The Healthcare Entrepreneur Blog » primary care

Is traditional internal medicine dead? – A guest post by Dr. Steven Knope

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:48:04 +0000

Introduction by Tannus Quatre PT, MBA

I am pleased to post the following commentary from Dr. Steven Knope, an internal medicine specialist and concierge physician located in Tucson, AZ. I had the pleasure of befriending Dr. Knope a few years ago, and since that time have enjoyed thoroughly Dr. Knope’s perspective on medicine, and vision for the future of healthcare. Dr. Knope’s book, Concierge Medicine: A New System To Get The Best Healthcare,…

Medical practice management 101: Scalability

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:31:14 +0000

In this new series on The Healthcare Entrepreneur Blog, we’ll be taking a look at a number of medical practice management concepts that medical practice managers, administrators, and clinic owners should consider as part of their planning and day-to-day management. The principles we’ll be outlining as part of the Medical Practice 101 series are applicable to all types of medical practices including general medicine, the surgical specialties, and rehabilitation services such…

Physician office sends patient data to wrong fax number…for 3 years

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:16:57 +0000

A Tennessee physician practice apparently sent out hundreds of faxes to a wrong fax number, breaching the privacy of likely hundreds of patients over the course of 3 years. Lots of questions about this one, like the obvious one: why wasn’t this remedied after the first error?

This is a huge HIPAA violation, and should serve as a reminder to make sure procedures are in place to verify and cross-check fax numbers and all other…

Blogging in healthcare: The power of instant communication

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:30:56 +0000

Blogging can (and should) be considered a powerful strategy used for marketing, publicity, and even damage control for an organization who’s stakeholders exist online. For small private practices and large healthcare organizations alike, the power of blogging to reach an audience is often underestimated. The article below from Health Leaders Media does a great job of outlining the benefits of a blogging strategy for healthcare providers, as well as some tips on who and how…

Interstate competition for primary care doctors

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:23:32 +0000

Competition for a shrinking pool of qualified primary care doctors is hurting states that have a hard time recruiting against higher paying markets. For Vermont, the lure of a high quality of life isn’t quite enough it seems.

The reasons for the doctor shortage, which has been gradually worsening over the years, are well documented. Much of the problem boils down to money. Medical students who opt to specialize rather than enter primary care practices

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A Doctor by Choice, a Businessman by Necessity

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:24:36 +0000

A good essay in the NYTimes.com which speaks to the rising commercialism of healthcare.

I didn’t bother to disillusion him, but the reality is that most doctors today, whether in academic or private practice, constantly have to think about money. Last January, Dr. Pamela Hartzband and Dr. Jerome Groopman, physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine that “price tags are being applied to

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Specialization in health care means more cost to the system

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:58:00 +0000

It’s the unfortunate reality that while increased specialization of labor in health care can result in better care, it most certainly results in more expensive care. This is going to be an issue until we find a way to pay more for “brain time” or “cognitive medicine.”

From, the NY Times: Let Doctors Bid for Medicare Business

Researchers have observed that having one additional specialist (per 100,000 people) in

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Choosing a new primary care doctor: What the media is saying

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:34:25 +0000

Here’s a great clip from ABC News that discusses a framework for choosing a primary care physician. Knowing what the media is telling patients about how to find providers is an important step toward setting up marketing messages and systems that will help attract and retain a loyal following.

Ask family and friends who they trust
Find out where your doctor is affiliated
Check the doctor’s credentials
Find out the doctor’s accessibility
Find out

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If doctors want more time with their patients, they better be creative

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:14:52 +0000

It is possible after all, to spend more time with a patient. It just can’t be done using outdated paradigms. This article below from the New York Times tells the story of Dr. Battle, a primary care physician from New York that is leveraging technology and an innovative business model in his successful primary care practice. The result…more time with patients and exceedingly better care than the status quo.

To make personalized care possible in

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The business of referrals in medicine

Tannus Quatre PT, MBA — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:57:23 +0000

In any industry, new business is required for growth, but it’s naturally much harder to come by. This has an impact on health care.

The New York Times published an essay titled, “Referral System Turns Patients Into Commodities” recently, and it provides stellar insight into the behind-the-scenes business relationships that are driving supply and demand of both patients and specialty care.

Logic says that a referral should depend

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