Digital Dilemma: Physicians oppose EHR requirements

The federal government’s proposed rule establishing incentive payments for physicians who “meaningfully use” electronic health records (EHRs) is too onerous and would discourage physicians from participating, some otolaryngologists say.

Canal Wall Up vs. Canal Wall Down: Symptom of a greater need?

This issue of ENT Today includes an article on the debate over canal-wall-up (CWU) versus canal-wall-down (CWD) tympanomastoidectomy (p. 5). I remember hearing the same arguments when I was a resident at UCLA, which was also the last time I drilled a mastoid bone; my practice focused on head and neck surgery and pediatric otolaryngology. Over the past 32 years, Drs. Bruce Gantz, Rick Chole (two of my otology colleagues on the Board of Otolaryngology), and other otologist friends have suffered through my semi-tongue-in-cheek comments on why otologists can’t agree on which procedure is better. Although the technology used in both procedures has evolved, the final product of the two procedures, a dry, safe ear, is, as best I can tell, the same as it was when I was a resident. I have been told that one of the main factors considered in the decision regarding which procedure to perform is where the otologist trained.

Health Reform to Insure 32 Million: Are you ready for them?

The new health system reform law is expected to reduce the number of uninsured Americans by 32 million people, and that means more paying patients for physician practices. Many doctors, however, worry that the law’s lack of Medicare payment reform and medical malpractice caps will exacerbate a looming physician shortage. This raises questions about how successful the law will be in increasing health care access.

The Internet Says I’m Attractive

Can facial attractiveness scores obtained from an Internet-based rating system correlate with and be an alternative for those accrued from the traditional focus group method? Background: Despite the extensive number of […]

Trial Assesses Shorter Moxifloxacin Therapy

What is the efficacy and safety of a five-day moxifloxacin regimen in the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS)? Background: There is a lack of clarity regarding the role of antimicrobials […]

Secondhand Smoke Increases Chronic Rhinosinusitis Risk

Is exposure to secondhand smoke a risk factor for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)? Background: There are surprisingly few studies that address the association between secondhand smoke (SHS) and sinusitis, and most use […]