Surveys conducted by various state and county medical societies also reflect these same concerns, among them the Washington State Medical Association, which has found that regulatory burdens are a major contributing factor to physicians quitting practice, leaving many areas underserved. In their 2002 white paper titled, "Washington's Ailing Health Care System" a survey conducted on behalf of WSMA reported an average loss of $296,801 based on direct patient care revenues, during fiscal year 2001. The report reads: "Simply stated…many medical practices reported that they lost money providing care to patients." (Ibid) According to WSMA, these financial problems have lead to a net loss in the number of physicians, fewer accepting Medicare or Medicaid patients, increasing use of emergency rooms, and increased bankruptcies of physician practices.

A 2001 survey conducted by AAPS documents the same resulting impact on patient care. Almost one-fourth of physicians questioned refuse new Medicare patients or restrict services largely due to "hassles or threats" in compliance.

With the impending enforcement of almost 2,000 pages of new federal privacy and transaction regulations under HIPAA, stepped up prosecutions for alleged offenses ranging from health care fraud to murder, and skyrocketing professional liability costs, physicians are looking for expert advice to minimize interference in their patient care while maintaining an economically viable practice. Also, rapidly changing information technology has raised new questions about ethical marketing practices.

This is the third in a series of regional practice management workshops conducted by AAPS in the past year. Both previous workshops were filled to capacity.

FORMAT/INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN:
The morning sessions will examine the biggest obstacles to the practice of private medicine and explain the regulatory and legal landscape, while the focus of the afternoon sessions will be on practical solutions, strategies and tools to increase productivity, enhance patient care, and create a "healthy" practice.

The full-day conference includes three panels, two featured presentations, three physicians practice case studies, panel session debate, roundtable discussions, interactive electronic demonstration, and post conference demonstrations and one-on-one sessions with speakers.

There are two dedicated question-and-answer sessions so there will be ample time to address specific concerns and case studies of attendees.

BENEFITS:
Attendees will leave the conference with better insight into how to improve compliance with government regulations, to minimize exposure to prosecution, judgments and licensure actions, to choose expert guidance for their practice, and to minimize negative impact of third party interference on quality of patient care. They will learn practical strategies that can be implemented immediately without hiring additional staff or incurring large consultant fees.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:
This program is intended for physicians in all specialties, who have an existing solo or small-group practice or who desire to set up a new solo or small-group practice. Medical students, house staff and office administrative staff are welcome to attend. There are no prerequisites for this course.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this workshop, the attendees will know how to:

1. Identify and implement policies and procedures to improve compliance with government regulations, reduce administrative errors, and prepare for audits.

2. Identify and implement policies to minimize third-party disruptions of patient care and interference with the patient-physician relationship.

3. Identify and implement procedures to minimize exposure to licensure actions and criminal prosecutions and to protect personal and professional assets through applied risk management.

4. Recognize the impact of HIPAA's rules on privacy and for electronic data interchange on their practice, and to structure their practice accordingly.

5. Maintain the focus of their medical practice on improved patient care rather than malpractice or compliance defense.

6. Identify software and electronic applications most useful in improving efficiency and compliance as well as quality of patient care, including ethical use of the internet to enhance patient education and care.