Official 2016-2017 Rheumatology Fellowship Application Cycle

[bronx43]

Whether such utilization of ultrasound is defensible or not is at least debatable. It is CERTAINLY done in that kind of volume at least in part to make money

Well, obviously... I never said it wasn't partly to make money. Remind me again. Do we live in a largely capitalist society with a fee for service health care system or do we live in a socialist or communist society without incentives for productivity?

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[drfunktacular]

Well, obviously... I never said it wasn't partly to make money. Remind me again. Do we live in a largely capitalist society with a fee for service health care system or do we live in a socialist or communist society without incentives for productivity?

Do you do what's right for your patients, or do you think about CPT codes first?

 

[bronx43]

Do you do what's right for your patients, or do you think about CPT codes first?

I think about the former first and the latter second. And your point is? I can make a cogent argument that not investing in an ultrasound is financially driven and less beneficial for your patients. I see more rheumatologists who don't spend the time or effort to learn ultrasound due to laziness or not wanting to spend the money, when in fact, it can help patients tremendously. Honestly, if it didn't slow me down tremendously, I would put a probe up to every patient of mine with joint pain.

And this was all in response to the discussion about what other procedure heavy specialties do. There is no parallel that can be drawn between performing an US scan of a patient's joints and taking someone to the cath lab or endoscopy suite for "soft indications."