American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States.

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Physician voices

Why physicians need to interpret your lab results

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

March 21, 2016Mar 21, 201674

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. More than ever before, patients are receiving laboratory test results, with some of their numbers in bold or with “H”s or “L”s next to them. In some cases…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

More than ever before, patients are receiving laboratory test results, with some of their numbers in bold or with “H”s or “L”s next to them. In some cases they’re getting them straight from the lab, in accordance with federal regulations. If not from the lab, they’re accessing their results on their physicians’ electronic patient …

Physician voices

Let’s fix performance measurement for physicians

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

March 2, 2016Mar 2, 20167

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I have a “like-hate” relationship with clinical metrics, performance measurements, and other such things. By now, almost all physicians live with them in the form of insurer “report…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I have a “like-hate” relationship with clinical metrics, performance measurements, and other such things. By now, almost all physicians live with them in the form of insurer “report cards,” PQRS, and “meaningful” use. Some of us have even more exposure to them by participating in patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations.

Why “like”? Because I believe …

Health policy

The triple aim must turn into the quadruple aim. Here’s why.

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

January 24, 2016Jan 24, 20168

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. The election year has finally arrived. Even though the candidates have been on the trail for what seems like forever, I wanted to wait until the traditional time…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

The election year has finally arrived. Even though the candidates have been on the trail for what seems like forever, I wanted to wait until the traditional time to announce the launch of my campaign.

Don’t worry, I’m not running for office. My campaign is an initiative to get us to start talking about the “quadruple aim” …

Health policy

A model for improving quality, safety, and value of health care

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

December 23, 2015Dec 23, 20159

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. In December, I concluded a 13-year term on the board of directors of the Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI). RIQI was formed in 2001 to “to significantly improve…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

In December, I concluded a 13-year term on the board of directors of the Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI). RIQI was formed in 2001 to “to significantly improve the quality, safety, and value of health care in Rhode Island.” For much of its existence, RIQI’s focus has been on developing …

Physician voices

With some planning and collaboration, small practices don’t have to sell to a hospital

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

December 1, 2015Dec 1, 20153

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Recently, I rummaged through some old files to throw out things I did not need. While marveling at how we stored documents back in the 20th century (and…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Recently, I rummaged through some old files to throw out things I did not need. While marveling at how we stored documents back in the 20th century (and how little of what I saved I ever used), I came across a couple of interesting items. They were notes that I took in January and February 1995 …

Physician voices

ICD-10 isn’t just the problem, it’s also the symptom

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

October 26, 2015Oct 26, 20156

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. By now, all of you are waist-deep in ICD-10. So far, in my practice it hasn’t been the alphanumeric Armageddon that many feared, but I will reserve final…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

By now, all of you are waist-deep in ICD-10. So far, in my practice it hasn’t been the alphanumeric Armageddon that many feared, but I will reserve final judgment until we’ve gotten through a few billing cycles. Even if it goes the way of “Y2K” and isn’t as bad as anticipated, we will still end up …

Physician voices

Tips to meet challenges of administering and tracking immunizations

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

September 26, 2015Sep 26, 201529

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. When I entered practice over 25 years ago, planning for influenza vaccination season was straightforward. Every late spring, we looked at how many doses we gave out the…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

When I entered practice over 25 years ago, planning for influenza vaccination season was straightforward. Every late spring, we looked at how many doses we gave out the previous year, added a few doses, ordered the vaccine, and immunized our patients in the fall. If we came up short, we could usually find more vials of …

Physician voices

How pre-visit planning saves time and helps the bottom line

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

August 28, 2015Aug 28, 20153

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. I love pre-visit planning. OK, “love” may be too strong a word -- I like pre-visit planning. Pre-visit planning isn’t new. Many of you have done it for…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

I love pre-visit planning.

OK, “love” may be too strong a word — I like pre-visit planning. Pre-visit planning isn’t new. Many of you have done it for years, even before it had a name, for example when pre-ordering labs before a visit.

I did not begin to use pre-visit planning until my practice became a patient-centered medical …

Physician voices

What, exactly, does a “real doctor” look like?

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

July 27, 2015Jul 27, 20157

In the spring of 2009, I represented the American College of Physicians (ACP) at a meeting in Washington of health policy experts discussing payment reform. When I arrived at the cocktail reception the night before the meeting, a well-known medical…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Physician voices

Practice models may change, but relationships with patients endure

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

July 3, 2015Jul 3, 20153

A few weeks ago, my partners and I held a “going away” dinner for one of our partners who retired in late March. It was a great evening. We reminisced, discussed how medicine has changed over the years, and caught…

Physician voices

What items are on your EHR wish list? Here’s mine.

