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AMNews special series

In-depth studies and ongoing explorations

Book Excerpt - A peek inside what's new on the shelves on topics pertinent to physicians.
Business Pitch - Making sidelines pay.
Meeting Coverage - Reports from conferences of interest to physicians.
Earlier series ... See also News topics

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   BOOK EXCERPT   book excerpt

This new series provides a peek inside what's new on the shelves on topics pertinent to physicians. Every installment brings an excerpt from the new title, as well as a brief AMNews exclusive interview with the author. ... To suggest books that should be featured here, contact Damon Adams (312) 464-5411.

Illness interrupts (book excerpt: Life in the Balance) - Dec. 22
The reflective essayist (book excerpt: The Uncertain Art) - Oct. 27
Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within) - Aug. 25
Therapeutic thought (book excerpt: The Cure Within) - June 23/30
Foiling a fake (book excerpt: Charlatan) - April 28
Finding one's place (book excerpt: Intern: A Doctor's Initiation) - Feb. 25
Measuring out medicine (book excerpt: The Surgeons: Life and Death in a Top Heart Center) - Dec. 10, 2007
Fine-tuning the thought process (book excerpt: How Doctors Think) - Oct. 8, 2007
Searching for more (book excerpt: Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance) - June 25, 2007
Departing lessons (book excerpt: Final Exam) - April 9, 2007
Rewiring lives (book excerpt: Shattered Nerves) - Feb. 12, 2007
An amazing race (book excerpt: Every Second Counts) - Dec. 11, 2006
Cancer, families and physicians (book excerpt: A Lion in the House) - Oct. 9, 2006
Dr. POW (book excerpt: Conduct Under Fire) - Aug. 14, 2006
What your patients are reading about you (book excerpt: You: The Smart Patient) - June 12, 2006
Legacy of an ill-fated vaccine (book excerpt: The Cutter Incident) - April 10, 2006
Age of angst (book excerpt: False Alarm) - Feb. 27, 2006

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bizpitch logo    MAKING SIDELINES PAY

Some physicians are turning their interests outside medicine into profitable enterprises. In this series, doctors who branched out beyond running their practice to make sideline business ventures pay off share their experiences -- why they did it, how they did it, and what you should know before you do it. ... If you know of a physician whose story should be featured here, contact our business editor, Bob Cook (312) 464-4434.

Helping students, residents find or sell a home - Dec. 29, 2008
Tourniquet designed for fingers and toes - Nov. 24, 2008
Doctors' punch line: biopsies made easier - Nov. 3, 2008
Doctor's magnetic invention raises cane - Sept. 22/29, 2008
Surgical plates make a fashion statement - Sept. 8, 2008
Web site helps doctors find office mates - March 3, 2008
Neurosurgeon automates answering service - Jan. 14, 2008
Surgical safety device is his invention, but ENT is what he does - Dec. 3, 2007
Doctor builds career in urban redevelopment - Sept. 3, 2007
Spanning the globe to advise sports media - Feb. 19, 2007
Keeping patients' heads up and more - Jan. 15, 2007
Doctor shows how to make "reel" money - Oct. 2, 2006
Gathering moss in the land of sky blue waters - Aug. 28, 2006
Pistachio ranching: A family tradition - July 17, 2006
Neurologist dreams up patient-friendly pillow - June 19, 2006
Surgeon fired up about glass art - June 12, 2006
Doctor swaps medicine for robotics - April 3, 2006
Rheumatologist's retirement plans: No screams, just ice scream smiles - Nov. 14, 2005
Radiation shield concept inspires a new company - Oct. 17, 2005
Doctor wanted fresh curry, so she made it - Sept. 12, 2005
Motorcycles get his motor running - Aug. 8, 2005
Online company is perking along - July 25, 2005
A fresh coat of white - June 13, 2005
Retired physician has flowering enterprise - May 9, 2005
The coding experts - April 11, 2005
Psychiatrist creates "Web" of training tools - Feb. 21, 2005
Urologist finds success with forming a business on paper - Nov. 15, 2004
Oregon physician makes wood work - Oct. 11, 2004
Chicago physician creates company out of informed consent - Aug. 23/30, 2004
Kansas City doctor opens a meaty enterprise - Aug. 9, 2004
A New Jersey ob-gyn hopes cart is ticket to riches - July 19, 2004
Doctor makes dough teaching bread baking - June 14, 2004
A Willy Wonka turn leads family physician to sweet spot - April 19, 2004
Wisconsin ENT's nose for business nothing to sneeze at - Feb. 16, 2004
Helping patients become more informed consumers of health care - Dec. 8, 2003
Doctor turns passion for bike touring into business - Nov. 17, 2003
Band of brothers branches out in business - Nov. 10, 2003
Doctor's new venture goes by land and by sea - Oct. 13, 2003
Physician's calculator - July 14, 2003
Doctor's firm closes the distance between rural practice and CME - May 26, 2003
Texas physician launches firm securing the airwaves - May 5, 2003
Riding herd: A physician runs a Montana cattle ranch - March 3, 2003
Bringing medical transcription into the modern age - Dec. 9, 2002
To get it right, do it yourself - Nov. 4, 2002
From grapes to computer systems, these physicians are branching out - Aug. 26, 2002

