Hundreds of physicians and practice managers gathered Feb. 28–Mar. 1 in Houston at the annual meeting of the State of Texas Association of Rheumatologists to hear clinical updates, obtain practice management tips and get to know their peers.... [Read More]
Kimberly J. Retzlaff is a freelance medical journalist based in Denver. She has worked in the publishing field for more than 15 years, contributing her writing and editing expertise on such topics as rheumatology, perioperative nursing, alternative medicine, sports nutrition and organic and natural foods. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, books, newsletters and trade and consumer magazines. Kimberly is also the senior managing editor of Journal - American Water Works Association, the flagship publication of AWWA that disseminates professional and scholarly information to waterworks professionals with the mission of improving public health, informing public policy and protecting the world's most important resource.
Articles by Kimberly Retzlaff
Are Your Patients at Risk? Advocacy Matters
When insurance company practices put patients at risk, advocacy is an important tool physicians can use to make a real difference. You can make a difference.... [Read More]
Dr. Sou-Pan Wu Is the First Recipient of the Norman B. Gaylis Research Award
The Norman B. Gaylis, MD, Research Award for Rheumatologists in Community Practice is designed to encourage practicing clinicians to conduct their own research for the betterment of patients and rheumatology. The 2019 inaugural honoree is Sou-Pan Wu, MD, who will research gout in the Hmong population in Minnesota…... [Read More]
Permanent Vision Loss in Late Giant Cell Arteritis
Patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) or peripheral arthritis may require extra vigilance during treatment because of a suspected link to giant cell arteritis (GCA) and, potentially, permanent vision loss. “Development of giant cell arteritis after treating polymyalgia or peripheral arthritis: a retrospective case-control study,” a March 2018 study published in The Journal of Rheumatology, suggests… [Read More]
New Study Reveals Limitations in ANA Test Kits for Lupus
The variability in serological testing for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) is under investigation after unexpected findings were reported from clinical trials of new agents to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In “Assay Variation in the Detection of Antinuclear Antibodies in the Sera of Patients with Established SLE,” David S. Pisetsky, MD, PhD, and his colleagues demonstrate… [Read More]
Rheumatologists Should Discuss with Patients Use of Immunomodulatory Agents During Pregnancy
The decision to continue or discontinue immunomodulatory medications during pregnancy is a difficult one for both patients and physicians. On the one hand, when left untreated, rheumatic conditions can cause harm to an unborn child, as well as to the pregnant mother. On the other hand, medications can be harmful to a developing fetus. In… [Read More]
ICD-10 2.0: An Evolving Data Set
One year after the official go-live of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), the coding language is scheduled to undergo an evolution, with nearly 1,975 additions, more than 300 deletions and 425 revisions. This brings the total set of diagnosis codes to more than 71,480. The new and revised clinical modification codes (ICD-10-CM)… [Read More]
How to Document E/M Services
Documenting evaluation and management (E/M) services involves many factors, and it’s important to code to the most appropriate level of service to avoid compliance risks. To assist providers with documentation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides its 1995 and 1997 Documentation Guidelines for Evaluation and Management Services. For billing purposes, either version… [Read More]
Possible Impact of Biosimilar Infliximab on U.S. Market in Prescriptions, Pricing
The use of biosimilars for rheumatology in the U.S. became a reality when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb), a biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab), in April. What this may mean is increased competition among drug companies with regard to pricing and, therefore, potentially lower costs for U.S. patients, according to Seoyoung… [Read More]
End of the Road: ICD-10 Grace Period Expires in October
The final milestone on the road to implementing ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision) is drawing near. The 12-month grace period is scheduled to end as of Oct. 1, 2016, but that date will most likely pass with little notice, because implementation appears to have gone well since Oct. 1, 2015. “On average, it… [Read More]