Cost and physician effort analysis of invasive vs. noninvasive respiratory management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Continuous tracheostomy mechanical ventilation users with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are institutionalized or have home nursing services (licensed practical nurse/registered nurse), whereas patients dependent on continuous noninvasive ventilatory support (CNVS) can avoid hospitalizations and publically paid services. DESIGN AND OBJECTIVE: This is a retrospective analysis comparing cost and physician effort for managing CNVS and continuous tracheostomy mechanical ventilation users with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. RESULTS: Compared with ongoing personal care, physician services and intercurrent hospitalization costs were negligible. Ten home continuous tracheostomy mechanical ventilation users had 16.4 hrs per day of licensed practical nurse/registered nurse care costing $269,370 per year; 14 were institutionalized at $237,350 per year; and 8 were decannulated to CNVS, with 5 subsequently returning home, costing only $9,800 per year for respiratory equipment. For 93 CNVS users, costs ranged from $9,800 per year for 37 without publically funded assistance, $44,968 per year for 3 with nurses' aides, $81,395 per year for 35 with unskilled personal assistance services, and $239,805 per year for 12 with licensed practical nurses/registered nurses. Twenty-eight became CNVS dependent without hospitalization or evaluation for home care. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive management permits cost-effective living at home but is disincentivized by fixed hospital diagnosis-related groups compensation that encourages rapid tracheotomy as well as expensive institutionalization and nursing care.

Alternatives to mouthpiece noninvasive ventilatory support to permit dental care.

Patients who are dependent on continuous noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation for ventilatory support via angled mouthpiece interfaces during daytime hours often need dental interventions that are prevented by the presence of the mouthpiece. To permit dental interventions, however, the noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation can most conveniently and safely be delivered via nasal interface using oximetry monitoring as long as both sedation and supplemental oxygen are avoided. Three mouthpiece continuous noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation users are described who were switched to nasal noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation to permit dental care. The most common mistake is to fail to cover the nasal interface exhalation portals when switching from ventilatory assistance by bilevel positive airway pressure devices with passive ventilator circuits to portable ventilators with active ventilator circuits and exhalation valves.

Teaching billing and coding to medical students: a pilot study.

Complex billing practices cost the US healthcare system billions of dollars annually. Coding for outpatient office visits [known as Evaluation & Management (E&M) services] is commonly particularly fraught with errors. The best way to insure proper billing and coding by practicing physicians is to teach this as part of the medical school curriculum. Here, in a pilot study, we show that medical students can learn well the basic principles from lectures. This approach is easy to implement into a medical school curriculum.