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meeting coverage    Reports from conferences important to physicians  

Physicians can get the inside scoop on what's being talked about at the nation's most important clinical and health business conferences.

Speaking the language of vaccines (ICAAC and IDSA joint meeting) - Dec. 15
Bottom line blues (MGMA annual meeting) - Nov. 17
Familiar faces speak as patients (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 3
Insurers are the new worried well (America's Health Insurance Plans annual meeting) - July 28
Genetic precision (ASCO annual meeting) - July 21
Know your EMR needs (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - July 14
Consolidating care (American College of Physicians annual meeting) - June 16
Seeking the best path (American College of Cardiology scientific session) - May 19
Selling the bitter EMR pill (HIMSS meeting) - April 7
Infection control in your practice (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 19, 2007
Clarity on control (American Diabetes Assn. Scientific Sessions) - Aug. 6, 2007
Cancer's age wave (ASCO annual meeting) - July 16, 2007
Slowing a diabetic's decline (American College of Physicians annual meeting) - June 4, 2007
Understanding the gender divide (AHA Scientific Sessions 2006) - Jan. 1/8, 2006
Chronic care toolkit (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 20, 2006
Meeting the demands of diabetes (American Diabetes Assn. Scientific Sessions) - Aug. 7, 2006
Easing the transition for cancer patients (ASCO annual meeting) - July 17, 2006
Overcoming resistance (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - July 10, 2006
Managed care's health kick (National Managed Health Care Congress) - June 19, 2006
Zeroing in on respiratory infections (American College of Physicians annual session) - May 15, 2006
Is IT ready to pay for itself? (HIMSS meeting) - March 13, 2006
The positive side of negative news (AHA Scientific Sessions 2005) - Dec. 19, 2005
Avian flu threat intensifies need for preparedness (IDSA annual meeting) - Nov. 21, 2005
The years of living dangerously (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 7, 2005
Gearing up for a graying America (AGS annual scientific meeting) - July 4, 2005
Cancer survival doesn't end health challenges (ASCO annual meeting) - June 20, 2005
Working hard for the data (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - June 13, 2005
Team diabetes (American College of Physicians annual session) - May 16, 2005
Are HMOs dead? (National Managed Health Care Congress) - April 18, 2005
Infotech tipping point? (HIMSS meeting) - March 14, 2005

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Earlier series

Community Spirit - Physicians taking extra steps to ensure the well-being of those in need.
The Doctor is Out - A look at physician lives outside the exam room.
HIPAA Minute - Preparing for the medical privacy rule.
Life Anatomy - Exploring the personal dramas shaping physician lives.
Mapping Disease - A look at specific conditions through the Human Genome Project.
Managed Care: What's Next - The search for an improved system.
Phyicians in Government - The nation is their patient.
Public Health: Renewed Attention - The role of the public health system in the context of our nation's newfound state of alert.
Team Players - Physicians' interaction with allied health care professionals.


HIPAA Minute minute logo

It goes into effect April 14, but physicians are still not sure what they must do to meet requirements. This series of brief explanations is intended to help you prepare for the medical privacy rule. ... See also our HIPAA coverage.

