with their patients. Rob Hanscom, Vice President of LossPrevention of Risk Management Foundation (a branch ofHarvard’s medical malpractice carrier), will explain whyinsurance carriers may support thoughtful disclosure andapology policies. We will discuss issues of what and whento disclose to patients about adverse events, and the difficultquestion of when an apology is and is not appropriate. Wewill also present effective techniques both for disclosureand (when appropriate) apology.EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: 1) Understand the liter-ature supporting disclosure and apology as the ethicallyappropriate response to adverse events. 2) Understand theevidence that disclosure and apology reduce the likelihoodof litigation. 3) Know strategies to facilitate disclosure andapology after errors and adverse events.

EMR and Meaningful UseKelly Ladd (moderator); Jolene Eicher; Mark Wilson;Bill Rust

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: 2009 ushered in the Ameri-can Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also called theStimulus Package. Fifty-one billion dollars are allocated forthe healthcare industry, and 19 billion dollars that will beused to induce medical practices such as ENTs to adoptEMRs and EHRs. We will discuss the specifics of Mean-ingful Use and how to select an EMR. The steps andintricacies involved in implementation and successful adap-tation by everyone will be discussed. This session will allowfor interactive discussion with the panel and audience tounderstand the key knowledge needed to select, implement,adapt, and collect the dollars back from the government.EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: 1) Identify the steps toqualify for federal subsidies for electronic health records. 2)Recognize the steps involved in identifying an appropriateEMR system for your practice. 3) Analyze the steps neededto successfully move to an EMR system.

Going from Good to Great: Strengthen Your

PracticeTodd Blum, MHA, MBA (moderator); JamesBenson; Jeff Dudley

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Practice management is be-coming increasingly more challenging every day. Where doyou get the information to stay ahead in your practice?Benchmarking is the process of identifying specific refer-ence points for your practice to measure performance, effi-ciency, and quality. It can be used in many different ways,although it ultimately comes down to seeing how you stackup against your peers and against your own past perfor-mance. It is through benchmarking that practices can alsobetter understand areas for improvement and find ways tooffer a wider range of services, as well as improve profit-ability. This interactive miniseminar will answer questionsfrom meeting attendees about the need for benchmarking,and it will address how benchmarking can help your prac-

tice manager and your practice, regardless of practice typeor size. Using a format of a panel discussion with modera-tor, we will provide: a brief overview of benchmarking; thehow to’s, and how to use the data in your practice. This willinclude tips that separate the good practices from the greatpractices. We will discuss strategies to improve perfor-mance, efficiency, and quality in your practice that will takeyour practice to the next level. We will also discuss PQRIand how to implement it in your practice. We will encour-age active audience participation, including questions andanswers and creating dialogue about how to maximize thevalue to your practice. We anticipate a lively discussion andfor attendees to walk away with a new-found understandingabout the best practice management needs in 2010.EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: 1) Discuss the basics ofbenchmarking needed for practice management today. 2)Recognize the competencies of otolaryngology practicemanagement. 3) Provide strategies to implement PQRI ini-tiatives in your practice.

ICD-9 Transition to ICD-10 Diagnostic CodingRhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CGSC,COBGC, CPEDC, CENTC (moderator)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This presentation will assistthe ENT physician in determining the impact ICD-10 willhave to their practice and other healthcare providers, andprovide a timeline of essential activities for successful im-plementation. In this session we will delve into the historyand format of ICD-10 and what physicians should expect toprepare for during implementation processes. This is thelargest change to the healthcare system in our history andcareful planning will be necessary in order to successfullyimplement both ICD-10 and 5010. We will also explorecommon implementation hurdles, why it is so important toget started now and how physicians will be impacted byclinical documentation issues. In addition we will go overthe most commonly billed ENT diagnosis codes used nowand what they may look like in ICD-10-CM as well as whattype of documentation will be required to properly assignthe codes. We will also address implementation timelinesand their significance to your practice. The time to preparefor ICD-10 is now.EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: 1) Explore the history ofICD-10-CM and the impact to physicians. 2) Understandwhy an implementation timeline is important for successfulimplementation. 3) Review ENT case examples for clinicaldocumentation hurdles and specificity required in ICD-10-CM.

Patient Safety: Checklists, Tattoos, and Other

TidbitsBrian Nussenbaum, MD (moderator); Rahul Shah,MD

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This session will providemembers with tangible issues that have come to the fore-

716 Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Vol 143, No 5, November 2010