ASTROnews - All Comments

re: Web Exclusive: ASTRO commits to six-point patient protection plan

Carabell13521 — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:48:03 GMT

The creation of a database to record and report errors is a good idea; this would have instructive and educational value to ASTRO members and trainees. Important medicolegal precedents can guide current practice; ASTRO members with law degrees should be consulted,(Dr. A. Katz, for example). The lack of any such system prevents spread of information, and as a result, we depend on such articles as the recent NY Times series. Important cases are not well-known, such as the Mt. Zion SF cord transection, the killer Cobalt of Tufts-NEMC, the Florida woman whose opposite (wrong) breast was irradiated for 5 weeks, and the 8-figure malpractice judgment from MGH proton beam-induced blindness. (Dr. Zietman probably doesn't know about that case, though it came from his own institution!) The current system encourages secrecy, as there are powerful incentives to seal the records. Anonymous reporting to a centralized database could help the profession avoid repeating past mistakes.

re: Web Exclusive: Letter to the New York Times January 25, 2010

sapareto17974 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:02:06 GMT

While tragic that the cases reported by the New York Times article have occurred, it would be even more tragic if patients were to forgo radiation therapy because of fear and misunderstanding of the extremely low risk of these kinds of outcomes.

Stephen Sapareto, PhD

re: Web Exclusive: Letter to the New York Times January 25, 2010

jaronowitz — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:00:31 GMT

We are all aware that radiotherapy, even when properly applied, can cause significant toxicity. Unfortunately, patients and their families often believe that toxicity is secondary to misadministration ('I was overdosed').

I am concerned that the TIMES article will engender a defensive posture among radiation oncologists, a tendency to UNDERDOSE, in an effort to avoid toxicity that could be misconstrued as misadministration.

re: Web Exclusive: Letter to the New York Times January 25, 2010

bechtel13145 — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:40:23 GMT

I think it would have added a little punch if you could have made some reasonable estimate of the number of people potentially cured in that time frame also. But the quick response was great.

re: Web Exclusive: Letter to the New York Times January 25, 2010

tendicott — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:37:46 GMT

May I add my thanks, Dr. Williams, for your rapid response. The NY Times report is riveting, and does a good job of communicating the anguish endured by that patient and family. But it adds to the climate of fear around sharing information about medical errors, and it does a terrible job of communicating the potential benefits of radiation therapy. The reader is left with the sense that radiation is given without regard to the health and comfort of our patients. I wonder how many people will decide not to seek curative radiation therapy because this article was written, and thus how much real damage this article has done.

Thyra Endicott MD

re: Web Exclusive: Letter to the New York Times January 25, 2010

videtic19000 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:50:12 GMT

Dr. Williams, thank you for your prompt, clear and context-appropriate response. I read the article yesterday in my local newspaper, as supplied by the NY Times service and was utterly astonished by its tone, inappropriateness and imbalanced presentation. No doubt, this has been prompted by the brachytherapy debacle at the VA.

Sincerely, Gregory Videtic,MD

re: ASTROgram: 2009 ASTRO Annual Meeting registration, housing open June 10

Buchsbaum13432 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:03:47 GMT

Will assisted listening device for the hard of hearing be available? What type ? Thank you for yor help. Roy Buchsbaum M.D. rbuchsbaum@usouthal.edu or 251- 445-9848

re: ASTROgram: ASTRO joins efforts to develop domestic isotope supply

Katherine Bennett — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:01:31 GMT

Our apologies. Here is the direct link - cs.astro.org/.../web-exclusive-astro-joins-effort-to-develop-domestic-isotope-supply-mo-99-shortage-spurs-action.aspx.

re: Web exclusive: CMS Updates Physician Supervision Requirements for Diagnostic Tests in an Office or Free Standing Radiation Therapy Center

e_sculapius — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:40:18 GMT

77421 -

In our department IGRT is done with software that the therapists use to govern set-up shifts before treatment (Acculoc). The physician is in the department and able to provide supervision if indicated. In order to bill the professional component of 77421 does the physician need to review the images before treatment?

Matt Manning

re: ASTROgram: ASTRO joins efforts to develop domestic isotope supply

sapareto17974 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:35:49 GMT

The hyperlink is recursive and doesn't take you to any detailed article.

re: Web exclusive: CMS Updates Physician Supervision Requirements for Diagnostic Tests in an Office or Free Standing Radiation Therapy Center

Katherine Bennett — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:58:34 GMT

For specific coding questions, please submit them directly to ASTRO's Health Policy Department via this Web site - www.astro.org/.../index.aspx.

re: Web exclusive: CMS Updates Physician Supervision Requirements for Diagnostic Tests in an Office or Free Standing Radiation Therapy Center

drisro1 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:02:54 GMT

The transmittal appears to address submission of the technical or global code. What about submitting the professional component in a hospital based practice? Is the supervision requirement the same?

re: Web exclusive: CMS Updates Physician Supervision Requirements for Diagnostic Tests in an Office or Free Standing Radiation Therapy Center

ptripuraneni — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:05:20 GMT

This is great news! Kudos to ASTRO and others that worked to bring on the change in the policy that reflects a reasonable practice.

We set the parameters of what the therapists can do. Beyond those parameters, MD is called. At the end of the day, MD signs off all of them.

What do others do?

re: Web Exclusive: Budget plan represents ASTRO self-referral win

Katz, Matthew S. — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:12:12 GMT

Thank you ASTRO staff and Advocacy Day attendees!