Some patient information will remain public - April 7, 2003
Doctors can get a privacy exemption for data used for research purposes - March 24/31, 2003
Getting contracts ready for patient privacy - March 17, 2003
Marketing do's and don'ts under the privacy law - March 10, 2003
Parents trump kids' privacy - March 3, 2003
Physicians must make their privacy policies public - Feb. 24, 2003
Keeping patient data quiet - Feb. 17, 2003
How to share patient information under the new rules - Feb. 10, 2003

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A SPECIAL SECTION Life Anatomy logo LIFE ANATOMY
Exploring the personal dramas shaping physician lives

AMNews spent a year in close contact with a select group of physicians, tracking the pivotal passages of their lives. One gave birth, one went to prison, another was brutally attacked in her office. Still another, in rebuilding his practice, helped a town recover from a natural disaster. Life Anatomy, a special presentation in words and images, offers a unique and intimate look at physicians as people.

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physgov logo THE NATION IS THEIR PATIENT

Physicians serve America at all levels of government -- from presidential advisers to state judges and town coroners. This occasional series explores what they do and how their medical background influences their work.

A just-the-facts approach to quality - Feb. 24, 2003
"Average guy" leads extraordinary life - Jan. 27, 2003
Bringing in the private perspective: From a children's clinic to state government - Nov. 18, 2002
Dr. Ganske takes Iowa work ethic to D.C. - Sept. 23/30, 2002
At the heart of regulatory reform: A doctor tempers public policy with diplomacy - Aug. 26, 2002
Balancing budgets and health care: Possible experience for the presidency - July 22, 2002
On call at the White House: One physician's dual role - June 3, 2002

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COMMUNITY SPIRIT heart logo

In a profession dedicated to helping others, many doctors take extra steps to ensure the well-being of those in need. They may work at a free clinic or volunteer their expertise here or abroad. This is an occasional series exploring how physicians serve for the greater good.

Interfaith House offers after-hospital care, refuge for homeless - Aug. 4, 2003
Doctor practices where she's preached at - Dec. 16, 2002
Colorado doctor guarantees health care for needy youths - Oct. 21, 2002
This doctor is always in the house - Sept. 16, 2002
Capital mission: Opening heart and soul to the homeless - July 22, 2002
Doctor spreads good deeds by getting others involved - June 17, 2002
Physicians bring peace with care - May 20, 2002
Putting some sparkle in children's lives - April 15, 2002
Dream for the Caribbean: Providing basic health care - March 18, 2002
Tragedy spurs physician to railroad safety crusade - Feb. 18, 2002
Project Access: Opening the door to health care - Jan. 21, 2002
Caring for the world: Giving medical treatment in foreign lands - Jan. 14, 2002
A little help from their friends: San Francisco Free Clinic cares for the uninsured - Dec. 17, 2001

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PUBLIC HEALTH:
RENEWED ATTENTION
flag syringe logo

Since the terror of Sept. 11 and the bioterrorism scares, the public health system has taken center stage. This six-part series will examine its role on the front lines of protecting Americans from both new and old threats and will detail the system's level of preparedness, how gaps have emerged over time, and the changes that may be necessary to strengthen it for the future.

Public health's role key to homeland security - Feb. 4, 2002
Old pleas, new promises: Could aid finally be coming for public health? - Jan. 21, 2002
Risk-benefit ratio steers public health action - Jan. 14, 2002
Greater expectations: What the nation seeks from public health - Jan. 7, 2002
Public health: A victim of its own success? - Dec. 24/31, 2001
Dispatch from the front lines: From Pakistani refugee to APHA chief - Dec. 17, 2001

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THE DOCTOR IS OUT labcoat logo

In the office, time is a precious commodity for today's busy physicians. Away from work, many doctors find unique activities and hobbies to help them unwind and to enrich their lives. This is an occasional series that looks at physicians' lives outside the exam room.

