Workshop targets physicians

PITTSBURGH - The quest for sound documentation for power mobility devices continues in May. On the 29th, AAHomecare and the University of Pittsburgh will host a half-day workshop featuring presentations by a handful of speakers, including Dr. Brad Dicianno, the chief medical director for the university's Center for Assistive Technology. Dicianno will walk attendees through how he documents medical necessity in patient charts. “Providers understand this policy inside and out, but their hands are tied,” said Mark Schmeler, a UPitt faculty member. “What we need to do is educate physicians. Since they won't listen to providers, we have physicians talking to physicians.” The workshop will also feature presentations by Dr. Paul Hughes, the medical director for jurisdictions A and B, who will review documentation requirements; Schmeler, who will interpret the requirements; and Georgie Blackburn, vice president of government relations and legislative affairs for Blackburns in Tarentum, Pa., who will discuss providers' roles as gatekeepers (See related story on page 30). Therapists and physicians can attend the workshop physically (at the UPitt campus) or virtually (by logging on to a Web site). By attending the workshop, they're eligible for continuing education units (CEUs) and continuing medical education credits (CMEs). The workshop builds on other more local and regional workshops held by groups like the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers (PAMS). “We wanted to do something on a national basis,” Blackburn said. HME