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

May 29, 2015May 29, 20159

Last month, I shared my take on the mess that we find ourselves in with our electronic health records (EHRs) and referred to the recently published ACP position paper on clinical documentation. The paper includes a list of recommendations for…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Health technology

A brief history of the EHR

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

April 23, 2015Apr 23, 201512

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. So far, 2015 has been a busy year for reflecting on the use of electronic health records (EHRs). CMS just released its proposed rules for meaningful use stage…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

So far, 2015 has been a busy year for reflecting on the use of electronic health records (EHRs). CMS just released its proposed rules for meaningful use stage 3. One might say that “MU 3” supports the belief that the sequel is never as good as the original (though the original might not have been …

Read more…

A brief history of the EHR

Physician voices

What if Abbott and Costello were primary care physicians?

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

March 19, 2015Mar 19, 20159

(with a hat tip to “Who’s On First?”) A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. (Scene is the back office of a small primary care clinic. Lou is sitting at his workstation, looking at a…

(with a hat tip to “Who’s On First?”)

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

(Scene is the back office of a small primary care clinic. Lou is sitting at his workstation, looking at a computer screen. Bud walks by and Lou stops him …)

LOU: Hey, Abbott! I just saw a lady for a physical. With all those tests that are out …

Medical education

ABIM’s internal medicine specialty board and improving MOC

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

February 12, 2015Feb 12, 201513

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Some think that it should be repealed and replaced. Others support it but feel that it needs to be improved. A few believe that it’s OK as is.…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Some think that it should be repealed and replaced. Others support it but feel that it needs to be improved. A few believe that it’s OK as is. I’m not writing about Obamacare — I’m describing maintenance of certification (MOC).

I will not use up my word count summarizing the MOC debate — you can read about that elsewhere and …

Medical education

Scientific meetings are worth more than CME

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

January 14, 2015Jan 14, 2015

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. How many of you have heard a flight attendant or pilot announce, “We know you have a choice of airlines when you fly, and we want to thank…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

How many of you have heard a flight attendant or pilot announce, “We know you have a choice of airlines when you fly, and we want to thank you for flying with us”? Over the years, many other industries have adopted similar statements. Continuing medical education (CME) should be one of them. There are more options than ever for …

Physician voices

Ways to reduce administrative burdens on physicians

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

December 13, 2014Dec 13, 201426

One of the American College of Physicians’ priority areas for the current fiscal year is to “Help ACP members experience more joy in their professional lives.” This includes decreasing what is known as the “hassle factor” that distracts and demoralizes…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Physician voices

Need better care coordination? There’s a toolkit for that.

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

November 16, 2014Nov 16, 20142

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Care coordination seems to be the rage these days. It is mentioned in most discussions of new delivery and payment models such as the patient-centered medical home (PCMH)…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Care coordination seems to be the rage these days. It is mentioned in most discussions of new delivery and payment models such as the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and accountable care organizations. The concept is not a new one; primary care physicians have been coordinating care for decades.

Making referrals to other physicians, reviewing consultant reports, and getting patients …

Health technology

The EHR report card 2014: Has it gotten better?

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

October 16, 2014Oct 16, 201413

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. A little over two years ago in this blog, my “EHR report card” evaluated the effect of the electronic health record (EHR) on my practice. I thought it…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

A little over two years ago in this blog, my “EHR report card” evaluated the effect of the electronic health record (EHR) on my practice. I thought it would be interesting to see how things have changed. As in 2012, I will not identify my EHR, since I suspect that much of the report card will …

Health policy

Bottom up: How grassroots input shapes ACP policies

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

September 11, 2014Sep 11, 20147

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. This month, the American College of Physicians’ Board of Governors (BOG) will meet in Chicago. One of the items on the agenda is the discussion of resolutions that…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

This month, the American College of Physicians’ Board of Governors (BOG) will meet in Chicago. One of the items on the agenda is the discussion of resolutions that will help to shape ACP policy. The resolutions process, which looks at proposed policy changes and directives to the Board of Regents (BOR) submitted by ACP Chapters and Councils, is …

Health technology

Are patient portals a gateway or barrier to patient-centered care and communication?

American College of Physicians & Yul Ejnes, MD

August 13, 2014Aug 13, 201411

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. Patient portals. They have great potential, but is it being met? And are we losing something in return? I ask myself these questions now that my practice offers…

A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Patient portals. They have great potential, but is it being met? And are we losing something in return? I ask myself these questions now that my practice offers a patient portal linked to our electronic health record (EHR). I did not expect to feel that way, because I’ve been a strong proponent of providing patients with electronic access …