by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 13, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
Last week I asked how things were going with getting eCQMs into your EHR. You need to do this to avoid negative payment adjustments but also because your performance on quality measures may very likely be the way that payers decide WHETHER they will send patients to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 9, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
There are a lot of wonderful cleansers out there but some of my patients can’t afford them. This is the recipe that I give them to make a 0.25% acetic acid solution if they have the classic neon green drainage of Pseudomonas: 3 Tbsp white vinegar in 1 quart distilled...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 7, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
Here’s great photos of “neon green drainage.” It’s a bit hard to see how green it is so here’s a wound photo that shows the drainage can be so green it’s nearly black. Caroline Fife, M.D.Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 2, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
In recognition of the upcoming Independence Day holiday, I’m honoring Dr. James Tilton (June 1, 1745—May 14, 1822) an American physician and soldier from Dover, Delaware. He attended the College of Philadelphia (later the University of Pennsylvania) earning his...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jul 1, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
I learn a lot from the dressings that we take OFF of patients. I make sure that they are not thrown away before I look at them. What can you tell from this dressing? Is there a problem with the way that the absorptive pad has been used? Caroline Fife, M.D.Dr. Fife is...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 29, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
On Mondays in the month of June I am focusing on the way that quality measures will be used to evaluate practitioner performance inside and outside a healthcare organization, including compensation packages and contracted rates with payers. There are thousands of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 25, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
Welcome to “Throwback Thursdays” in June. I’ve noticed that patients are having increasing problems affording wound care supplies as a result of the high deductibles under the Affordable Care Act. We are going back to baby diapers for some patients. Caroline...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 18, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
Welcome to “Throwback Thursdays” in June. I’ve noticed that patients are having increasing problems affording wound care supplies as a result of the high deductibles under the Affordable Care Act. I confess I am having to go back to tricks I used in the 1990’s like...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 17, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care, Miscellaneous Musings
Welcome to “what is it Wednesdays” in June. What is this growth on the medial thigh of a morbidly obese patient? It’s a form of “massive localized lymphedema” (MLL). I don’t think they are rare anymore. They can be associated with hypothyroidism so check for that....
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 15, 2015 | Miscellaneous Musings, Quality Payment Program
On Mondays in the month of June I am focusing on the way that quality measures will be used to evaluate practitioner performance inside and outside a healthcare organization, including compensation packages and contracted rates with payers. Last month, CMS released...
