Writing Effective Appeal Letters
Getting the right drug to the right patient isn’t quite as easy as it should be. Here's a collection of appeal trench war musings and tactics with a sample letter for all to use.
Blogs
What Happened to Science in Medicine?
Have crony capitalism and medical administrators overtaken science, logic and common sense in healthcare? Dr. John Goldman reviews some recent developments with some misgivings.
Building a Better Rheumatologist
Are you efficient, productive and accurate in what you do? Could you be better? Or do the job differently?
Should Lupus Patients Receive Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccines?
I have a 21 yr. old lupus nephritis patient on mycophenolate, hydroxychloroquine and prednisone 40 mg per day. She says both her current nephrologist and her prior pediatric rheumatologist told her NOT to get pneumococcal and flu vaccines. I thought she is supposed to get them - any comment?
The Dying Hospital Consult
Hospital consults – “nobody goes there anymore”, and not because it’s too crowded (a quote from the late great Yogi Berra), but rather because it’s a poor investment of time and resources.
Jiffy Joint and Rheumatology Retail Clinics
The American College of Physicians issued a position statement about medical clinics popping up inside of retail establishments and pharmacies. For years now I’ve schemed of starting a national chain of “Jiffy Joints”. Is it time?
Drug Safety Risk Communication: The 800 lb Gorilla Approach
Discussions on drug safety can be as treacherous as quicksand for the patient and physician. What the physician knows and what the patient perceives may not be in sync.
Hydrocodone: Then and Now
Today marks the one year anniversary of hydrocodone becoming a schedule II drug with more restrictive access. Has life been better under these new rules?
Top 5 and Bottom 5 Clinic Tools
Rheums do not live by wits and cytokine blockers alone. We need tools, equipment and material goods to be the diagnostician, communicator, and technical wizards that triple-threat rheumatologists propound to be. Not long ago I ranked my top and bottom 5 joints. Now we tackle the most and least important tools of the trade in rheumatology.
ICD-10: ABCs of the New Code
Use your ICD-9 codes today and tomorrow 9/30/15, and then use ICD-10 codes only on 10/1/15 and thereafter. Do not submit both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes on any day as these will be rejected by CMS.
Marketing 101
Why let your practice mix grow according to word-of-mouth, preferred provider listings and beauty parlor gossip? Be all you can be with a marketing plan for your practice and career.
Time to Listen
Every physician struggles with time and listening. Modern medicine infringes on both of these - and they may be the most humanistic things a physician can give.