Opinion
Selling your practice
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
My previous column...
Opinion
Practice valuation
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Too often, physicians are not receiving a fair return on the equity they have worked so hard to build over several decades.
Opinion
Closing your practice
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
A paucity of good employees is just one of many reasons given by physicians who have decided to close up shop.
Opinion
Embezzlement: It can happen to you
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
In November, the office manager of a San Antonio dermatology practice was ...
Opinion
COVID-19: Can doctors refuse to see unvaccinated patients?
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
In the end, every private practitioner will have to make his or her own decision on this question.
Opinion
Finding employees during a pandemic
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
I have had job listings for both front- and back-office positions posted on all the major job boards and other employment portals for months.
Opinion
Outstanding medical bills: Dealing with deadbeats
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
The worst kinds of deadbeats are the ones who rob you twice; they accept payments from insurance companies and keep them.
Opinion
The ADA and hearing-impaired patients
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
In the case of hearing-impaired or deaf patients, it is important to remember that forms of communication that are quite adequate for most are not...
Opinion
Complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Because the ADA is a civil rights law and not a building code, ADA rules apply equally to all facilities, young and old.
Opinion
Online patient reviews and HIPAA
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Any information that could be used to identify a patient is a HIPAA breach. This is true even if the patient has already disclosed information.
Opinion
Open Notes
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
With the implementation of the Cures Act, medical notes have evolved into a tool to communicate with the patient, rather than just among health...
Opinion
Office etiquette: Answering patient phone calls
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
In my office, one of the many consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a dramatic increase in telephone traffic.
Opinion
What to do if an employee tests positive for COVID-19
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
If action is required, you’ll need to determine who needs to quarantine and who needs to be tested.
Opinion
How do you answer patients’ emails?
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Several groups, including the American Medical Informatics Association and the American Medical Association have proposed standards, but none have...
Opinion
Can patients record office visits?
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
How would you respond to a patient asking (or demanding) to record all or part of their office visit?