Over the course of a month, you diagnose systemic sclerosis in two newly evaluated patients. Their responses to the news could not be more different. Patient 1 is a previously healthy 55-year-old man who is an avid bicyclist and skier. He presents with a several-month history of rapidly progressive skin tightening extending to the proximal…
When the code that you need is not clear Just keep this poem quite near If you’re struck by a parrot Just grin and bear it ICD-10 has you covered my dear. W61.02XA Struck by parrot, initial encounter And if you’re ever struck by a cow I don’t even want to know how Rest assured:…
What is the ICD-10 guideline to code for osteoporosis without a current pathological fracture? There is no rule. Code for the osteoporosis, and code for the pathological fracture. Code for the osteoporosis from the M81._ category, and code for the history of a pathological fracture. None of the above is correct. How many characters are…
Take the challenge. C—The guideline for coding from category M81._ is that an additional code is needed if the physician has knowledge that the patent had a past pathological fracture. The code for personal history of (healed) pathological fracture is Z87.310. B—Osteoporosis with a current pathologic fracture is one of the few ICD-10 codes that…
Rheumatologists practicing in rural and urban areas face different challenges. Robert Jackson, DO, discusses how technology, healthcare reform and hospital closures affect rheumatology practice in rural areas and its future…
(Reuters)—Three large U.S. venture capital firms are betting that hospitals will buy into a new service designed to help healthcare providers treat their patients more like upscale hotels treat their customers. The new company, called Docent Health, is creating software and mobile applications that will help organize and monitor every aspect of an individual’s hospital…
(Reuters Health)—Many patients leaving the hospital don’t understand follow-up care plans because the instructions are tailored to people with higher reading levels and more education, a recent U.S. study suggests. The American Medical Association already recommends that written health information be targeted to a sixth grade audience because nearly half of the U.S. population is…
Starting your own rheumatology practice is daunting, and it’s easy to focus on the medical side and neglect the business side of a practice. Here are five important considerations that could help a new practice thrive…
To ensure adequate and appropriate reimbursement, rheumatologists must provide detailed information about their services to the people advocating on their behalf. With the proper information, advocates can then do the work necessary to secure the appropriate values for these services. These advocates are members of the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC), a volunteer committee of…
Take the challenge. M10.072—Acute gout has an Excludes 1 note of chronic gout (M1A.-). This means that acute gout and chronic gout cannot be coded for the same encounter, as the codes are mutually exclusive. M45.6—The patient is diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar region. M81.8—Other osteoporosis without current pathological fracture. M79.622—The patient has…