While the hospitalist model has gained widespread acceptance within the health care delivery system, research remains surprisingly inconclusive as to whether it has improved the efficiency and quality of patient care, or lowered costs; while concerns remain about its potential erosion of continuity of care, the physician-patient relationship, and the supply of office-based general internists.

Fractional ownership is when individuals purchase a portion or share of an expensive asset that they otherwise may not be able to afford on their own. The buyers share the cost of the asset and, in some cases, they also share the costs of maintenance, fees, taxes and management costs for the asset.

The first partner’s buy-in establishes the “template” for the second and subsequent partners. Assuming that the first buy-in worked well, the template can be re-employed with confidence.

If you are hired by a practice that is receiving hospital assistance, you may be asked to sign a hospital assistance agreement. This agreement should be drafted so that it is fair to all parties to the transaction.

CMS continues to struggle to define, explain and implement it nearly 19 years since Congress first began regulating physician referral relationships under Pete Stark’s leadership. The latest attempts appear as a “Phase III Final Rule” and as further tinkering in the 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

A liability by contract proposal to get medical malpractice out of the courts.

While these Web 2.0 technologies facilitate rapid access and exchange of medical information, democratizing the promulgation of that information requires more vigilance to vet its credibility and potential bias, as sources may be anonymous and/or have commercial ties to industry that are not immediately apparent.

Physician investors should be aware of the potential for abuse and the impact of executive stock options on the value of their investment in a company, investigate the company's past practice and current policies regarding these grants, and make their investments in an informed manner.

Tools to help the low-literate person in the physician office setting come in two varieties: human and technological.

The good news is the latest changes generally are intended to fine-tune the existing prohibitions.