April

The College Library now provides members with access to ClinicalKey, a new reference resource from Elsevier replacing MD Consult. ClinicalKey has enhanced search capabilities that provide access to reliable, high-quality clinical information across medical and surgical specialties.

It has come to the attention of the Patterns of Practice Committee that physicians may be inappropriately billing fee item 15142 (urinalysis—complete diagnostic, semi-quant, and micro) due to misinformation from medical supply company reps or colleagues.

Physicians are being told that if they purchase the more expensive strip they can bill the higher fee, 15142. This is incorrect.

Every year approximately 300 people in BC are diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) disease.[1] To establish effective treatment, isolation precautions, and public health responses, a rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB is required. The definitive diagnosis of TB requires laboratory confirmation of M. tuberculosis in a clinical specimen.

Background