Today’s Top Story
CMS releases massive dataset on physician prescribing under Medicare Part D.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has publicly released data on nearly 1.4 billion prescriptions dispensed to patients under Medicare Part D during 2013. CMS states that the move is designed to make the healthcare system more transparent, affordable, and accountable. The new dataset identifies providers using their National Provider Identifier and lists specific prescription drugs dispensed under their order. For each prescriber and drug, the dataset includes the total number of prescriptions dispensed, including original prescriptions and refills, and the total drug cost. The agency notes that the data may not be representative of a physician’s entire practice, nor all of Medicare, because it only includes information on beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Read more…
View the dataset…
View a list of most-prescribed drugs…

Other News

Study: Compared to hyaluronic acid, LP-PRP linked to improved outcomes for patients with knee OA.
Findings published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) suggest that treatment with leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma (LP-PRP) may be linked to improved functional outcomes compared with hyaluronic acid and placebo for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The research team conducted a meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials and three prospective comparative studies covering 1,055 patients. They found that LP-PRP injection was associated with significantly better WOMAC scores compared to injection of hyaluronic acid, placebo, and leukocyte-rich PRP. All treatment groups displayed equivalent International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scores. The research team notes, however, that PRP injections were linked to a higher incidence of adverse reactions (primarily localized swelling and pain) than hyaluronic acid injections. Read the abstract…

Study: Residual effects of concussion may affect baseball players’ batting skills.
Data published in the May issue of AJSM suggest that concussion may affect high-level batting performance of baseball players, even if those players appear otherwise asymptomatic. The authors compared batting performance after return to play across 66 episodes of players disabled due to concussion and 68 episodes of players who missed time due to bereavement or paternity leave. During the 2 weeks after return to play, the authors found that average batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging were significantly lower among players who sustained concussions compared to those who missed playing time for non-injury reasons. In weeks 4 to 6 after leave, the authors found that metrics remained slightly lower among concussed players, but the difference was not statistically significant. Read the abstract…

Study: Residents at one center report poor mental well-being; cite burnout and dissatisfaction as factors.
A Canadian survey published in the March issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education attempts to describe characteristics that may be associated with reduced resident well-being. The researchers surveyed 317 residents at a single institution and found that 53 percent (n = 168) had a well-being score of 13 or less on the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index—indicating poor mental well-being. The survey revealed that 39 percent of respondents reported that their sleeping needs while on-call were “never,” “seldom,” or “sometimes” adequately met, while 81 percent stated that they “never,” “seldom,” or “sometimes” fulfilled their nutritional needs on-call. Residents also reported sleeping rooms that were uncomfortable, dirty, and noisy; insufficient time to eat; and a lack of quality food. However, the researchers note that personal burnout and work dissatisfaction were the only significant predictors of poor mental well-being. Read more…
Read the abstract…

FDA proposed rule would require more safety data on hospital antiseptics.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule to require in vitro data of all healthcare antiseptic active ingredients to characterize the ingredient’s antimicrobial properties, along with in-vivo clinical simulation studies demonstrating that specified log reductions in the amount of certain bacteria are achieved using the ingredient. FDA states that, under a 1994 rule, certain antiseptic active ingredients were proposed as being generally recognized as safe for use in healthcare settings based on data evaluated by the agency. However, in light of recent scientific developments, additional safety data are now necessary to support the safety of antiseptic active ingredients for uses in health care. Read more…
Read the rule…

Connecticut.
The Hartford Courant reports that a bill under consideration in the Connecticut Senate would, if enacted, allow people who turn 18 years old to sue for personal injuries—including medical liability—that may have occurred when they were minors and unable to sue in their own name. Supporters of the proposal say that injured children often have no legal recourse after reaching adulthood if their parents or guardians chose not to file suit before the statute of limitations expired, and argue that Connecticut is the only state that does not extend the statute of limitations for childhood injuries. Under current state law, plaintiffs must pursue claims within 2 years of the occurrence or discovery of an injury, except in cases of sexual abuse. Critics charge that adoption of the bill will worsen the medical practice climate in the state, and call the proposal a solution in search of a problem. Read more…
Read the bill (PDF)…

Apply now to take part in the AAOS Leadership Fellows Program.
The AAOS Leadership Fellows Program (LFP) offers an exciting opportunity to all AAOS fellows age 45 and younger as of Jan. 31, 2016. The LFP is a 1-year program that starts at the AAOS Annual Meeting and is designed to facilitate the development of future AAOS leaders among younger members who have previous volunteer or leadership experience. The LFP combines didactic and experiential leadership training with an ongoing mentoring program. Fellows are matched with an established leader within the AAOS fellowship who serves as a mentor throughout the program. The program has the following goals:

  • Introduce fellows to the AAOS Governance structure
  • Observe AAOS leadership at work
  • Participate in interactive leadership development programs
  • Engage in opportunities for peer to peer interactions and learning
  • Experience service on an AAOS committee

Applications are now available online. This is a year-long commitment with 6 mandatory meetings. Please review the LFP schedule prior to completing the application to ensure you will be able to attend all meetings. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2015. Learn more and submit your application…
     For more information, contact Kristen Erickson at 847-384-4343, or via email at erickson@aaos.org.

Last call: ACR Appropriateness Criteria Expert Panels on Musculoskeletal and Neurological Imaging.
AAOS seeks to nominate members to the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria Expert Panels on Musculoskeletal and Neurological Imaging. The representatives will work with the panels to develop and update topics for select musculoskeletal, neurological, and pediatric conditions. Applicants for this position must be active fellows, candidate members, candidate members osteopathic, candidate member applicants for fellowship, or candidate member applicants for fellowship osteopathic with experience in evidence-based guidelines. In addition, all applicants must provide the following: an online AAOS CAP application, a current curriculum vitae, a 100-word biosketch, and a letter of interest highlighting his or her expertise in the subject area and a statement that he or she is able to participate in full capacity. All supporting materials must be submitted by May 3, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. CT, to Kyle Shah at shah@aaos.org.
Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)