Today’s Top Story
Study: What factors are linked to hospital readmission?
Two studies published in the April issue of the journal JAMA Internal Medicine examine the issue of readmissions. In the first, the authors conducted an observational study of 1,000 patients who were readmitted within 30 days of discharge at one of 12 academic medical centers. They determined that 269 (26.9 percent) of readmissions were potentially preventable. Factors most strongly associated with potential preventability included emergency department decision making regarding the readmission, failure to relay important information to outpatient healthcare professionals, discharge of patients too soon, and lack of discussions about care goals among patients with serious illnesses. Read more…
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In the second study, the authors conducted an international retrospective cohort study of 117,065 consecutively discharged adult patients across nine hospitals and found that use of the so-called HOSPITAL scoring system offered good prediction of 30-day readmission, and high calibration of patients classified as being at low, intermediate, or high risk of readmission. Read more…
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Other News
Study: Patients with RA who undergo joint surgery may be at increased risk of MI and death.
According to a study conducted in Australia and published online in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, compared to the general population, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who undergo joint surgery may be at increased risk of death at 6 weeks and 12 months. The research team conducted a retrospective cohort study of 240,571 patients (308,589 joint surgeries), 3,654 of whom (1.2 percent) had RA. At 6-week and 12-month follow-up, the investigators found that patients with RA were at increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause death, and cardiovascular death. In an analysis of joint surgeries other than hip or knee arthroplasty, the research team noted that patients with RA were at increased risk of MI within 6 weeks and 12 months after surgery compared to those without RA, but found no difference in likelihood of short-term mortality. Read more…
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Study: Scar tissue may help regenerate nervous system following spinal cord injury.
Data from a study published online in the journal Nature suggest that, contrary to prevailing understanding, astrocyte scar formation may aid central nervous system axon regeneration. The authors conducted a mouse study to investigate the effects of treatment with growth factors on severe spinal cord injuries. They found that the treatment stimulated robust, laminin-dependent sensory axon regrowth. However, preventing astrocytic scar formation significantly reduced the stimulated axon regrowth. Read more…
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Study: Small study finds high percentage of retired NFL players have evidence of TBI.
A paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology finds that more than 40 percent of retired National Football League (NFL) players involved in the study displayed signs of traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on results of diffusion tensor imaging scans. The scans measure damage to the brain’s white matter, based on the movement of water molecules in the brain tissue. Overall, 17 players (43 percent of participants), had levels of movement 2.5 standard deviations below those of healthy people of the same age. The researchers state that study participants played an average of 7 years in the NFL, and reported an average of 8.1 concussions per player. Read more…
New York.
Politico New York reports on concerns with the medical liability system in New York. The writer notes that five medical liability insurers in the state pay into a guaranty fund that acts as a safety net in case one of the five goes under. However, the state’s second largest medical liability insurer currently has a negative surplus of $138 million, has been implicated in a federal corruption case, and is considering a sale to a California-based company. Out-of-state insurers are bound by different rules and do not pay into the state guaranty fund. In addition, if any insurer is forced into liquidation or bankruptcy, any lawsuits against the physicians it insures are stayed, which could delay resolution for those cases. Read more…
Wisconsin.
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, under a policy that took effect this month, hospitals in Milwaukee County are no longer allowed to divert ambulances when their emergency departments have a high volume of patients. Supporters of the move state that such diversions may place patients at risk due to treatment delays, and often cause financial issues when patients are routed to out-of-network hospitals. Read more…
Vote now! AAOS 2017 Nominating Committee, seven resolutions, and two bylaw amendments.
Voting has begun to elect the six members of the 2017 Nominating Committee and to determine action on seven AAOS resolutions and two bylaw amendments. Online voting is quick, secure, and confidential. For the resolutions and bylaw amendments, at least five percent of the total fellowship must cast ballots for the voting to be valid. Ballots must be submitted by Friday, April 29, 2016. If you have questions, please contact the AAOS Voting Hotline, at 800-999-2939. The ballot is available at: http://www.aaos.org/aaosvote/(member login required)
Call for volunteers: NQF Surgery Standing Committee.
AAOS seeks to nominate individuals for membership to the National Quality Forum (NQF) Surgery Standing Committee. This project seeks to identify and endorse surgical performance measures for accountability and quality improvement across a variety of surgical topic areas including orthopaedic, neurologic, and general surgery. Applicants for this position must be active fellows, emeritus fellows, candidate members, candidate members osteopathic, candidate member applicants for fellowship, or candidate member applicants for fellowship osteopathic. In addition, all applicants must provide the following: an online AAOS CAP application; a letter of interest highlighting their experience relevant to the committee; a short biography (maximum 100 words) highlighting experience/knowledge relevant to the expertise described above and involvement in candidate measure development; and a curriculum vitae or list of relevant experience (maximum 20 pages). All supporting materials must be submitted to Kyle Shah by May 1, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. CT, at: shah@aaos.org
Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)
