According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the cost of hiring a medical scribe can be offset within a year because of increased profits from a greater number of patient visits.
Studies show a medical scribe can boost physician availability by roughly 20%, which can add up to two or three additional established patients per day. For the study, the researchers assumed Medicare would reimburse all patients. The research team determined a physician would require 1.3 new patients per day to reach a 90% chance of breaking even within one year after hiring a scribe.
A medical scribe can decrease the hours a physician spends documenting patient visits, thus reducing cognitive workload and, ultimately, physician burnout. According to the American Medical Association, physician burnout rate is roughly 44%, which is much higher than other professions and closely associated with burdens of EHR use and documentation.
What should dermatologists be doing to make the most out of their electronic health record system? Find out in DermWorld.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: Can topical ketoconazole tip the scales for acne vulgaris?
“Now trending.” How often have you seen that phrase when you go online? When it comes to trends in treating acne vulgaris (AV), despite the new addition of oral sarecycline and the release of topical minocycline foam, there is an impetus to move away from prolonged antibiotic therapy for managing acne. It has recently been suggested that spironolactone might have superior drug usage survival compared to oral antibiotics for the treatment of female patients with acne. Keep reading!
Providing equitable dermatologic care for people with disabilities
Authors of a recently published editorial in JAMA provide specific considerations for treating patients with disabilities (PWD) in the dermatologic setting.
“People with disabilities may not be capable of self-monitoring their skin. Impairments in vision, mobility, and cognition may preclude the ability to detect a new lesion or symptom. Given that self-identification of concerning lesions and skin awareness improve skin cancer detection and prognosis, PWD are at a disadvantage before they even step into dermatology clinics. Barriers also exist around conducting a total body skin examination. The challenges of undressing and accessing examination tables may prevent patients with mobility limitations from receiving a thorough total body skin examination.”
The authors recommend a previsit screening conducted by a staff member who can ask something similar to, “Do you have any physical, cognitive, or other special needs that we may accommodate for during your visit?” If a disability is identified, more time could be allocated for that patient, the authors said.
The authors also recommend that health care professionals engage with both the patient and caregivers to ask about home environment, care team, and barriers to care. Simplified medication routines with clear written instructions should be provided when formulating a treatment plan. When transportation and accessibility impede follow-up, telehealth is an option to broaden reach. In the article, the authors present additional recommendations by spotlighting scenarios with potential clinical barriers and correlated adaptations.
Learn more about how to stay compliant with ADA guidelines while treating patients with disabilities in this month’sDermWorld.
Got a story to tell? Share it in DermWorld!
DermWorld’s First Person column is the place to tell it. Share your personal stories about the thrills, challenges, and insights of practicing dermatology — we’d like to know what’s on your mind. Email your story idea to dweditor@aad.org. Wondering what an ideal submission looks like? Check out “In praise of redneck dermatology.”
DermWorld reserves the right to edit, publish, or not publish any submitted content, and to request and disclose the author’s relevant conflicts of interest.
E/M coding for 2021: Major changes ahead
Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, new E/M service codes go into effect. Join AADA expert faculty and members of the E/M Changes Workgroup — Alexandra Flamm, MD, and Alexander Miller, MD — to learn how to apply the concept of Medical Decision Making (MDM) when selecting E/M levels of service and how to calculate and apply the concept of total time when selecting E/M service level based on time to ensure accurate claim submission in the coming year.
Register for the complimentary one-hour webinar,E/M Coding for 2021: Major Changes Ahead, on Nov. 5 at 7 PM CST to learn how these changes will impact dermatology practices.
FDA, UMD seek feedback on compounded drug use
In collaboration with the FDA, the University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (M-CERSI) is conducting an anonymous survey to better understand how compounded drugs containing bulk drug substances are used in clinical practice. Protecting dermatologists’ access to compounded drugs is a top advocacy priority for the AADA and quality data will help the Academy effectively advocate for the specialty and its patients.
The goal of this survey is to understand how medical practitioners prescribe and administer compounded drugs. The survey feedback will help the FDA develop a list of drugs that can be used in bulk compounding by 503B outsourcing facilities. The anonymous responses will be shared with the FDA as part their project, “Clinical Use of Drugs Including Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding by Outsourcing Facilities.”
Several substances are being surveyed as it relates to the specialty, including lidocaine, epinephrine, salicylic acid, lactic acid, thymol iodide, and others. Provide your input today.
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