Physicians News Health news for doctors and patients.

Panic, overreaction, paranoia and misinformation have flooded the HIPAA privacy marketplace of ideas, while consultants’ interpretations frequently end with a serious misunderstanding of the law or, in other cases, blatant falsehoods

The amended venue rules will likely provide a sturdy challenge for plaintiffs using venue to seek out sympathetic juries and, by requiring plaintiffs to find an expert to certify that a case has merit, the rules provide yet another layer of protection for defendants who in the past relied on preliminary objections and summary judgment to dispose of baseless lawsuits.

Pa. Senator Connie Williams argues that caps on noneconomic damages are needed in medical malpractice case, but not for product liability.

Pa. Senate Majority Whip Jeffrey E. Piccola makes the case for caps.

You may be down, but you're far from out. Undertake a serious, comprehensive review of your financial plan based on expectations that are neither too giddy nor too gloomy.

As physicians become engulfed by "marching orders" of patients, payors, insurers and regulators they must delegate more functions to the practice administrator.

A good system of internal controls goes a long way toward deterring fraud and detecting it if it occurs

It is time to truly put the ball of responsibility firmly in a patient's court and create documentation vehicles to do so, in a positive, not an adversarial, fashion.