Building a private practice involves far more than choosing an EHR, hiring staff, and bringing patients through the door. Plastic surgeon Dr. Jason Hall learned much of the business of medicine by building his own practice alongside his wife, a physician assistant—and making plenty of mistakes along the way. In this episode of Modern Practice Playbook, Dr. Hall shares two less-obvious policies his practice developed with legal counsel: a patient authorization designed to give the practice more room to respond to online reviews without running afoul of HIPAA, and an arbitration provision intended to establish a process for handling disputes before they arise. His approach raises a larger question for independent physicians: How much thought have you given to protecting the practice you worked so hard to build?
Disclaimer: Dr. Hall is describing practices used in his own practice, not providing legal advice. Physicians considering similar policies should consult qualified counsel regarding applicable federal and state law.
Takeaways:
- Online reviews create a unique problem for physicians. Patients can publicly discuss an encounter, while HIPAA can significantly restrict how a physician responds. Dr. Hall explains the authorization his practice developed with an attorney to address that imbalance.
- Risk planning can begin before a dispute exists. Hall discusses why his practice incorporated an arbitration provision into its patient agreement and how he thinks about establishing expectations before elective surgery.
- The boring paperwork may be part of the business strategy. Building a practice isn’t only about revenue, staffing, marketing, and patient care. Agreements, policies, and risk-management decisions can have an enormous impact when something eventually goes wrong.
