http://www.enttoday.org Tier 4 Topic Rss http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441103/Making_Up_the_Difference_Otolaryngologists_find_ways_to_provide_care_for_under-_.html <p>Doctors Rima and Robert DeFatta, married otolaryngologists who work at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, spend about an hour each day dealing with insurance-related hassles. About 20 percent of their patients are un- or underinsured, so the two physicians spend time dashing off letters to insurance companies, re-jiggering treatment plans and helping patients access available resources. Recently, Rima DeFatta, MD, had to figure out how to diagnose a patient who presented with symptoms that suggested possible neurologic involvement.</p> 2012-01-13T16:08:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441097/How_Will_You_Score_ABOto_to_launch_MOC_quality_component.html <p>The American Board of Otolaryngology is preparing to launch the final component of its maintenance of certification (MOC) program this year. In addition to the goals of lifelong learning and quality improvement, the last of this four-part program should help otolaryngologists comply with performance incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).</p> 2012-01-13T16:03:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441093/Window_of_Opportunity_New_time_frame_suggested_for_cochlear_implant_surgery_in_a.html <p>A new treatment algorithm for advanced otosclerosis, based on the clinical experience of Dutch investigators and supported by a literature review they conducted, suggests that the window for successful cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with severe disease is narrower than some otolaryngologists may believe .</p> 2012-01-13T15:55:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441091/Literature_Review_A_roundup_of_important_recent_studies.html <p>Firearm Muzzle Suppressors Far Superior to Ear-Level Protection Devices for Noise Reduction; IT Steroid Treatment, Oral Corticosteroid Therapy Similar for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss; Pilot Project Validates Tool to Assess Thyroidectomy Skills; Study Cites Complications, Legal Outcomes of Tonsillectomy Malpractice; Otolaryngologists Were Manipulated by TobaccoIndustry; A Look at Changing Trends in Laryngeal Cancer and High-Volume Providers</p> 2012-01-13T15:53:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441089/Time_to_Retire_Your_White_Coat_Plan_your_exit_strategy_carefully.html <p>As the physicians of the baby boomer generation approach their golden years, many have achieved career and financial success and are looking for an arrangement that will allow them to ease into retirement. While you may not be ready to hang up your white coat permanently, you may be interested in working fewer hours and taking less call. Retirement requires more than simply removing your name from the office door, however. If you are a physician nearing retirement, it is important that you plan, discuss and make contractual agreements that will allow you to accomplish your goals and changing needs.</p> 2012-01-13T15:52:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441087/Turn_a_Fellowship_into_a_Career_Learn_how_to_match_up_with_the_right_program.html <p>The opportunity to gain more surgical experience as a facial plastics fellow was enticing to Hussein Samji, MD, MPH, as he finished his residency at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif., in 2010. But after exposure to some of the more mundane aspects of the subspecialty during screening interviews, Dr. Samji said he knew it wasn&rsquo;t the career path for him.</p> 2012-01-13T15:47:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1441085/Free_and_Reduced_Fee_Medications.html <p>Does your patient need prescription meds but lack prescription coverage? These resources can help.</p> 2012-01-13T15:45:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1424671/Health_Reform_101_Use_this_primer_to_navigate_the_changes_ahead.html <p>The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) is described as the most sweeping health care legislation passed in the U.S. since Medicare&rsquo;s implementation in 1965. The health reform law is already changing the health care system, but the most profound modifications are yet to come. The law will affect otolaryngologists&rsquo; practices in many ways, both direct and indirect. Here are some areas of the law to consider.</p> 2011-12-16T05:21:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1420009/ICD-10_to_Bring_Big_Changes_Learn_how_to_prepare_for_the_new_coding_system.html <p>October 1, 2013 should be on the mind of every physician in the U.S. That is the day when a new diagnostic coding system will be instituted, the first such change since 2003. The implementation&rsquo;s aftermath is predicted to be anywhere from a normal day at the office to financial Armageddon.</p> 2011-12-09T18:19:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1420005/Drug-Eluting_Sinus_Stent_Hits_the_Market_May_help_maintain_patency_after_FESS.html <p>Maintaining sinus patency after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has long been an issue; as many as 23 to 47 percent of patients require revision surgery after FESS. Now, a new drug-eluting, bioabsorbable stent manufactured by Intersect (Palo Alto, Calif.) is being billed as a &ldquo;breakthrough treatment [that] improves outcomes for sinus surgery,&rdquo; according to a news release from the company. The device, which received pre-market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August, has been studied since 2008. It is currently available in Texas, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Atlanta, Ohio and Kentucky.</p> 2011-12-09T18:11:00Z