Dr. Patrick Barta, a Maryland psychiatrist in a private solo practice, isn’t sure whether prescribing by Skype is a good idea or not. But it’s not Skype, an untested healthcare communication medium that’s the problem, but unresolved issues about methodology. “I find it hard to believe that if I were to spend 90 minutes talking to someone on Skype that I haven’t done a reasonable evaluation,” says Barta, who says there are key clinical questions for patients that need to be addressed before prescribing, whether it’s face-to-face or over the Internet. Read more...

On March 21, 2010, the House passed health care reform: www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform. It’s imperfect but a new beginning, passed during the spring equinox. The divisive fight over the bill was like watching a boxing match, full of bruises and cuts to both sides.

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E-prescribing promises quick ROI and lower medication costs. So why are so many physicians reluctant to make the jump from paper to e-format? Dr. Neil Lakritz, a Springfield, Mass., internist, still believes he can hand-write a prescription faster than input it into a computer, and doesn’t like the way electronic systems flag all possible drug interactions, slowing down the authorization process. Read more...