by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Apr 28, 2025 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes, The Patient's Voice
I just got this letter by email from a physician emphasizing (in addition to the ethical issues) the need for clinical studies of Cellular Tissue Products / Skin Substitutes on pressure ulcers. Thoughts anyone? –Caroline Dear Dr. Fife, I am writing to express a...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 16, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitutes, The Patient's Voice
This email inquiry is from a real patient who is a retired nurse. I can answer some of her questions but not all of them, particularly the ones around when a patient might be required to sign an ABN for skin subs. I will post any helpful answers that you send...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 6, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, The Patient's Voice
I saw this patient almost 5 years ago, but her case is one of those that I can’t get out of my mind. I now understand what I was looking at, but I didn’t understand it at the time. The woman was in her late 60’s and an orthopedic surgeon sent her to me because she...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 23, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Healthcare Payment Policy, The Patient's Voice
Patricia Han is a retired nurse with very serious health challenges who struggles with chronic wounds. She’s written articles about Medicare Advantage vs. regular Medicare for patients with wounds, as well as what she wishes every wound care practitioner knew (see...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Aug 29, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Miscellaneous Musings, The Patient's Voice
Wang and colleagues recently published an article in JAMA Dermatology about primary cutaneous cryptococcus. The article is not available open access, so we can’t look at the photos of the case. However, in 2012, Dr. Adelaide Hebert and I published a case report of...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Aug 23, 2024 | Cellular / Tissue-Based Products, CTP / Skin Substitute Arrests, Skin Perfusion Pressure (SPP), The Patient's Voice
Last week I gave a talk at the Amputation Prevention Symposium entitled, “Elevate the CLI Patient’s Voice: Why it is so Important to do the Right Thing?” I have to confess that when the meeting organizers first asked me to explain why it’s important to do the...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 12, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Tales of the Medicare Disadvantaged, The Patient's Voice
Dr. Fife, I read your article about the problem with physician payments from Medicare. I agree that Medicare should pay physicians more. But right now, I am struggling with the rate increases on all my insurance plans! I am a disabled person who pretty much lives in...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Oct 26, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, The Patient's Voice
I have been like a dog with a bone trying to get to the bottom of the CTP/Skin substitute quagmire, but I don’t want to lose sight of other important things. A few months ago, I heard Suzanne Molony give a presentation at a conference and I thought, “Everyone should...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jun 20, 2023 | Fight the Good Fight, The Patient's Voice
On your way home, instead of NPR or the depressing news, listen to this uplifting and fascinating podcast that Brian McCurdy of HMP and I did with Morgan Wells. If you’d prefer to read the transcript, you can find it here. PODCASTS Helping The Patient Throughout A...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Mar 17, 2023 | The Patient's Voice, Uncategorized
I have been raising awareness about the direct link between documentation and surgical dressing supplies – and why DME companies have become so “demanding” in terms of the documentation they need to see. The DME companies have been audited nearly to death by Medicare...
