Physicians can help reduce the large number of patients who do not take their prescription drugs due to the high cost by proactively discussing the topic of drug costs during the clinical encounter and developing a plan for assistance.

Physicians are held legally responsible if patients are harmed by not receiving the care that is required, even when the restriction of that care is imposed by a third-party payor.

A physicians urges practitioners to use cost-effective alternatives to dispensing samples to patients who cannot afford to pay for their prescriptions.

Physicians should help patients resolve the issue of medical debt by advocating for change in the health care system on a local and national level and implementing charity care within their offices.

CT scans are recommended to help identify appendicitis, particularly when the diagnosis is unclear.

A physician outlines strategies to help reduce a patient's out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses.

A physicians urges the support of consumer-driven health care plans that are designed to contribute to better patient outcomes at a lower cost.

The theme editor argues that the art and science of medicine combine to create the moral practice that is clinical judgment.

Medical expertise includes knowledge of modern interventions as well as the incorporation of ethical considerations and patient goals as they relate to treatment decisions.

The hospitalist model should be modified to ensure that inpatients receive continuity of care and that their expressed values regarding treatment are maintained once they are admitted.