http://www.enttoday.org Features Section 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/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/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 http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1419957/Obstructive_Sleep_Apnea_Options.html <p>Oral appliances may work better than CPAP for some patients</p> 2011-12-09T16:43:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1389631/Tough_Situations_Residents_discuss_ethics-fraught_cases.html <p>Residents in the general surgery program at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., participate in monthly &ldquo;pizza grand rounds,&rdquo; in which they discuss ethics-fraught situations they encounter. Some of the situations are the subjects of papers published in Surgery. Here are summaries of a few of those published situations. The papers intentionally do not mention the actions ultimately taken, so that the attention remains on the principles and questions involved.</p> 2011-11-06T09:40:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1389593/Behind_the_Red_Tape_A_brief_history_of_common_health_care_regulations.html <p>Have you ever wondered about the reasoning behind hospital discharge paperwork or the requirement that every patient sign a HIPAA form?Here are explanations for some of the health care policies you come across on a daily basis.</p> 2011-11-05T22:59:00Z http://www.enttoday.org/details/article/1389639/Conflicting_Curriculums_Ethics_education_for_residents_inconsistent_across_progr.html <p>A man with moderate dementia who is living in a nursing home is diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. The man is still able to talk and interact with other people. But he doesn&rsquo;t know what year it is and is unable to make decisions on his own.</p> 2011-11-05T19:44:00Z