Reflectance Microscopy Atlas.(Products)
"Reflectance Confocal Microscopy of Cutaneous Tumors: An Atlas
With Clinical, Dermoscopic, and Histological Correlations" is a
new, full-color, 280-page hardcover book. Contents include . . .
Handheld facial toner.(Products)(NuFace by Carol Cole
Company)(Brief article)
The NuFace handheld device uses microcurrent stimulation of facial
muscles and tissues to improve circulation and promote a healthy skin
tone. The device is noninvasive and can be used as an . . .
Benchmarking software.(Products)
The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and ValuSource
Software have released two new practice benchmarking programs,
"Pay-to-Production Plotter" and "Cost Dashboard."
The former allows . . .
Antiwrinkle cream.(Products)
C-Recovery antiwrinkle cream contains 5% vitamin C and a unique
thermal dermobiotic complex to promote skin recovery after
wrinkle-reducing procedures. The product also contains vitamin . . .
MedPAC seeks to lower costs by upping primary care pay.(Practice
Trends)
WASHINGTON -- Saying that primary care is undervalued, the Medicare
Payment Advisory Commission might recommend that Congress increase
payment for primary care and pilot test a medical home . . .
New Medicare chief trades scalpel for bureaucrat's
pen.(Practice Trends)
Dr. Jeffrey Rich is trading in his scalpel for a bureaucrat's
pen in the hope that he'll give Medicare a strong and credible push
into a future that will reward those who deliver high-quality care . . .
Medicare Advantage pay eyed for fee fix again.(Practice
Trends)
WASHINGTON -- With Congress scrambling to come up with the funds to
avert a physician fee cut scheduled for July, it appears once again that
Medicare Advantage is being eyed as a funding source by . . .
Hospitals tackle joint commission's new patient safety
goal.(Practice Trends)
The Joint Commission's new 2008 patient safety goal of
requiring a process to respond quickly to a deteriorating patient is
being mistakenly interpreted at some hospitals as a mandate for
"rapid . . .
The inspiring journey of a multiple amputee.(The Rest Of Your
Life)
When Dr. Kellie Lim was an 8-year-old growing up in suburban
Detroit, she acquired a case of bacterial meningitis so severe that one
physician put her chances of survival at 15%.
The infection . . .
Financial assistance available for high-cost cancer
therapies.(Practice Trends)
WASHINGTON -- Financial assistance is available to patients
struggling with costs of the new--and extremely expensive--targeted
therapies for renal cell carcinoma as well as other advanced . . .
Similar drug names a growing cause of errors: U.S. Pharmacopeia
seeks to add 'indication of use' on prescriptions, citing over
3
The soaring numbers of commonly used drugs with soundalike and
look-alike names have prompted the U.S. Pharmacopeia to ask physicians
and pharmacists to include an "indication for use" . . .
Dermatologists with PhDs more likely to go academic.(Practice
Trends)
To revitalize the field of academic dermatology, residency programs
should focus on attracting medical doctors who also have PhDs because
they are more likely to choose careers in academia, . . .
Pay-for-performance demo price tag may be too high for small
practices.(Practice Trends)
A Medicare demonstration project testing pay for performance among
large multispecialty physician groups is yielding good data on care
coordination programs, but expanding the program to . . .
Hospital P4P project lowers costs and mortality.(Practice
Trends)
Hospitals participating in a Medicare-sponsored pay-for-performance
demonstration continue to sustain initial gains in quality improvement
and have seen a huge decline in costs and mortality for . . .
Administration offers plan to shore up Medicare.(Practice
Trends)
In response to a warning that the Medicare trust fund is in
financial trouble, the Bush administration recently proposed legislation
that would tie physician payments to quality, cap medical . . .
Health care spending projected to reach $4.3 trillion by
2017.(Practice Trends)
Health care spending in the United States is projected to consume
nearly 20% of the gross domestic product by 2017, according to estimates
from economists at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid . . .
States looking inward, striving for transparency as health tabs
grow.(Practice Trends)
WASHINGTON -- With health care expenses accounting for the single
largest expense in their budget, states are increasingly looking for
solutions from within, not from the federal government, . . .
Future uncertain as health plan settlements expire.(Practice
Trends)
LAS VEGAS -- As more of the agreements signed by several large
insurers to settle a class action suit alleging inappropriate billing
practices expire, the possibility is increasing that the . . .
The payoffs and pitfalls of participating in clinical
trials.(Practice Trends)
MAUI, HAWAII -- Clinical trial participation can be a moneymaker
for a practice with some realistic planning and savvy negotiations,
according to Dr. Roy Fleischmann and Dr. Alvin Well.
"If . . .
Hiring a fee-only financial planner.(Managing Your Dermatology
Practice)
This is the second column to expand on the suggestions made in my
January "New Year's Resolutions" column. (The January
column can be found in the archives at www.skinandallergynews.com.)
The . . .
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