When designing healthcare spaces to foster wellness, you should first understand the particular patient illness being served and then determine that population’s fundamental needs. “Providers who serve patients with rheumatoid conditions should identify the range of clinical presentations specific to their patient population,” advises Sharon E. Woodworth, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, Healthcare Practice Leader, Perkins+Will Architects,…
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part series showing how a busy office-based practice can incorporate patient advocacy into its standard workflow. In Part 1, we looked at the reasons for incorporating patient advocacy into your practice and offered an outline for implementing it. Part 2 amplifies the concepts explored in Part…
Telling a patient that he or she has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia or another debilitating, painful and/or chronic condition can be upsetting for a patient to hear and difficult for a rheumatologist to convey. Given this, it’s important to prepare for the appointment. “Take a few minutes beforehand to contemplate…
I found your recent article, “To Terminate or Not to Terminate?” (The Rheumatologist, April 2015), very relevant to my practice. The hospital system I practice in, Summa Health, Akron, Ohio, has two rheumatology groups with active hospital privileges. My partner and I are both part-time female rheumatologists who work for a hospital group, Summa Physicians…
Full implementation of ICD-10 will go live on Oct. 1, 2015, and congressional leaders have confirmed there will be no further delays. The transition to ICD-10 is not just a simple update; it is a major revamping of diagnosis coding. With the complexity of coding using the ICD-10 system and the high risk of disruptions…
There can be a rhythm to rheumatology. At least that’s what Alain Alvarez, MD, can sometimes find. Listening, assessing, helping. It can be a successful dance when doctor and patient become partners, hoping to lead each other forward. When you consider this, it might be little surprise that Dr. Alvarez is also a dance teacher….
In a win for the ACR and rheumatologists, for one year after the mandatory ICD-10 implementation on Oct. 1, 2015, CMS will not deny claims on the basis of incorrect ICD-10 sub-codes.
Coding for SI Injections with Office Visit A female patient previously diagnosed with sacroiliitis and ankylosing spondylitis returns to the office for a follow-up visit. The patient reports her lower back has been stiff and swollen for the past couple of weeks. She is currently on celecoxib and ranitidine, and mentions that she had some…
CPT codes: 99214-25, 27096, J3301 x1 ICD-9: 720.2, 720.0, 787.02 ICD-10: M46.1*, M45.9*, R11.0 This encounter is coded as 99214 because it includes: Detailed history; Comprehensive examination—eight systems counted; and Medical decision making—moderate complexity (established problem, new problem with no additional workup; new prescription drug ordered). Keep in mind, the CT guidance is an inclusive…
There are many reasons why 15,000-plus attendees come to the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. For some, it’s the more than 450 educational sessions designed to boost knowledge and provide the latest information in the field of rheumatology. For others, it’s the opportunities to build connections and network with colleagues from around the world. This year’s six-day…