Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Brian Morton, MBA Should you be asking your patients for more than just their co-pay at the time of their visit? With an assist from computer software, a patient's share of their health care costs can be estimated at or prior to the visit. Some experts believe this appraisal, known as real-time claims adjudication, will become much more common in the years ahead. Brian Morton, region executive and content expert for Halley Consulting, joins host Dr. Larry Kaskel to take a look at how your practice can introduce this concept without creating a stir among your patients.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: James Speta, JD For years, people have turned to online review websites before deciding which restaurants or hotels most deserved their hard-earned dollars. Now, a new category of online reviews is growing, as more patients are posting their own editorials about their physicians. This trend towards patients reviewing their physicians online can be helpful at best, and inaccurate or harmful, at worst. Mr. Jim Speta, law professor at Northwestern University School of Law specializing in telecommunications and internet policy, discusses how physicians can protect themselves from defamatory or unfavorable internet reviews. Is it prudent to have patients sign waivers, barring them from writing online reviews, or are these waivers insignificant, thanks to the anonymity of the internet? What else can physicians do to protect themselves from any potential dangers of review websites?

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Marc Hedrick, MD Stem cells are often seen as potential agents in the field of regenerative medicine. What are the realities and what should doctors expect? Dr. Marc Hedrick, president of San Diego-based Cytori Therapeutics, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about commercialized treatments already being used, and even more on the horizon.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Robert Harman Although President Obama has favored funding for embryonic stem cell research, the moral debate continues. But that discussion may overshadow the fact that biotech companies have actually made the most early progress, not in embryonic stem cells, but in adult stem cells. Dr. Robert Harman, chief executive officer and founder of Vet-Stem, joins the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen. Vet-Stem is using stem-cell therapy in veterinary regenerative medicine that may one day benefit humans. In this interview, they discuss adult stem cells, and the major momentum in research and commercialized treatments.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Robert Harman Human stem cell treatments are only just emerging in clinical trials. but man's 'best friend' is already benefitting from pain relief and important treatments that are commercialized. And this work in dogs and cats could one day benefit human patients. Dr. Robert Harman, CEO and founder of Vet-Stem, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the latest efforts by a stem cell therapy developer to use fat cells for treatments, a therapy gaining momentum in pets and soon to be moving through clinical trials for humans.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Helen Darling The stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama has employers excited about the potential for saving healthcare dollars from comparative effectiveness, technology assessment and cost control. Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit coalition representing some of the nation's largest employers, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about various goodies in the economic stimulus package that will benefit medical research, and innovative efforts that doctors, insurers and employers are looking at to provide cost-effective medical care.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Helen Darling Employers are finding it tougher and tougher to provide increasingly expensive health benefits. So when President Barack Obama makes healthcare reform a priority this year, what would employers like to see in this proposal? Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, discusses with the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen what employers are looking for in healthcare reform.

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Tarun Jain, MD The issue of embryo management has come to the forefront recently with the birth of octuplets in California. More than 400 thousand embryos are currently in storage across the United States. Many couples decide to use their embryos at a later date. But what about the embryos that are not used by fertility patients? Dr. Tarun Jain, in vitro fertilization director of IVF at Chicago IVF, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about the potential uses for extra embryos, including stem cell research, donation to other couples and whether or not they should be sold.

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Lisa Ishii, MD Hair loss can be a troubling situation for women. More than 30 percent of women of all ages suffer from some type of hair loss, either due to medication or medical issues. Dr. Lisa Ishii, an assistant professor of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about how to evaluate and treat hair loss for women.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Greg Brown For breast cancer patients, there is often an untold story after mastectomy and treatment. Greg Brown, chief executive officer of ImpediMed, tells host Bruce Japsen about how women can suffer a debilitating complication known as lymphedema and how test makers are moving to help diagnose the problem early.