Today’s Top Story
Political infighting could derail SGR repeal bill.
An article in Modern Healthcare looks at issues surrounding possible repeal of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a repeal bill on March 26, but the Senate recessed without voting on the legislation. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have been holding claims since April 1, when a 21 percent cut in physician payments was to go into effect under the formula, to give the Senate time to act. The author notes that, with Congress set to return next week, no serious threats to the deal have emerged. However, Senate procedural rules could still be used to derail the bill, with some legislators concerned that the bill does not include offsets for its roughly $210 billion cost, and others opposing it because it does not fund the Children’s Health Insurance program for a full 4 years. Read more…(registration may be required)
An article in National Journal examines conservative concerns about the bill…
An article in The Hill looks at progressive concerns about the bill…
Other News
ONC report takes EHR vendors to task for costs, lack of interoperability.
A report released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) complains that vendors of electronic health records (EHRs) have made it costly and cumbersome for providers to share patient information. The report lists complaints the office has received about vendors allegedly charging high fees to set up connections and share patient records; requiring customers to use proprietary platforms; and making it prohibitively expensive to switch systems. “Current economic and market conditions create business incentives for some persons and entities to exercise control over electronic health information in ways that unreasonably limit its availability and use,” the report states. “[…] complaints and other evidence described in this report suggest that some persons and entities are interfering with the exchange or use of electronic health information in ways that frustrate the goals of the HITECH Act and undermine broader health care reforms.” Read more…
Read the report (PDF)…
Study: Perioperative fluid resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch or albumin may increase risk of renal failure after elective THA or TKA.
Data from a study published online in the journal The BMJ suggest that perioperative fluid resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch 6 percent or albumin 5 percent may be associated with increased risk of acute renal failure and other complications following elective total hip and total knee arthroplasties (THAs and TKAs). The researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1,051,441 patients who underwent elective THA or TKA. They found that perioperative fluid resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch 6 percent or albumin 5 percent was associated with an increased risk of acute renal failure and most other complications, compared with patients who received neither colloid. Read the abstract…
Study: Early PT linked to reduced cost and resource utilization for LBP patients.
According to a study published online in the journal BMC Health Services Research, early and guideline-adherent physical therapy (PT) may reduce costs and resource use for patients with low back pain (LBP). The research team reviewed data on 753,450 eligible patients within the Military Health System who had a primary care visit for LBP. They found that PT was used by 16.3 percent (n = 122,723), with 24.0 percent (n = 17,175) of those receiving early PT that was adherent to recommendations for active treatment. The research team found that early referral to guideline-adherent PT was linked with significantly lower utilization for all outcomes and 60 percent lower total LBP-related costs. Read more…
Read the abstract…
Review article examines challenges in anesthesia care for obese and morbidly obese patients.
An educational review published in Anesthesiology News looks at perioperative anesthesia care for obese patients. The writers review a series of pathophysiologic changes and disorders that may be associated with obese patients and discuss anesthetic considerations for each. “Preoperative assessment, preparation, and planning are important keys to successful anesthesia in obese patients,” they state. The writers suggest a series of preoperative assessment and preparations, address physiologic and anthropometric changes that may be associated with obesity, and offer a look at perioperative pain management, as well as postoperative recovery and care. Read more…
Study: Older patients report age-, disability-related discrimination.
Findings published in the March issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine suggest that one out of five older adults may experience discrimination in healthcare settings. The authors conducted a longitudinal analysis of data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study of 6,017 adults older than age 50, and found that 12.6 percent experienced discrimination infrequently and 5.9 percent frequently. In addition, frequent healthcare discrimination was associated with new or worsened disability over the previous 4 years. Read more…
Read the abstract…
California.
The Los Angeles Times reports that unionized physicians have begun a rolling strike at student health clinics on University of California campuses, accusing the institution of unfair labor practices during negotiations for the physicians’ first contract. A spokesperson for the union says that the walkout is motivated at least in part by the University’s refusal to provide financial information about its resources that could affect the contract bargaining and increase health clinic staffing. Read more…
Submit your AAOS 2016 Annual Meeting abstracts now!
Share your knowledge with orthopaedic surgeons from around the world at the 2016 AAOS Annual Meeting, to be held March 1-5, 2016, in Orlando, Fla. Nowhere else will your discoveries reach such a wide-ranging orthopaedic audience! June 1 is the deadline to submit abstracts for paper presentations, poster presentations, and scientific exhibits. The deadline for Orthopaedic Video Theater is July 15. Please note that, prior to abstract submission, presenters and all co-authors must disclose current financial relationships in the AAOS Disclosure Database Program. Submit your abstract…
