Today’s Top Story
Survey suggests that many physicians lack full understanding of MACRA.
Findings from a survey of 600 physicians conducted by Deloitte Development LLC suggest that many physicians lack a complete understanding of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Overall, 50 percent of non-pediatric physicians surveyed had never heard of MACRA, and 32 percent only recognized the name. Additional findings from the survey include the following:

  • 21 percent of self-employed physicians and those in independently owned medical practices displayed some familiarity with MACRA, compared to 9 percent of employed physicians.
  • Although 8 out of 10 physicians surveyed preferred fee-for-service payment models, 71 percent said they would participate in value-based payment models if offered financial incentives to do so.
  • 74 percent of physicians surveyed believe performance reporting to be burdensome and 79 percent do not support linking compensation to quality.

Read more…
View the survey results…

Other News

Orthopaedic surgeons again top list of highest compensated physicians.
A survey conducted by Modern Healthcare reports pay rates from 11 participating recruiting firms and professional organizations and finds orthopaedic surgeons to be the highest paid among 23 medical specialties studied, with a median annual compensation of $555,000. The publication states that compensation figures include only salaries and bonuses, not insurance, stock options, or other benefits. However, in a companion article, the publication notes that orthopaedists also saw the lowest increase in compensation, with a 0.3 percent average pay increase over the previous year. Read more…(registration may be required)
View the Modern Healthcare Physician Compensation database…

AHRQ seeks information on knee OA studies.
The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has commissioned its Evidence-based Practice Centers Programs (EPC) to complete a review of current evidence on treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The EPC Program is dedicated to identifying as many relevant studies as possible. AHRQ is supplementing the usual manual and electronic database searches of the literature by requesting studies that report on treatments of knee OA, including those that describe adverse events. Read more…
Read the AHRQ statement…
View the current edition of “Osteoarthritis of the Knee: An Update”…

Study: Immediate weight-bearing after IM nailing of tibial shaft fractures may be safe.
Data from a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma suggest that immediate weight-bearing after intramedullary (IM) nailing of unstable tibial shaft fractures may not be linked to an increased risk of adverse events or complications. The authors conducted a randomized, controlled trial of 68 adult patients (70 tibial shaft fractures) who were allowed immediate weight-bearing-as-tolerated or required to be non–weight-bearing for the first 6 postoperative weeks. At mean 22.1-week follow-up, no statistical difference across cohorts were found in observed time to union, complication rates, or Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment score. In addition, the authors note that there was no fracture loss of reduction leading to malunion in either cohort. Read the abstract…

Study: Tissue oxygenation levels may indicate presence of acute compartment syndrome.
Findings published online in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma suggest that direct measurement of tissue oxygenation may help diagnose acute compartment syndrome. The researchers used a dog model of both compartment syndrome and tourniquet-based ischemia. With application of tourniquet ischemia, they found that partial pressure of oxygen (PmO2) fell from 38.40 mmHg to 1.30 mmHg, and rose after release of the tourniquet to 39.81 mmHg. Elevated compartment pressure induced by infusion was relieved by fasciotomy. In addition, PmO2 readings in the infusion model were significantly higher prior to compartment syndrome than during, and rebounded following fasciotomy. The researchers note that PmO2 can be directly measured in real-time with a polarographic tissue pO2 probe, thus providing a way to diagnose compartment syndrome. Read the abstract…

Study: Contact with other players linked to increased magnitude of head impacts in high school football players.
According to a study of high school football players published online in the journal Pediatrics, head impacts resulting from contact with another player may be of higher magnitude than head impacts with other surfaces. The research team analyzed data from 32 high school American football players who wore instrumented helmets to capture head impact magnitude during 13 games. They found that the following conditions were associated with greater head impact magnitude: impacts during the second quarter; contact with another player; initial head impact when the head is struck twice; longer closing distances, especially when combined with a 3-point stance or when being struck in the head; the 2-point stance; and offensive linemen not snapping the ball compared with those snapping the ball. Read more…
Read the abstract…

Call for volunteers: Central Evaluation Committee.
Aug. 1 is the last day to submit your application for a position on the Central Evaluation Committee. Members of the Central Evaluation Committee write questions for the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE). There is one member opening in each of the following topics:

  • Hand
  • Oncology
  • Spine
  • Sports medicine
  • Trauma

Applicants for these positions must be active or emeritus fellows with a practice emphasis in the relevant area. Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)