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LUGPA 2014, Annual Meeting, November 6-8 / Chicago

Here is a collection of ICD-10 resources for urologists, including a checklist and links to articles, FAQs, and more.

For physicians who have small practices and might still be struggling with EMRs and other government regulations, ICD-10 implementation could be the last straw, says W. Jeff Terry, Sr., MD. Here are some possible fixes suggested by Dr. Terry.

Mark Painter, CEO of PRS Urology, and Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, a urologist in Baltimore and member of the AUA’s Coding and Reimbursement Committee, recommend this checklist for ICD-10 urology practice transition.

Whatever the exact mechanism of the increase in desire for testosterone replacement therapy in men, knowing the risks and benefits of testosterone and its alternatives are vital skills for today’s practicing urologist. This article will focus on alternatives to testosterone therapy.

As the health care market matures, consolidation will occur throughout the system, including within medical groups, says Steven M. Berkowitz, MD.

As owner and president of Shift Happens, a Chicago-based consulting firm, James Feldman is not a physician. But he learned some valuable, if not difficult, lessons about practicing medicine from his physician father.

New biomarkers for prostate cancer are showing great promise for addressing the limitations of existing diagnostic and prognostic tools, according to opinion leaders who spoke on this topic at the Large Urology Group Practice Association annual meeting in Chicago.

There has been and remains a shortage of urologists in the United States that is expected to worsen, and experts inside and outside of urology generally agree that physician assistants (PAs) will be called upon increasingly to help shoulder the burden of a declining work force. The remaining question-and a frequently contentious one-is, what specific tasks should these men and women be allowed to carry out.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has endorsed the AUA/American Society for Radiation Oncology guideline on the use of adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy.

Jonathan Henderson, MD, a urologist in a large group practice in Shreveport, LA, says he and his partners have seen the nationwide proliferation of non-urologist, community-based men’s health centers. And they believe, he says, patients are not being properly served.

A panel comprised of a highly experienced health care consultant and two group practice leaders finds that large group practices are likely to be one of the few entities allowing urologists or other specialists a refuge from the current chaos in the American health care system.

Two recently published studies provide new insight on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with androgen deprivation therapy in men with prostate cancer.

Physician assistants are expected to play a larger role in urology practices amid a shortage of urologists. Here’s a statistical look at PAs in urology (and medicine in general), provided by Aaron Milbank, MD, and Ken Mitchell, MPAS, of Metro Urology during the Large Urology Group Practice Association annual meeting in Chicago.

Despite another anti-prostate cancer screening message (this one from north of the border), many U.S. urologists have already taken a more individualized approach to screening and will likely continue to do so.

When provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) related to the expansion of Medicaid to low-income childless adults took effect in January 2014, 25 states and the District of Columbia had approved laws to broaden their programs' eligibility requirements. Since then, under pressure from various interests groups, including state hospital associations, lawmakers in at least three more states-Iowa, Michigan, and Pennsylvania-expanded their health care safety net programs and thereby gained access to federal dollars that would have otherwise been left on the table.

A vast majority of top-ranked consumer health websites disagree with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendation against screening for prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the American College of Surgeons clinical congress in San Francisco.

A number of prominent urologists are among the signers of a letter applauding the FDA for holding a workshop on female sexual dysfunction.

This video demonstrates the step-by-step process, including positioning, ventral phalloplasty, and a modified “no-touch” technique, utilized in the placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis.

These videos demonstrate the difference in anatomic approach between a single penoscrotal and double perineal/penoscrotal incision technique for simultaneous placement of the inflatable penile prosthesis and artificial urinary sphincter.

This video first demonstrates the ventral phalloplasty and then shows the placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis.

This video demonstrates a technique for placing an AMS Spectra penile prosthesis (American Medical Systems) using a subcoronal incision.

The 2014 Urology Times “State of the Specialty” survey shows that urologists remain frustrated with over-regulation by government, control of fees, meaningful use (meaningless use?), and a host of other rules that many argue add nothing to the quality of patient care.

This video demonstrates a unique, retractor-less approach to penoscrotal placement of the AMS 700 penile prosthesis (American Medical Systems)

The number of sexual partners a man has could be related to risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Canadian researchers report.

Urologists know the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) goes into effect Oct. 1, 2015. Whether they understand the transition’s impact and what they need to do to fully prepare are questionable.

Members of the Large Urology Group Practice Association will gather Nov. 6-8 in Chicago for the association’s annual meeting, and Urology Times will be delivering highlights of the meeting straight to your inbox.

In this interview, Eugene Y. Rhee, MD, MBA, discusses violent acts committed against urologists, the challenges of collecting and sharing data on potentially dangerous patients, and what some institutions are doing to protect their practices.