Musculoskeletal Imaging Consultants

Meaningful use: What it means to radiologists

Jeremy — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:17:48 +0000

Wouldn’t we all like to have a slice of the $1.5 billion incentives payment pie available for eligible radiologists? Imaging was given the cold shoulder in the first phase of the meaningful use program (MU), but the Stage 2 MU proposal gives more credit to radiology. The question is, is it enough? And what are providers to do now? The recommendations incorporated into the proposed rules by the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT include a menu set measure for diagnostic image accessibility, clinical quality measures relevant to radiology, and more flexibility on defining encounters. But for a clinical specialty that isso integral to the running of a health system, radiology measures are only deemed optional. Read full article here courtesy of Applied Radiology

Steps for Spine Surgeons to Avoid Commoditization

Jeremy — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:55:19 +0000

Our current reimbursement model assumes all physicians perform equal treatment with the same outcomes because payors reimburse at the same level regardless of the quality of care. However, as spine surgeons know, not every surgeon has the same level of experience or delivers the same quality of care.

“We have to get over the attitude that spine surgery is a commodity like everything else,” says Khawar Siddique, MD, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon with Beverly Hills Spine Surgery in California. “Spine surgery isn’t like corn or beans. The quality of the individual surgeon is important and varies from one surgeon to the next. Corn is the same no matter where it comes from; among spine surgeons, there is a huge difference.”

The quality of a spine surgeon can be measured by complication rate, patient satisfaction and outcomes reports. Since the quality of spine surgery varies, the price paid for a procedure should also follow suit. Here, Dr. Siddique discusses seven steps for avoiding commoditization in your market and obtaining the payment level you deserve. Read full article here courtesy of Becker’s Spine Review

Female skiers likelier to injure non-dominant knee

Jeremy — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:31:59 +0000

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women skiers are more likely than men to injure a knee while skiing, and a new study shows they are about twice as likely to have that injury occur to their non-dominant leg, often the left one. The study did not go so far as to explain these inequalities, but Dr. Robert Johnson, a sports medicine physician at the University of Vermont College of Medicine said it could be caused “by a whole herd of issues.”

“Anatomy, strength patterns, muscle patterns, wider pelvis…it all adds up. It’s not just one factor,” said Johnson, who was not involved in the research.

Earlier studies have shown that women are twice as likely as men to hurt a knee during downhill ski crashes, and three times as likely to tear the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.

Gerhard Ruedl, lead author of the new study and a researcher at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, said he was interested in looking at whether women’s knee troubles had to do with leg dominance. Read full story here courtesy of Medlin Plus.

Over 600,000 Macs Infected

Jeremy — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:39:58 +0000

Two months ago, a new variant of the Flashback Trojan started exploiting a security hole in Java to silently infect Mac OS X machines. Apple has since patched Java, but this was only yesterday. As of today, more than 600,000 Macs are currently infected with the Flashback Trojan, which steals your user names and passwords to popular websites by monitoring your network traffic.Read full article here courtesy of zdnet.com

The Final Rule,EHR Eligibility

Jeremy — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:39:28 +0000

The Final Rule we now live under for Stage 1 Meaningful Use provides the guidance and requirements for appeals in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program but does not for the Medicare Program. It states that an appeals process for Medicare would be addressed through future guidance. The CMS Office of Clinical Standards and Quality (OCSQ) is responsible for providing the appeals guidance on how to file appeals. EHR incentive appeals have been accepted and the first informal review decisions have been made. Provider Resources Inc. was contracted by CMS to supply customer support and technical assistance for incentive program appeals. Read full article here courtesy of hitechanswers.net.
#in

AAOS Site is completed

Jeremy — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:12:58 +0000

As a member of AAOS they give you an opportunity to create your very own personal site. We have completed it and looks great. Please feel free to take a look and let us know your thoughts.http://orthodoc.aaos.org/douglassmith

-MSKIC

It’s all about the Doctors…

Jeremy — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:20:51 +0000

In the months since CMS released its proposed accountable care organization (ACO) regulations, a growing chorus of policy makers, health association leaders and others have shared their views on why ACOs won’t work – or at least why they will be problematic as currently conceived. Even the revised regulations CMS just released have not significantly alleviated these concerns. Read full article here. Courtesy of Staffcare.com

How Vulnerable Are You to a Security Breach?

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:32:06 +0000

It is shocking that there are only seven simple steps to gain access to someone’s bank account. It shows just how vulnerable we are to identity theft!

Click here to read the seven steps to having your identity stolen.

Small Business: Doctors going broke

Jeremy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:30:48 +0000

Doctors in America are harboring an embarrassing secret: Many of them are going broke.

This quiet reality, which is spreading nationwide, is claiming a wide range of casualties, including family physicians, cardiologists and oncologists.

Industry watchers say the trend is worrisome. Half of all doctors in the nation operate a private practice. So if a cash crunch forces the death of an independent practice, it robs a community of a vital health care resource.

“A lot of independent practices are starting to see serious financial issues,” said Marc Lion, CEO of Lion & Company CPAs, LLC, which advises independent doctor practices about their finances. Click here to read the full story.

A Radiologist’s New Year’s Resolutions

Jennifer — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:44:58 +0000

Do you share Dr. Tim Myers goals for 2012? 2012 is likely going to provide more of the same roller coaster ups and downs experienced in 2011. To keep from getting dizzy, Dr. Myers recommends keeping our eyes fixed on something substantial: continuing to be the best radiologists we can be and provide world leading radiology services to our patients.

Click here to read 2012 Radiology Goals