Today’s Top Story
AHRQ: Reduction in HACs linked to 87,000 fewer patient deaths.
A report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that a reduction in hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) from 2010 to 2014 was associated with 87,000 fewer patient deaths in hospitals and a nearly $20 billion reduction in healthcare costs. Researchers analyzed the incidence of selected avoidable HACs in 2014 compared to 2010 rates, and found that hospital patients experienced 2.1 million fewer HACs—a 17 percent decline over that period. Read more…
Read the complete report…
Other News
Study: Symptoms of physician burnout on the rise.
According to findings published in the December issue of the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, physician burnout increased and satisfaction with work-life balance declined over a 4-year period. The researchers surveyed 6,880 U.S. physicians and found that, based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory, 54.4 percent (n = 3,680) of respondents reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2014, compared with 45.5 percent (n = 3,310) in a similar survey conducted in 2011. Based on specialty, 59.6 percent of orthopaedic surgeons reported burnout symptoms in 2014, compared to 48.3 percent in 2011. The researchers found that satisfaction with work-life balance also declined among physicians overall, from 48.5 percent in 2011 to 40.9 percent in 2014. Read more…
Read the complete study…
A related article in MedPage Today looks at efforts of some medical schools and residency programs to address physician burnout as an early career issue. Read more…
Study: Undergoing THA linked to reduced use of analgesics and some psychotropics.
Data from a study conducted in Norway and published online in the journal Pain suggest that total hip arthroplasty (THA) may be associated with an eventual reduction in the use of analgesics, hypnotics, and anxiolytics. Based on data for 39,688 patients who underwent THA, researchers calculated use of analgesic and psychotropic drugs for four quarters prior to and four quarters following surgery. They found that, prior to surgery, use of all drug groups increased from Q1 to Q4, and use of opioids, non-opioids, and hypnotics continued to increase from Q4 to Q5. The sharpest increases were for opioids, which increased to 28 percent in the last quarter before THA, then to 65 percent in the first quarter afterward. However, by one year after THA, opioid use had decreased to 14 percent. From Q4 to Q8, THA was associated with reduced prescriptions of analgesics, hypnotics, and anxiolytics, but not antidepressants. Read more…
Read the abstract…
Study: Pediatric lumbar disk herniation linked to structural malformations of lumbar spine.
Data from a study published in the December issue of the journal Neurosurgery suggest that pediatric lumbar disk herniation may be associated with structural malformations of the lumbar spine. The research team reviewed anteroposterior radiographs of 63 consecutive pediatric patients with lumbar disk herniation at a single center. They found that high intercrestal lines and long L5 transverse processes were associated with a significantly higher incidence of L4/L5 disk herniation, whereas low intercrestal line and lumbarization were associated with L5/S1 disk herniation. The research team notes that patients’ visual analog scale scores, pain frequency, and Oswestry Disability Index scores all improved significantly after surgery. However, they noted no significant difference with or without arthrodesis. Read more…
Read the abstract…
AAOS unveils new website!
AAOS has launched an updated website that represents an unprecedented opportunity for AAOS members to interact and connect with AAOS in new and more meaningful ways. The site offers streamlined navigation, improved search, and a responsive design that is easily readable on all devices from phones to large computer screens. Visit the new AAOS website…
OKOJ December updates now online!
Check out the new topics and video in the Orthopaedic Knowledge Online Journal (OKOJ) on the new AAOS website. The following topics have been recently added or updated: “Management of Injuries to the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex,” “Palpation Versus Ultrasound-Guided Injection of Corticosteroid for Plantar Fasciitis,” and “Radiation-associated Fractures.” In addition, a new video has been made available: “Arthroscopic Repair of the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex.” View these topics and more…(member login required)
December AAOS Now is now available online and in ePub format!
AAOS members will soon receive the print edition of the December issue of AAOS Now, but the electronic editions are already available on the AAOS Now website. This month’s issue includes an article on the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, a report from the 2015 AAOS Fall Meeting regarding patient-reported outcomes, a look at opioid use as a modifiable risk factor for joint arthroplasty, and much more. Read more…(member login required)
Read “2016 Physician Fee Schedule Rule Finalized”…
Read “Capturing Outcomes in Clinical Practice”…
Read “Patient Opioid Use May Be Modifiable Risk Factor for TJA”…
Download and read the ePub edition of AAOS Now…(member login required)
AAOS offers free webinar on CMS Comprehensive Care Joint Replacement payment model.
AAOS will host a free webinar to help physicians understand the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement payment model. Under the model, all eligible hospitals in 67 select geographic areas will be accountable for all costs associated with hip and knee arthroplasty procedures, from the time of surgery through 90 days postoperative. In the recent final ruling, CMS moved the start date back to April 1, 2016, from an anticipated Jan. 1 date. The AAOS webinar will take place Dec. 8, from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. CT. Register for the webinar…
NOTE: An item published in the Nov. 23 issue of AAOS Headline News Now (HNN) drew information from an unedited abstract published online in The Journal of Arthroplasty. The HNN item reads “At minimum 2-year follow-up, 8 percent of patients in the safety net group had a revision, compared to 20.5 percent of patients at the university hospital.” The study authors wish to clarify that the differences refer to index procedures, not subsequent outcomes. “The burden of index revision arthroplasties was 8 percent at the safety net hospital,” they write, “compared to 20.5 percent of patients at the university hospital.”
