Despite being out of direct patient care since 2006, I still can recite the entire review of systems (ROS) in five seconds flat. In fact, our instructors indoctrinated in us that if this documentation did not occur at every visit, one could not fulfill billing and coding requirements. Of course, this was also not the intended purpose of… Read More »
Gun control is a topic fraught with political connotations, however violence prevention is relatively free of it. The health problem of violence presents itself in many forms, including assaults, homicide, suicide, intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, child and adult bullying, and others. All these injuries and psychological impacts are preventable. Not only is there a human… Read More »
Historically, we have designated administrative codes as methods for reimbursement. However, with the evolution of value-based care, these same codes are now applied for risk stratification for adjustments to value-based payments. This variation of fees is necessary because the degree of illness and complexity drives the clinical needs and, thus, the cost. However, using this methodology has created… Read More »
The desire to improve diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and safety is always on the minds of clinicians. Suddenly, artificial intelligence (AI) arrives, and everyone believes we have found nirvana and a solution to all problems. Unfortunately, despite multiple peaks of excitement, AI still has failed to meet our expectations. When we delve into the reasons concerning diagnostic accuracy, it’s… Read More »
In a manner that was not possible during “normal” times, the COVID crisis allowed us to implement much-needed changes and the expansion of virtual care is one of them. In addition to the growth of virtual care, increasing the healthcare workforce during a time of crisis was necessary. In all, 45 states extended licenses to out-of-state practitioners. Currently,… Read More »
Unfortunately, to date, the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve and reduce inequities in access, quality, and appropriateness of high-quality diagnosis and care, has remained more of an aspiration than a reality. There are numerous reasons for this situation; the newness of AI, the low sensitivity and specificity of the algorithms, the lack of health equity data… Read More »
Historically, healthcare systems and social safety net providers have worked in parallel to provide care to their constituents. There have been many instances of cross-pollination and mutual support, but this is not the norm, nor is it done in a manner that significantly enhances the value to all involved parties. The need for collaboration in a meaningful way… Read More »
Since the formation of the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, there has been continuous growth in the number of Medicare beneficiaries that have chosen this model of care. The reasons are numerous. For instance, the pace of growth in the number of company offerings and members has picked up over recent years, and the current projection is that MA… Read More »
For many of us, certain technologies, including telemedicine, are viewed in a highly positive light as a methodology to increase access in a consumer-centric manner. However, there are concerns that such technology will potentially increase health disparities because of the lack of broadband access, hardware, and functional literacy. As a result of the pandemic, access to office-based visits… Read More »
There is considerable discussion regarding aligning incentives to lower the total cost of care, and even more specifically, on the importance of diagnostic testing, the value it might bring, its accuracy, and the shared decision-making when ordering tests. Therefore, aligning incentives around appropriate diagnostic testing is critical to both diagnostic excellence and affordability of healthcare. Additionally, an important… Read More »