At the 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Francisco in November, the ACR and the ARHP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. In the December 2015 issue, The Rheumatologist reported on the ACR’s awards. This month, we speak with the ARHP winners about…
Two months into the transition, the ICD-10 code set is still not exactly the most enticing reading material. But there is still so much to learn and apply, that it is necessary for physicians, coders and billers to stay abreast of the coding and billing guidelines. Although all of the guidelines and conventions may be…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Sleep apnea may increase the risk of developing gout and experiencing flare-ups, according to a new study. Until now, little was known about the relationship between the two conditions, the study team writes in an article online Oct. 19 in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Obesity plays an important role in both sleep apnea…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Even doctors and nurses don’t always follow the healthy lifestyle choices they recommend for patients to reduce the risk of medical problems, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, a U.S. study suggests. Although rates of these conditions appeared lower among healthcare workers than other people, the diseases were still common. They…
Coding for a Knee Injection A 68-year-old female patient with primary osteoarthritis of the left knee returns to the office for her scheduled hyaluronan injection. The patient reports that her knee is a little tender, but on a scale of 1–10, it is a 4. She is stiff in the morning for 10–20 minutes. The…
CPT codes: 99213 Diagnosis Codes: ICD-9: 715.15, 278.01 ICD-10: M16.12, E66.01, Z68.41 This encounter is coded as 99213 as follows: History—The history of present illness was extended. The review of systems was comprehensive, and no past family social history was documented. This makes the history level expanded problem focused. Examination—There were eight systems examined. This…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Inspiratory muscle training can help improve aerobic capacity and pulmonary function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to new findings presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress. “Inspiratory muscle training as a stand-alone therapy improves inspiratory muscle function (strength and endurance), decreases symptoms of dyspnea and improves exercise capacity,”…
According to a new study, patients with RA experiencing weight loss unrelated to exercise may be at risk of premature death.
As the literature on comorbidities linked to psoriatic arthritis (PsA) expands, it’s becoming more difficult for clinicians to keep up with what comorbidities should be assessed and how these comorbidities affect treatment selection. Given this, rheumatologists at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic and Hospital for Special Surgery in New…
Review of clinical research on methotrexate therapy, effect on patients’ functionality, tolerability, adverse events