Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 500 BC) is credited with the saying, “The only constant is change.” Now, centuries later, change is meteoric, and especially in healthcare and health policy, the pace of change is relentless. Rheumatology and other specialties continue to face challenges that threaten the ability to deliver compassionate, competent care to patients. The…
For more than a decade, the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC) has given rheumatologists a voice in the halls of Congress. Since 2007, that voice has been amplified by RheumPAC, the bipartisan political action committee for ACR/ARHP members that helps advance the policy goals of the College, rheumatology professionals and their patients. “RheumPAC allows us…
The transition from pediatric to adult care can be a rocky one. For many rheumatology patients, any problems in the move can cause gaps in care. To address this issue, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) joined the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) Pediatric to Adult Care Transitions Initiative. The Initiative is a project spearheaded…
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…
ZURICH (Reuters)—The line dividing makers of brand-name drugs and copycat medicines is blurring as companies known for innovative treatments queue up to peddle copies of rivals’ complex biological medicines. These drug makers are now increasingly straddling both sides of the courtroom, too, protecting their high-price products from biosimilars—biopharmaceutical drugs with the treatment properties of medicines…
Physicians have been puzzled by the role of benign joint hypermobility syndrome in the development of gastrointestinal disorders and other autonomic symptoms and co-morbidities. However, new research found that benign joint hypermobility syndrome only minimally affects autonomic abnormalities…
In Part 2 of how to thrive as a new manager, our experts expand on how age can affect the transition to management, what it’s like to join a new practice as a manager and how to take charge with grace…
The transition from employee to manager in a rheumatology practice can be daunting. But according to experts, setting clear roles and responsibilities and cultivating professional relationships with your employees ultimately help make you and the practice successful…
After winning the initial patent infringement lawsuit filed by Janssen, Celltrion Inc. is now shipping Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb), a biosimilar of Remicade (infliximab), to the U.S…
Using social media goes beyond self-promotion, says David Deutsch. “If you can give prospective patients something that changes their lives, they will care about you.” A few thoughts on social media and rheumatology practices…