A spoonful of humor helps the medicine go down - Feb. 3, 2003
Portraits of a profession: Works of art by John Saito, MD - Dec. 2, 2002
Doctors find a poetic pause is therapeutic - Oct. 7, 2002
Putting his best foot forward -- and the other on the water - Sept. 2, 2002
Physicians find precision in the sky: Doctor-pilots throw conventional aviation to the wind - Aug. 5, 2002
In heart of beef country, doctor touts low fat - July 1, 2002
Doctor on deck: Unwinding on the water - June 3, 2002
Physicians finding new challenge behind the wheel - May 6, 2002
Cold companions: Sailing on the ice - April 1, 2002
A California doctor rocks with the stars - March 4, 2002
Is there a mayor in the house? - Feb. 4, 2002
Doctor divides his days between bones and bison - Jan. 7, 2002
The joy of (illegal) skating: She fought the law and the law won - Dec. 3, 2001

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TEAM PLAYERS mitt logo

Physicians and allied health professionals have forged a variety of collaborative models in practices and hospitals across the country. As the debate over just how much independence should be granted nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and other allieds proceeds in several state legislatures and among professional organizations, this series looks at some of the collaborative models that have become everyday examples of the way medicine is practiced.

Multiplying efforts: Expanding the health care team - July 30, 2001
Where's the nurse? Staffs stretched too thin - June 18, 2001
Growing ranks: Benefits of collaboration with nurse practitioners - March 12, 2001

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MAPPING DISEASE meauring man logo

The Human Genome Project offers clues to why certain people have certain diseases and disorders. It also offers great potential to unlock diagnostic tools, preventive measures and cures once only dreamed of. This 2001-02 series detailed the state of this emerging body of scientific knowledge and the advances it brings to the clinic setting. It touches on both the most realistic and immediate applications as well as the avenues that require more research and development.

Taming time: The science of getting older - July 1, 2002
Haplotypes: Genetics' newest chapter - May 20, 2002
Factoring in: Potential treatment for hemophilia - May 6, 2002
Genetics and trauma: Coded for injury - March 4, 2002
Applying the science: Identifying victims after Sept. 11 - Dec. 3, 2001
Doctors and patients learning about CF test - Dec. 3, 2001
Autoimmune diseases could share common genetic etiology - Oct. 8, 2001
Cardiovascular disease: The heart of the family - Oct. 1, 2001
Study advances insight into autism's genetic hot spots - Sept. 17, 2001
Promising melanoma predictor studied - Sept. 10, 2001
A weighty matter: Obesity, leptin and beyond - Aug. 6, 2001
Proteomics: The next frontier in personalized medicine - June 25, 2001
Cystic fibrosis: Clearing pathways - June 4, 2001
Great minds: Mapping genomes - May 21, 2001
Doctors play key role in new genetic age - April 23/30, 2001
Alzheimer's disease: Mind mysteries - April 2, 2001
Human genome draft sequence offers clues to health - March 5, 2001
Addictive cocktail: Alcoholism and genetics - Feb. 5, 2001

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MANAGED CARE
WHAT'S NEXT
compass logo

With the managed care system drawing complaints from everywhere, doctors, patients, payers and even insurers themselves are looking for alternatives to a concept that hasn't met its promise of improving care while reducing costs. These stories focus on what physicians and others are doing to come up with a way to improve the system -- or replace it.

Plans setting higher specialist co-pays - April 1, 2002
Just say no to HMOs: When doctors reject bad contracts - Oct. 15, 2001
HMO alternative gives doctors and patients more freedom - Oct. 8, 2001
Consumer-driven health plans could mean end of capitation - Aug. 13, 2001
HMO ties bonuses to saving patients money - Aug. 13, 2001
California HMO: Doctor bonuses based on patient satisfaction - July 30, 2001
Some insurers embracing defined contribution plans - March 12, 2001
Capitation at the crossroads: The trend back to fee for service - March 5, 2001
Doctors taking charge of managed care standards - Nov. 6, 2000
Highmark drops plans for episodic care pay method - Oct. 23/30, 2000
Sign of the times: California opens department to regulate HMOs - July 24, 2000
Capitated specialists: Fee for episode - May 15, 2000
Defined benefits: Multiple choice - May 1, 2000

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Did you know? 80% of hospitals reporting data security breaches said an employee was responsible for the breach. Read more