Recently, biological terrorism has forced the medical community to take on challenges such as anthrax and smallpox-threats rarely faced in the past. Emergency rooms deal with the majority of these patients, but some people feel more comfortable seeing their own doctors. For that reason, you need proper education, a network of resources, and a solid emergency plan.

Sending letters to patients with information about test results can pose a challenge to physician practices. The letter must include all the pertinent information and still be easy to read. Mammogram result letters that don't meet these criteria can result in delayed diagnoses or follow-ups.

Follow this advice for sending patients letters that will make sense to them:

In Program Memorandum (PM)AB-02-091, released in July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added four new tests to its Food and Drug Administration–approved list of waived tests. Waived tests are the most elementary of tests under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) and are not subject to routine surveys, a CMS spokesperson says. To order a test, a physician’s office lab needs to pay a biannual fee, obtain CLIA certification, and follow the test manufacturer’s instructions.Include modifier QW with the clinical procedural terminolog

In Program Memorandum (PM)AB-02-091, released in July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added four new tests to its Food and Drug Administration–approved list of waived tests. Waived tests are the most elementary of tests under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) and are not subject to routine surveys, a CMS spokesperson says. To order a test, a physician’s office lab needs to pay a biannual fee, obtain CLIA certification, and follow the test manufacturer’s instructions.Include modifier QW with the clinical procedural terminolog

Tips to help your practice complyA greedy employee sells medical records to a pharmaceutical company—a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). But the law protects against more than greed. An unauthorized worker seeing a patient’s medical records, for example, also violates the law. Not complying with HIPAA regulations could net a substantial fee and other penalties, so changes will be made to your practice. Don’t fear, many of the changes won’t be drastic. It will just be a matter of tightening up who has access to

By Barbara Eberly“The potential energy of a system of bodies is the work that the system of bodies can do by virtue of the relative position of its parts—that is, by virtue of its configuration.” Physics, 1966This came from my daughter’s physics test. And while I am not in the habit of using physics theories to manage a medical practice, this statement seems fitting. You see, the proper configuration of your medical office’s “system of bodies” influences the amount of work you can accomplish.To analyze how well your office works, pull the staff

How to communicate bad news and minimize credibility damageYou may not be able to plan a crisis, but you can plan for one. Crises comes in many forms. Most health care crises tend to mushroom when doctors and their employees don’t communicate, according to strategic consultants.Poor choices become jury verdictsPercival Communications, a strategic communications agency in Avon, CT, which has handled marketing and public relations for several health care organizations, says nothing your doctors’ office does can change the fact that people make mistakes. What you can change, h