Medication compliance is an issue that not only impacts patients, but families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals as well. So when a recent study for a mobile phone application designed to improve medication compliance turned up encouraging results, it signaled an important step forward.

A physician’s ability to empathize with a patient improves the quality of care he or she provides, according to a recent study. The good news is that physicians tend to have a head start in that area. But even if they don't have that skill, empathy can be taught. Here are some questions to ask to gauge your ability to empathize with your patients.

A lot of physicians think they have electronic referral capability because it comes with their electronic medical records system. But while most EMRs capture referral information, there is no way to transmit it out to the specialist, or for the specialist to transmit diagnosis, treatment or results back to the referring physician. That's a crucial detail that hinders practice productivity.

Physicians are finding that whether they take a phased-in approach, or dive right in to implementing an electronic medical records (EMR) systems in their practices, the key to success is for doctors and nurses to be involved in the process from the start.

If a cardiologist in your state is being paid more than you, wouldn’t you like to know that? Or if an internist is being reimbursed by Medicare faster, and being denied claims less frequently? Now a service provides real-time comparative analysis of electronic remittance notices, to give physicians the ability to identify and correct revenue-cycle performance issues.

By now there should be no doubt that the use of smart phones, iPads and other mobile devices have infiltrated the healthcare sector. But the mobility aspect of these devices means that extra steps need to be taken to ensure the protection of the sensitive information within. Note: Hacking is the least of your worries.

Practice-based medical labs -- where blood is drawn and analyzed in-house, as opposed to being sent out for analysis -- can not only improve patient care, they have the potential to increase practice revenue when set up correctly. But before diving in, you need to know your patients.

For physician practices looking for an added revenue stream, sometimes that flowing water can be closer than you think. A new kiosk-type device allows patients to fill out forms and swipe their cards to make co-pays right on the spot. As a result, data is entered more accurately and physicians can put an end to missed co-pays.

When it comes to deciding how much working capital you need to run a medical practice, how do you know when enough is enough? The answer is not always easily attainable. And in this tough economic environment, combined with the uncertainty in the healthcare industry, finding a lender willing to extend credit to provide as much working capital as you need is tougher for physicians.

Conventional wisdom says physicians tend to lag behind when it comes to adoption of new technology -- just not when it comes to the iPad. Surveys show the healthcare industry is one the top adopters of iPad useage on the job. Physicians says the device's mobility, flexibility, ease-of-use and educational attributes are a few of the many reason iPads are showing up in more exam rooms.