patients. First, examine what kind of music invigorates and calms you, says John-Henry Pfifferling, PhD, an applied anthropologist of medicine at The Center for Professional Well-Being in Durham, NC. Once you know which music works in certain situations, make use of it.

As members of the Baby Boomer generation start to turn 60, they face a new responsibility-caring for their aging parents. If you find yourself in this position, you are probably overwhelmed by the number of duties that are involved. A survey conducted in 2004 by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP found that caregivers perform many tasks, from providing transportation to shopping for groceries to helping with the activities of daily living such as getting in and out of bed and getting dressed. In addition to those types of care, you may also serve as a financial advisor and advocate for your parents.