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The Cost of Unusual Medicare Physician Billing: 5 Things to Know

Medicare physician payment data reveals some providers are earning inordinate amounts from just one procedure or service, according to an analysis performed by The Wall Street Journal. Here are five things to know about CMS’ release of physician reimbursement data and unusual billing practices. 1. The Journal’s analysis is based on data CMS released in […]

2 ways to cut spinal surgery costs

Spinal surgeries remain costly even as they increase in popularity, prompting clinicians and surgical center business managers to find ways to trim dollars off each procedure. The average hospital charge for a spinal procedure is nearly $67,000, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, although the cost can rapidly escalate […]

Laboring under misconceptions: Epidural myths may keep women from reliable pain management

It’s one of the most effective, safest and widely used forms of pain management for women in labor, yet there are misconceptions about epidurals, a recent study shows. From fears of permanent back pain to allegations of potential harm to the baby, many women still harbor mistaken beliefs about epidurals. “My own mother didn’t want […]

Addressing performance problems: 8 steps to success

Talking with employees about their performance problems can be an uncomfortable moment for any manager. But it’s also a crucial part of the job and, if done well, will ultimately make a manager’s job much easier. Here are eight steps to planning and executing such discussions: 1. Schedule the meeting and set the stage. Make […]

10 Benefits of Documenting Employee Performance

1.Master progressive discipline and effectively structure terminations. 2.Draft warnings, discipline and termination documents—the right way. 3.Save time and remove the anxiety from the discipline-documentation process. 4.Build confidence in your writing skills and improve your standing within the organization. 5.Shift responsibility for improvement away from the organization and back to the employee (where it rightfully belongs!). […]

Customizing feedback: The 9 different personality types

Ever notice how you can say the same exact thing to two different people, and they each take the comment completely differently? A manager’s “great suggestion” to one employee could be seen as “rude meddling” by another. The effectiveness of your feedback isn’t solely dependent on how it’s given. The other important half is how […]

In recent years, the growth of healthcare spending has slowed not only in the U.S. but also globally. In a viewpoint article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Commonwealth Fund Senior Researcher David Squires explores potential reasons for the deceleration. Here are five things to know about healthcare spending growth. 1. Healthcare […]

Effect of intra-articular local anesthesia on articular cartilage in the knee

Published in Arthroscopy. 2014 May;30(5):607-12 Authors: Ravnihar K et al. PURPOSE: To evaluate the hypothetical toxic effect of local anesthetics on the articular cartilage using patient data from autologous chondrocyte cultivation with different anesthesia types used for arthroscopic cartilage biopsy specimen procurement. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patient data from the national autologous chondrocyte implantation […]

Intravenous Lidocaine for the Emergency Department Treatment of Acute Radicular Low Back Pain, a Randomized Controlled Trial

Published in J Emerg Med. 2014 Jul;47(1):119-24 Authors: Tanen DA et al BACKGROUND: Acute radicular back pain is a frequent complaint of patients presenting to the Emergency Department. STUDY OBJECTIVE: Determine the efficacy of intravenous lidocaine when compared to ketorolac for the treatment of acute radicular low back pain. METHODS: Randomized double-blind study of 41 […]

Novel Hydrocodone: 24-Hour Analgesia, Less Abuse Potential

A new extended-release formulation of hydrocodone that has antiabuse properties has been shown to provide safe and long-lasting pain relief in a variety of patients with chronic pain, including those who have used opioids before and those who are opioid-naive. It may also be much less appealing to would-be hydrocodone abusers, according to new research. […]