by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 9, 2019 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
I heard a few firecrackers on New Year’s eve, but the big fireworks in our industry go off on January 7th, 2019. That’s because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a new physician specialty code for Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 4, 2018 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality, Don't Miss This
A recent National Academy of Medicine discussion paper reviews the concept of “team-based healthcare” and the way in which it is associated with both improved patient outcomes and clinician well-being. According to the authors, teamwork must,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | May 7, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
Last week I saw a young man with terrible pressure ulcers who is just wasting away. He simply can’t eat enough to keep up with his nutritional needs. I gave him a case of nutritional supplements that I had. I am excited about the nutritional quality measure that...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 30, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
Sometimes it feels so hopeless trying to manage paralyzed patients. None of them seem to have physical medicine doctors. Their bladder spasms and muscle spasms are terrible and I am arguing with their insurance companies to get them to physical medicine doctors who...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 29, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
If you have followed along with Wound Wednesday for the last several weeks, I have shown a progression of treatment for a with an inflammatory leg ulcer. Here are the final results. 1. Theraskin for GT: inflammatory leg ulcer after debridement with maggots and the...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 27, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
Every Monday in April I have been talking about the annual National Quality Forum meeting, healthcare reform and what I think it means to wound care professionals. Why is CMS driving so hard in the direction of quality measurement? The measures CMS really wants to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 23, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
I think that Velcro devices for edema control are the greatest things since sliced bread. I hardly ever prescribe stockings for my elderly patients since it’s so unlikely they can put them on. I use Farrow wraps and Circaids almost exclusively. However, I get so...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 21, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
It happened again this week that the manufacturer of a cellular product suggested to me that their product was so effective, there should be no problem with the hospital (wound center) purchasing it for an amount equal to, or slightly more than, the total amount...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 20, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
Have you heard of the “Triple Aim”? The Triple Aim is a framework developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The concept is that as we reform our healthcare system, we should simultaneously optimize three dimensions: 1) improve the patient experience...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 13, 2015 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality
Last week I started talking about what I learned at the annual National Quality Forum meeting in Washington, DC. On the final day we heard Patrick Conway, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), who is still a practicing...
