by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 24, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
I remember about 20 years ago a coder came to talk to me about my wound care documentation. I can’t remember if she was sent from the University or the hospital. I was a relatively young faculty member and the wound center I started at UT Houston had not been open for...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 23, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
We talk about “livedoid patterns” on the skin but this has got to be one of the most amazing ones I have ever seen. This lady burned her backside falling asleep on a heating pad. The burn healed but these livedoid skin changes remained. Caroline Fife, M.D.Dr. Fife is...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 22, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
Yesterday I posted some of the reasons for denial of HBOT under prior authorization. I thought I’d point out something that should be obvious but might not be. It appears that HBOT is being denied for DFUs unless—at a bare minimum: Hemoglobin A1C is being checked and...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 21, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented a prior authorization model for non-emergent hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey. It is the position of CMS that it can reduce spending on HBOT services while...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 17, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Miscellaneous Musings, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, US Wound Registry
This month I am reminding you about some educational materials to mitigate litigation risk available in a new book by my friend Kevin Yankowsky. Check out a presentation Kevin and I did at Medline’s “Prevention Above All” conference a few years ago entitled,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 16, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
What do you think this erythematous eruption is? Ring worm maybe? How about a nickel allergy to the battery in the patient’s watch. Caroline Fife, M.D.Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 15, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
I am trying 2 new cellular-based products at the moment. I won’t say which ones they are. I am grateful to have sample products to try since there are always patients who don’t have secondary insurance and can’t afford the copays if I have to charge them, or whose...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 14, 2015 | Cassandra Chronicles: Regulatory and Coverage Policy, Pressure Cooker: Rethinking Pressure Ulcers, Quality Payment Program, US Wound Registry
Are you thinking that PQRS is only for practitioners? More and more hospitals are on the hook to get PQRS right. This year, the Physician Quality Reporting System payment “adjustments” officially move from the incentive to the penalty phase. I’ve talked a lot about...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 9, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
While there are a lot of HIPAA issues to keep track of regarding patients with cell phones taking photos in clinic, I use them a lot. This is a photo of a patient’s wife (which is why she isn’t wearing gloves!) taking a photo of his toe so he can see the wound (it’s...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Sep 8, 2015 | Fight the Good Fight, Health Information Technology and Wound Care
Today, not one but 2 different companies talked to me about their new anti-biofilm treatment. Their mechanisms of action are entirely different. The only things they have in common are that they are both colorless and applied topically. Both companies (who had no...
