This year, the ADA celebrates its 30th anniversary
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, October 1, 2020
Not the dental ADA, or even the dermatologic one. The Americans with Disabilities Act ADA. This landmark piece of legislation sought to ensure that Americans living with a disability have equal access and protection as those without disabilities. Considered public accommodations, our practices must provide equal access to services to those with and without disabilities. Most of us are familiar with many, or even most, of the requirements of this law, and have hopefully established offices that provide the physical accommodations needed by some of our patients and staff. However, there are other accommodations you may not have considered: Is your practice website accessible to individuals with disabilities? If it is not, I encourage you to read our article this month on caring for persons with disabilities. It may be a good time to review your office practices to be sure you meet both the letter and the spirit of the law!
Speaking of laws, we continue our conversation from last month on employment-related legal considerations during COVID-19. In the first part of this two-part article, we looked at implications of employee contracts on the legal rights of employed physicians who might be affected by furloughs, salary reductions, or lay-offs. This month, our Legally Speaking team looks at the employee side when aspects of their contracts have been changed by their employers. There is practical legal information for employers and employees alike. And, of course, there is HIPAA. Where would we be without HIPAA? It both protects and aggravates us. For this, we offer a brief refresher this month with helpful advice on how to avoid a breach.
October is the traditional month for our election roundup. Assistant Managing Editor Allison Evans highlights political issues of importance to our specialty as she shares perspectives from some of our more politically active and aware members. Many of the issues addressed, such as access to care, telemedicine, and drug pricing directly impact the care we provide to our patients now. Others, such as scope of practice laws, speak also to the quality of care we must ensure our patients have going forward. Regardless of which side of the political fence you live on, I encourage you to be aware of these issues, and be willing to speak up. One thing I have learned from my Academy advocacy activities over the years is how much influence one individual can have, and how many things happen largely because of the efforts of a very few committed and passionate people. There are many ways our members can be involved. Don’t miss your chance to make a difference.
For now, can I simply ask everyone to exercise their right to vote?
Vote for science.
Vote for your patients.
Vote for the generations that follow.
Because we can, we must.
