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APMA News Brief

American Podiatric Medical Association

National News
Senate GOP leaders plan to vote as soon as this month on major health care legislation even though they remain uncertain, for now, whether their still-unwritten bill will pass, lawmakers said Monday.

Editor’s note: See APMA’s principles on health-care reform on APMA.org.

Visit http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/senate-gop-aiming-vote-month-health-legislation-47852375 to view the full article online.

 
Ten groups, including the American Medical Association, the Medical Group Management Association and the American College of Surgeons, sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma requesting that Medicare Advantage (MA) be treated as an alternative payment model (APM) under MACRA starting in 2019.

Editor’s note: APMA has everything you need to know about MACRA, MIPS, and APMs at www.apma.org/macra.

Visit http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/provider-groups-ask-medicare-advantage-be-counted-as-apm-under-macra-in-201/444194/ to view the full article online.

 
The value-based care trend is forging ahead with many passionate backers.

Visit http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/is-value-based-care-making-a-difference/444244/ to view the full article online.

 
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Physician practices and healthcare organizations have been batting around the idea of clinical documentation improvement (CDI) for over ten years. 

Visit https://ehrintelligence.com/news/realizing-the-benefits-clinical-documentation-improvement to view the full article online.

 
Patients appear to be climbing aboard the telehealth bandwagon for the convenience of staying at home, and doctors are keen on the ability to use video consultations for follow-up care. 

Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/mobile/new-research-shows-patients-value-convenience-telehealth-even-for-bad-news to view the full article online.

 
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MACRA, the law that changes how the government pays physicians for Medicare services, took effect at the start of 2017.

Editor’s note: Learn about MIPS at www.apma.org/macra.

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/how-well-do-you-understand-mips to view the full article online.

 
As hospitals and health systems face the demands of the value-based care model and changing health care policy, physician engagement has become a crucial component to achieving their goals of quality improvement, decreased costs and greater patient satisfaction. 

Visit http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/8336-physician-engagement-can-reduce-clinical-variation to view the full article online.

 
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What Patients are Reading
Choosing the right pair of shoes to wear for different activities plays a major role in avoiding injury and ensuring the long-term health of your feet, as well as your entire body.

Editor's note: The Seal Turns 50 in 2017! Recommend APMA Seal products to your patients.

Visit http://myfox8.com/2017/06/05/the-right-shoe-for-the-right-job-walking-running-and-hiking/ to view the full article online.

 
There are more than 52 million adults in the United States who suffer from joint inflammation caused by arthritis. 

Visit http://www.theoaklandpress.com/lifestyle/20170601/when-it-comes-to-arthritis-feet-bear-a-tremendous-weight to view the full article online.

 
A reader of this column has recently asked how to start your running program.

Editor's note: Tell your patients about APMA's list of athletic shoes given the APMA Seal of Acceptance.

Visit http://www.thehour.com/news/article/Running-Doctor-Starting-your-running-program-11196974.php to view the full article online.

 
When you have diabetes, there’s a greater chance that you’ll one day require an amputation, especially of a foot or a toe.

Editor's note: Studies prove care by a podiatrist helps prevent diabetes complications and saves health-care dollars.

Visit http://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-06-06/why-diabetes-can-lead-to-amputation to view the full article online.

 
I met my 11,000-step target every day continuously for more than a week — but my feet paid the price

Visit http://www.dailytribune.com/health/20170606/foot-pain-is-common-and-excruciating-heres-how-to-treat-it to view the full article online.

 
Most people associate gout with alcohol and poor diet, but that's often the extent to their knowledge. 

Visit http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/a28282/what-is-gout/ to view the full article online.

 
When I was part of a hospital run practice, as far as I could tell, we were participating providers for all insurance plans. 

Visit http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/blog/delicate-act-dropping-insurance-plan to view the full article online.

 
Less than half of practicing physicians own their own practice, according to 2016 data collected in a nationally representative survey of 3,500 U.S.-based physicians who provide at least 20 hours of patient care per week and are not employed by the federal government. 

Visit https://wire.ama-assn.org/practice-management/first-time-physician-practice-owners-are-not-majority to view the full article online.

 
The Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force is urging the government to take a stronger lead in helping healthcare organizations boost cybersecurity, saying healthcare cybersecurity is in "critical condition," Healthcare IT news reports.

Editor’s Note: Don’t miss APMA’s Health IT resources on APMA.org.

Visit http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/hhs-task-force-healthcare-cybersecurity-in-critical-condition/444272/ to view the full article online.

 
Researchers seeking the "secret" to patient satisfaction may have unearthed it: Effective, empathetic communication with patients makes them much more satisfied with their care experience. 

Visit http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/patient-engagement/communicate-empathetically-patients-for-better-satisfaction to view the full article online.

 
American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants Ortho-Dynamics Orthotic Laboratory PAL Health Technologies
American Podiatric Medical Association, Inc.
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