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"The burden of preauthorization, reimbursements not keeping up with inflation, and consequently, our abilities to staff and maintain our offices and pay our employees at appropriate levels are also affecting our ability to care for patients," said urologist Ronald P. Kaufman Jr, MD.

In total, 77.8% of Black respondents, 72.7% of Asian respondents, 57.1% of Latino respondents, and 46.5% of White respondents indicated that the racial and ethnic diversity of residents at a program influenced their decision to preference signal or sub-internship with that program.

While practice ownership has declined among physicians of all ages, the sharpest drop occurred among doctors under age 45.

Dr. Vince has an interest in disparities in urologic care, specifically among patients with prostate cancer.

With healthcare data breaches approaching a boiling point, care providers need to adopt an approach that prioritizes operational continuity.

"CPT codes 50080 and 50081 describe the antegrade approach to stone removal requiring lithotripsy through a nephrostomy tract, with 50080 being reported for stones less than 2 cm in size in a single location, whereas 50081 would be reported for large or complex stones, stones in multiple locations, or stones in the ureter (such as in the example provided)," write Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, and Mark Painter.

The rule includes a proposed unadjusted national average payment rate of US$21,376.53 for the device in 2024.

“Regardless of the size of the practice, medical scribes are a valuable resource for health care providers, helping to streamline workflow and coordinate patient care,” writes Brian Hudson.

When you add automation, your medical coding not only improves your margins but also plays a key role in improving patient care.

"Another thing is to customize your EHR with favorite orders and grouped orders, and these things can be standardized across a practice," says Sarah Hecht, MD.

Overall staffing levels were up “marginally,” suggesting some stabilization and return to levels from before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the American Medical Group Association.

Recent advances in technology make it possible to access and harness the vast amounts of clinical data EHRs have produced.

"The integration of APPs in urologic practice could play a critical role in addressing the current urologist shortages, [issues with] access, and delivery of urological care across United States," says Omer Raheem, MD, MSc, MCh Urol, MCRSI.

The findings of harassment and inappropriate behavior come at a time when there is widespread agreement among health care leaders about the need for a more diverse physician workforce.

"I tried to highlight how race has been used in medical research, specifically analyzing how this may [be] used toward Black people as a way to uphold systems of oppression," says Randy Vince, Jr., MD, MS.

Automating prior authorization is an investment that every health care organization should consider. As the industry grapples with rapid regulatory shifts and acute staff shortages, a tailored automation strategy is key to enhancing patient care and improving operational efficiency.

A total of 74.3% of respondents indicated that more training dedicated to care for patients in the LGBT community was needed.

Telehealth is here to stay. Lean into the technology as the new line of business that it is.

The economic burden is based on three components: excess medical care expenditures, lost labor market productivity, and premature death.

"Pandemic meetings were different because they were virtual. To be honest, those weren’t really good. I prefer to go to the meeting and be with other people and see them face-to-face," says Robert Gossett, MD.

"ChatGPT not only has a low rate of correct answers regarding clinical questions in urologic practice, but also makes certain types of errors that pose a risk of spreading medical misinformation," says Christopher M. Deibert, MD, MPH.

"Overall, there are plenty of options for keeping cash. The trick is determining the best option for your needs," writes Jeff Witz, CFP.

"Clinicians, now more than ever, have many data entry duties. The clinical encounter’s efficiency is dictated by the ease of the EHR," write Jesse D. Bracamonte, DO, FAAFP, and Michael Underhill, DO.

"Among our accomplishments were the first robotic ureteral reconstructions and completing our first 100 robotic cases within the first half-year," says Michael W. Witthaus, MD.

Correct code selection depends on whether procedure is simple or complex.

"The pressures on physicians are making it extremely difficult to run a medical practice, and something needs to be done," says William C. Reha, MD, MBA.

"From a LUGPA vantage point, we are extremely excited to see the significant congressional attention to PBMs," says Mara R. Holton, MD.

Social Security benefits aren’t sufficient to fund retirement for most people. And given the aging of the population and projected trust-fund shortfall, they may be less generous in the future.

“Patients will never change, and demanding family members will never change. The solution to the problem is to manage the way we think about them,” writes Joan Naidorf, DO.