AAD puts data mining atop its agenda

CHICAGO – The American Academy of Dermatology is establishing a clinical data registry in an effort to better benchmark physician performance through patient outcomes and advocate for the specialty.

"We’re now practicing in a data-driven world for better or worse, and without good data we’re defenseless in front of bureaucrats and insurance companies. And that’s not a good position for the future of our specialty," AAD president Dr. Brett Coldiron said in the president’s address at the AAD summer meeting.

The registry is expected to cost $2 million up front and another $5 million to $7 million over the next several years.

The investment in data gathering is needed to provide data for members to use and benchmark against in quality reporting, to demonstrate cost effectiveness, and to fight a half dozen or so legislative and regulatory issues in play, he said. Key among them was the decision by United HealthCare and Humana to delist or drop about half of the dermatologists from their networks in 20 states, many of which already have 4-month wait times to see a dermatologist.

To add insult to injury, the remaining rosters of dermatologists were found to be riddled with errors, as high as 69%, including quadruplicate listings and listings for dead or retired physicians, said Dr. Coldiron, a dermatologist in private practice in Cincinnati.

"This isn’t really about us, it’s about patients," he added. "Patients are going to be hurt, maybe die, but at a minimum, suffer much more because they don’t know their insurance policy is hollow. They don’t know they’re going to need to see a dermatologist because their wife hasn’t spotted that black mole on their back yet, and now it’s going to take them 4 months to have that mole looked at, if they get in [to see a dermatologist] at all."

Dr. Coldiron said he expects that patients in health insurance exchanges will be having the same problem of restricted access and called on individual dermatologists to help their patients register their complaints and concerns through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website and hotline and to lobby Congress.

To help pay for the data registry, AAD members will be asked to pony up $50 more in membership dues, with an annual cost of living increase to follow the urban consumer price index. Dues haven’t increased in 12 years and 30% inflation and are well below those of other specialties, such as plastic surgery and ophthalmology, he said. A similar request last year failed by a 55% to 45% vote.

"If you want to fight back against rapacious insurance companies and intrusive government bureaucrats, and you want to practice medicine, not paperwork, you need big data," Dr. Coldiron asserted.

[email protected]

CHICAGO – The American Academy of Dermatology is establishing a clinical data registry in an effort to better benchmark physician performance through patient outcomes and advocate for the specialty.

"We’re now practicing in a data-driven world for better or worse, and without good data we’re defenseless in front of bureaucrats and insurance companies. And that’s not a good position for the future of our specialty," AAD president Dr. Brett Coldiron said in the president’s address at the AAD summer meeting.

The registry is expected to cost $2 million up front and another $5 million to $7 million over the next several years.

The investment in data gathering is needed to provide data for members to use and benchmark against in quality reporting, to demonstrate cost effectiveness, and to fight a half dozen or so legislative and regulatory issues in play, he said. Key among them was the decision by United HealthCare and Humana to delist or drop about half of the dermatologists from their networks in 20 states, many of which already have 4-month wait times to see a dermatologist.

To add insult to injury, the remaining rosters of dermatologists were found to be riddled with errors, as high as 69%, including quadruplicate listings and listings for dead or retired physicians, said Dr. Coldiron, a dermatologist in private practice in Cincinnati.

"This isn’t really about us, it’s about patients," he added. "Patients are going to be hurt, maybe die, but at a minimum, suffer much more because they don’t know their insurance policy is hollow. They don’t know they’re going to need to see a dermatologist because their wife hasn’t spotted that black mole on their back yet, and now it’s going to take them 4 months to have that mole looked at, if they get in [to see a dermatologist] at all."

Dr. Coldiron said he expects that patients in health insurance exchanges will be having the same problem of restricted access and called on individual dermatologists to help their patients register their complaints and concerns through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website and hotline and to lobby Congress.

To help pay for the data registry, AAD members will be asked to pony up $50 more in membership dues, with an annual cost of living increase to follow the urban consumer price index. Dues haven’t increased in 12 years and 30% inflation and are well below those of other specialties, such as plastic surgery and ophthalmology, he said. A similar request last year failed by a 55% to 45% vote.

"If you want to fight back against rapacious insurance companies and intrusive government bureaucrats, and you want to practice medicine, not paperwork, you need big data," Dr. Coldiron asserted.

[email protected]

CHICAGO – The American Academy of Dermatology is establishing a clinical data registry in an effort to better benchmark physician performance through patient outcomes and advocate for the specialty.

"We’re now practicing in a data-driven world for better or worse, and without good data we’re defenseless in front of bureaucrats and insurance companies. And that’s not a good position for the future of our specialty," AAD president Dr. Brett Coldiron said in the president’s address at the AAD summer meeting.

The registry is expected to cost $2 million up front and another $5 million to $7 million over the next several years.

The investment in data gathering is needed to provide data for members to use and benchmark against in quality reporting, to demonstrate cost effectiveness, and to fight a half dozen or so legislative and regulatory issues in play, he said. Key among them was the decision by United HealthCare and Humana to delist or drop about half of the dermatologists from their networks in 20 states, many of which already have 4-month wait times to see a dermatologist.

To add insult to injury, the remaining rosters of dermatologists were found to be riddled with errors, as high as 69%, including quadruplicate listings and listings for dead or retired physicians, said Dr. Coldiron, a dermatologist in private practice in Cincinnati.

"This isn’t really about us, it’s about patients," he added. "Patients are going to be hurt, maybe die, but at a minimum, suffer much more because they don’t know their insurance policy is hollow. They don’t know they’re going to need to see a dermatologist because their wife hasn’t spotted that black mole on their back yet, and now it’s going to take them 4 months to have that mole looked at, if they get in [to see a dermatologist] at all."

Dr. Coldiron said he expects that patients in health insurance exchanges will be having the same problem of restricted access and called on individual dermatologists to help their patients register their complaints and concerns through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website and hotline and to lobby Congress.

To help pay for the data registry, AAD members will be asked to pony up $50 more in membership dues, with an annual cost of living increase to follow the urban consumer price index. Dues haven’t increased in 12 years and 30% inflation and are well below those of other specialties, such as plastic surgery and ophthalmology, he said. A similar request last year failed by a 55% to 45% vote.

"If you want to fight back against rapacious insurance companies and intrusive government bureaucrats, and you want to practice medicine, not paperwork, you need big data," Dr. Coldiron asserted.

[email protected]