Neil H. Baum, MD

Neil H. Baum, MD

Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical School, Vanguard Communications Group

New Orleans, Louisiana

Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.

Disclosures:

Talks by Neil H. Baum, MD

Leaving a Lasting Impression on Your Patients

Posted by | Dec 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, gives tips on how urologists can leave a positive lasting impression on their patients. He explains that making a favorable last impression is important since it encourages patients to share their experience. Dr. Baum then gives some suggestions on how a urologist can leave a positive impression, including calling key patients at home to answer any lingering questions patients may have and to remind them of future appointments or procedures. He defines key patients as those who have been recently discharged, those who have recently had an outpatient procedure, those who have received a negative result from recent diagnostics, or new patients. Dr. Baum notes that the doctor should ideally be the one to call the patient and provides some suggestions for scheduling calls and alerting patients ahead of time that the doctor will be calling in order to avoid playing phone tag. He lists the advantages of calling, explaining that it continues the connection between the patient and the practice, reduces the number of calls from patients, improves a practice’s online reputation, and creates “raving fans.” Dr. Baum concludes that last impressions are just as important as first impressions for a practice’s reputation.

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The Latest Dope on Medical Marijuana

Posted by | Dec 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, discusses the latest research on medical marijuana, noting that it is increasingly popular with patients and that almost all physicians, including urologists, should expect questions about it. He gives a brief history of cannabis, from its use as an herbal medicine in 500 BCE, to its criminalization in 1937 and, eventually, to its legalization for both medical and recreational uses over the last few decades. Dr. Baum then defines several terms, explaining the difference between cannabidiol (CBD), which is not psychoactive and has anti-inflammatory properties, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is psychoactive and increases appetite. He lists the conditions marijuana is purportedly beneficial for including chronic pain, alcohol and drug addiction, insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, gastrointestinal disorders, multiple sclerosis, and certain forms of epilepsy. Dr. Baum notes that while there is some evidence supporting marijuana’s benefits for several of these conditions, randomized controlled trials are needed to substantiate many claims.

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The Medicinal Value of Humor

Posted by | Nov 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, discusses the health benefits of humor and gives suggestions on how urologists can incorporate it into their practices. He begins with a brief history of humor and medicine, noting that sources from as far back as the Old Testament link humor to good health. Dr. Baum then considers the scientific relationship between laughter and illness, noting that laughter increases heart rate, releases endorphins, stimulates the immune system, and decreases cortisol. He explains that research indicates these physiological effects can decrease stress, increase pain tolerance, and perhaps even help with depression. Dr. Baum highlights the particular importance of humor in the high-stress COVID era, especially since laughter may increase immunity for upper respiratory illnesses. He then provides some examples of how to bring humor into a urologic practice, such as hanging humorous images on the walls, keeping comedy magazines in the lobby, and putting jokes on fax sheets. Dr. Baum concludes that humor is great medicine, and that urologists should not only use it with their patients, but should also prescribe it to themselves.

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Wellness: The Other Side of the Burnout Coin

Posted by | Nov 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, considers the causes and consequences of burnout in urologists and makes suggestions for developing a urologist wellness program. He explains that urologists are unwell because they work an average of 50 to 60 hours per week, tend to be type-A perfectionists, have to deal with increased paperwork, have lost autonomy, and are forced to focus on cost rather than on patients. Dr. Baum notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems doctors face, and anxiety and depression among doctors has increased from 10% before the pandemic to 40% now. He also explains that, unlike in some other professions, there are few resources available to physicians to aid them in wellness, although there is now a physician support line. Dr. Baum then lists the consequences of physicians being unwell, most notably job dissatisfaction leading to a failure to discuss treatment options and answer patients’ questions, which in turn leads to poor patient compliance, unfavorable outcomes, more malpractice suits, and more negative online reviews. Conversely, physician wellness improves quality of care for patients, enhances patient satisfaction and online reviews, and leads to increased personal and professional success for the physicians. Dr. Baum concludes with some suggestions for starting a wellness program for urologists, highlighting the success of a counseling program at a hospital which saw a significant decrease in exhaustion, burnout, and sick leave among physicians in the program.

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No More Surprises: An Overview of the No Surprises Act

Posted by | Oct 2021

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, summarizes the rules and implications of the No Surprises Act against unexpected out-of-network medical bills. He defines a surprise medical bill as one where a patient receives an often large bill for the difference between the out-of-network provider’s fee and the amount covered by the patient’s health insurance, and he notes that 2 out of 3 American adults are worried about these bills. Dr. Baum explains that the No Surprises Act, which was signed into law by Congress on December 27, 2020, prohibits out-of-network providers from billing patients more than in-network amounts, and that a violation brings a $10,000 fee per occurrence. He says that this most impacts out-of-network providers, emergency room physicians, and providers that a patient typically does not select, including hospitalists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pathologists. Dr. Baum then discusses the process that occurs if a provider disagrees with a payment, noting that the losing party of an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) must ultimately pay the cost of the IDR.

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