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…
The Future of Rural Rheumatology: A Discussion with Dr. Robert Jackson
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…
New Venture Aims to Fill Customer-Service Void in Healthcare
(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…
Patients Leaving Hospitals Often Don’t Understand Care Plans
(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…
5 Considerations to Help Jumpstart Your New Rheumatology Practice
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…
The RUC’s Work & Where You Fit In
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…
Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Coding for Acute Flare of Idiopathic Gout
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…
Rheumatology Coding Corner Question: Coding for Acute Flare of Idiopathic Gout
It has been two months since the implementation of ICD-10, so everyone has gotten a feel for the new code set. Let’s see how well you are doing in your diagnosis coding for rheumatology-specific conditions. A 55-year-old female patient presents for a follow-up visit of idiopathic chronic gout of multiple joints without tophi. She complains…
Looking Back on Rheumatology in 2015, Leaping Forward to the Year Ahead
My dear friends, we come to praise Caesar. As we march toward 2016, we ought to acknowledge the great Roman emperor’s role in creating a proper calendar. At the start of Caesar’s reign, the calendar year lasted 355 days, 10¼ days fewer than the time it took the earth to fully orbit the sun.1 Although…
How to Keep Patient Appointments Running on Time
Nobody likes waiting to see their physician. In fact, a whopping 97% of patients are frustrated by wait times at the doctor’s office, a study has reported.1 That’s a lot of unhappy patients. Fortunately, a practice can do many things to help keep patient appointments on time—beginning with proper scheduling techniques and monitoring patients’ progress…
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