Opinion
Handling defamatory online reviews
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
The first thing to do before taking any action is determine whether that defamatory review is, in fact, defamatory.
Opinion
How to handle negative online reviews
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
It happens to all of us: You log onto the Internet one day and discover a scathing review from a disgruntled patient or family member.
Opinion
Firing patients
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
As with pretty much everything in a private practice, accurate and written documentation of dismissible behavior is essential.
Opinion
Terminating an employee
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Make it clear, when necessary, that the decision has already been made, so arguing or pleading will change nothing.
Opinion
Phone etiquette, part 2
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
A peer should never answer and then be expected to wait while your employee tracks you down.
Opinion
Addressing patients’ complaints
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
In the years since I last wrote about addressing patients’ complaints, the issues that prompt them have only...
Opinion
How well are your phones being answered?
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Even now, in the era of texting and e-mail, the telephone remains our primary point of contact with new and long-time patients.
Opinion
The Sunshine Act, 5 years hence
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
The law’s questionable impact and apparent lack of enforcement do not mean you can ignore it. The data are still being collected and displayed.
Opinion
Credit cards FAQ
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
How do you safeguard the credit information you keep on file? The same way we do medical information; it's all covered by the same HIPAA rules.
Opinion
Stop extending credit
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
No business owner in his or her right mind allows customers to take away goods or services without paying for them; but doctors do it every day....
News
New Medicare cards
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
The switch began on April 1, and is expected to take about a year as the CMS processes about half a dozen states at a time.
Opinion
Website improvements
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
With a few relatively simple but important modifications, you can convert casual website viewers to patients.
Opinion
Beware the con
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
The jury duty scheme, I learned, is an increasingly popular one.
Opinion
Sharpening the saw
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
I write this reminder every couple of years because it’s so easy to lose sight of the overall landscape among the pressures of our daily routines...
Opinion
How to set up your own RSS feed
- Author:
- Joseph S. Eastern, MD
Doing so can help increase readership on your website, publicize a podcast, or keep patients abreast of your practice’s latest treatments and...