Where to begin? with DATA!

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gee, when i asked listserv members to do that some months ago, very few responded. while i would certainly enjoy learning more about others, codification of how people are doing it will provide us and others with a roadmap. quite frankly, if i were starting out and looking at various means of doing so, and somebody said, "do it this way, different from all others", i'd ask, "why" if i was responded to with "because it's a better way", i'd ask "where's your data?" if i was responded to with, "well, we have a bunch of people who are doing it, in a whole bunch of different ways", i'd ask, "and what are the common features to those practices?" and if i was responded to with, "well, we don't know, we've got a bunch of anecdotes, and you have to have faith", i'd respond with "when you have some data, let me know." we certainly wouldn't prescribe medication on that basis. we're all moving

toward evidence-based medicine and better outcomes; to gather the data and be able to demonstrate that it works IS evidence-based medicine. and i am going to keep pounding on this one. LL" Malia, MD" wrote: I think many of us have posted details about our practices. And feedbackon list, and off, hopefully has been helpful. I for one love readingabout how others have worked through issues, made decisions and keepmaking improvements as they shape

their lives and offices.Tim-- Malia, MDMalia Family Medicine & Skin Sense Laser6720 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd.Perinton Square MallFairport, NY 14450 (phone / fax)www.relayhealth.com/doc/DrMaliawww.SkinSenseLaser.com-- Confidentiality Notice --This email message, including all the attachments, is for the sole use ofthe intended recipient(s) and contains confidential information.Unauthorized use or disclosure is prohibited. If you are not the intendedrecipient, you may not use, disclose, copy or disseminate thisinformation. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact thesender immediately by reply email and destroy all copies of the originalmessage, including attachments.> I haven't followed this listserv all that much although I've gotten all> the emails for a long time, so I'm not too familiar with the "do's and>

don'ts". Would it be acceptable for me to post some specific information> about my practice in the hope of getting some good useful feedback?>> (These aren't the details I'm referring to.) Eight years ago I stopped> doing everything hospital-related, including tons of ob; back then, it> didn't matter what I did or didn't do, I still made plenty of money.> When I stopped all of that during a seven-year period of burnout, I went> from no interest in practice management and making a lot of money to no> interest in practice management and making less than a beginning school> teacher.>> Since then I have followed with interest the ideas put forth from this> group with great interest. A couple years ago I was paying $94,000> annually in salaries, down now to $65,000 in 2006, and the possibility> of $40,000 or less for salaries this year.>> My lowest net was in 2005, up

significantly last year, and expect to> continue the upward trend this year. There's so much more I could be> doing to increase my efficiency and bottom line, but it's hard to really> know where to begin.>> Looking forward to some good feedback.>> Shirley Pigott MD> texas __________________________________________________