Today’s Top Story
CMS updates Physician Compare and Hospital Compare websites, including individual performance scores.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has refreshed data and added new quality measures for group practices, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and individual healthcare professionals to its Physician Compare and Hospital Compare websites. Data released on Physician Compare include the following:
- For the first time, individual healthcare professional performance scores on preventive care, cardiovascular care, and patient safety measures
- Updated performance scores for ACOs
- New performance scores on patients’ experiences with some group practices
- Additional performance scores on preventive care, diabetes, cardiovascular care, and patient safety by some group practices
The following data were released on Hospital Compare:
- Additional data on certain healthcare-associated infections
- A new measure for the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program regarding safe surgery practices
Other News
CMS to penalize 758 hospitals under HAC reduction program.
Kaiser Health News reports that CMS plans to penalize 758 hospitals that the agency determined to have higher rates of patient safety incidents. The Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction Program was established by the Affordable Care Act to provide an incentive for hospitals to reduce hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). Penalized hospitals will see a 1 percent reduction in reimbursement during FY 2016, for an estimated total of about $364 million in penalties. Read more…
Study: Reaming may not affect functional outcome following IM nailing for tibial shaft fracture.
According to data published online in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, reaming may not affect functional outcomes following intramedullary (IM) nailing for tibial shaft fractures. The researchers conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial of 1,319 skeletally mature patients with closed and open diaphyseal tibia fractures who were randomized to treatment with either reamed or unreamed nails. At 12-month follow-up, they found no difference between cohorts in SF-36 Physical Component Score (PCS) or Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SFMA) Dysfunction Index. The researchers also noted that at 12-months, neither cohort had achieved baseline function on the SF-36 PCS, SMFA Dysfunction Index, or SMFA Bothersome Index. Read the abstract…
Study: Manual PT regimen may offer similar outcomes to surgery for CTS at 1 year.
Findings from a study conducted in Spain and published in The Journal of Pain suggest that manual physical therapy (PT) may offer similar efficacy to surgery for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The authors conducted a randomized trial of 120 women with CTS who were treated with either three sessions of manual therapies including desensitization maneuvers of the central nervous system (n = 60) or surgical decompression/release of the carpal tunnel (n = 60). At 12 months, 111 (92 percent) participants had completed follow-up. Adjusted analyses displayed an advantage for PT at 1 and 3 months in mean pain, worst pain, and function. However, at 6- and 12-month follow-ups, changes in pain and function were similar between cohorts. Both groups saw similar improvement in the symptoms severity subscale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire at all follow-up points. Read more…
Read the abstract…
CDC report examines injury patterns in college sports.
A report published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report looks at patterns in college sports-related injuries over a 5-year period. Across 25 collegiate sports, the report finds an estimated 28,860,299 practice athlete-exposures and 6,472,952 competition athlete-exposures occurred each year. The 1,053,370 injuries estimated from the 2009–2010 through 2013–2014 academic years represented an average of 210,674 total injuries per year, of which 134,498 (63.8 percent) occurred during practices. The report finds that approximately half of all injuries were diagnosed as sprains or strains, which also accounted for the largest proportions of injuries in competition and practice requiring 7 or more days before return to full participation, and the largest proportion of injuries requiring surgery. The report also notes that during competition, the largest proportions of injuries requiring emergency transport were fractures, stress fractures, dislocations, subluxations, and concussions. Read more…
Study: Cheerleading sees fewer injuries than other sports, but concussion is most common injury.
Data from a study published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics suggest that concussions may be the most common injury among high school cheerleaders. The researchers reviewed data from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study from the 2009–2010 through 2013–2014 academic years. They found that cheerleading ranked 18th of 22 sports, based on injury rate. Concussions were the most common cheerleading injury (31.1 percent of injuries), although concussion rates were significantly lower in cheerleading compared to all other sports combined and all other girls’ sports combined. Read more…
Read the abstract…
USBJI grant mentoring and career development program accepting applications from young investigators.
Jan. 15 is the deadline for young investigators to apply to take part in the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) Research Committee grant mentoring and career development program. The workshops are open to promising junior faculty, senior fellows, or postdoctoral researchers who have been nominated by their department or division chairs. It is also open to senior fellows or residents who are doing research and have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed. Attendees are given the opportunity to maintain a relationship with a mentor until their application is funded. The next workshop will take place April 29–May 1, 2016, in Rosemont, Ill. Read more…
Last call: Committee positions closing soon!
A number of openings on the AAOS Committee Appointment Program website are closing soon. Act now to apply for the following positions:
- Central Evaluation Committee—basic science (two member openings; closes Dec. 15)
- CME Courses Committee—shoulder and elbow (one member; Dec. 15)
- Hand and Wrist Instructional Course Committee (one member; Dec. 18)
- Shoulder & Elbow Program Committee (seven members; Dec. 18)
- Shoulder and Elbow Instructional Course Committee (one member; Dec. 18)
- Spine Program Committee (one member; Dec. 18)
- Sports Medicine/Arthroscopy Program Committee (two members; Dec. 18)
- Trauma Instructional Course Committee (chair; Dec. 18)
- Women’s Health Issues Advisory Board (liaison to Council on Advocacy; Dec. 18)
Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)
