Today’s Top Story
CMS Extends Deadline for 2015 PQRS EHR submissions.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended until March 11, 2016, the submission date for individual eligible professionals, group practices, and other stakeholders to submit 2015 electronic health records (EHR) data via the 2015 Quality Reporting Document Architecture. Submission ends at 8 p.m. ET. An Enterprise Identity Management account with the “Submitter Role” is required for these Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) data submission methods. Eligible professionals who do not satisfactorily report quality measure data to meet the 2015 PQRS requirements will be subject to a payment penalty on all Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services rendered during 2017. For questions, please contact the QualityNet Help Desk at 1-866-288-8912 or via email at: qnetsupport@hcqis.org
View the Enterprise Identity Management system toolkit (PDF)…
Learn more about the PQRS…
Other News
Study: Older patients may be more likely to return to sports after RTSA compared to HHA.
Findings from a study published online in the Journal of Bone and Elbow Surgery suggest that patients who undergo reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) may be more likely to return to sports than those who undergo hemiarthroplasty (HHA). The authors conducted a retrospective review of 102 RTSA and 71 HHA patients at a single center. Average patient age at surgery was 72.3 years for RTSA and 65.6 years for HHA. Compared to HHA patients, the authors found that at minimum 1-year follow-up, patients who underwent RTSA had improved visual analog scale scores, returned to sports at a significantly higher rate, and were more likely to be satisfied with their ability to play sports. The authors also noted that HHA patients were more likely to have postoperative complaints compared to RTSA patients. Overall, female sex, age <70 years, surgery on the dominant extremity, and a preoperative diagnosis of arthritis with rotator cuff dysfunction were predictors of a higher likelihood of return to sports for patients undergoing RTSA compared with HHA. Read the abstract…
Study: Does resection of torn meniscus reduce knee catching or locking?
According to data from a study conducted in Finland and published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, resection of a torn meniscus may offer little benefit over sham surgery for the relief of knee catching or occasional locking. The researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled study of 146 patients who underwent either arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM; n = 70) or sham surgery (n = 76). Overall, 32 patients (46 percent) in the APM group and 37 (49 percent) in the sham surgery group reported catching or locking prior to surgery. At 2-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups, the researchers found that 34 (49 percent) patients in the AMP and 33 (43 percent) in the sham group reported catching or locking, for a risk difference of 0.03. In the subgroup of 69 patients with preoperative catching or locking, the risk difference was 0.07. The researchers state that the study results are only generalizable to knee catching and occasional locking, as few patients reported other mechanical symptoms. Read more…
Read the abstract…
Citing abuse epidemic, senators question pain control as quality factor under CMS performance program.
The Portland Press Herald reports that, in a letter to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 26 senators question the inclusion of pain control as a quality factor under the CMS Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program. The writers agree that pain control is a critical component of inpatient care, but argue that in light of an increase in deaths related to opioid abuse, discharge surveys that query patients about pain control may inadvertently compel physicians to prescribe opioid pain relievers in order to improve hospital performance on quality measures. “…[W]e are concerned that the current evaluation system may inappropriately penalize hospitals and pressure physicians who, in the exercise of medical judgment, opt to limit opioid pain relievers to certain patients and instead reward those who prescribe opioids more frequently,” they write. “We understand that HHS has begun an examination of whether there is a connection between these measurements and potentially inappropriate prescribing patterns, and whether the survey should be modified to address this concern. We hope this is a robust examination of this issue and includes more input from hospitals and providers, many of whom have expressed concern to us about the survey’s impact on opioid prescribing practices.” Read more…
Read the letter…
Study: Medical boards overlook many reports of sexual misconduct by physicians.
A study published online in the journal PLOS One suggests that only a small number of physicians may be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) due to sexual misconduct. The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis of physician reports submitted to the NPDB between Jan. 1, 2003 and Sept. 30, 2013. They found that 1,039 physicians had one or more sexual misconduct-related reports. Of those, 75.6 percent had only licensure reports. Overall, 70 percent (177 of 253) of physicians with a clinical-privileges or malpractice-payment report due to sexual misconduct were not disciplined by medical boards for their behavior. The authors did note a higher percentage of serious licensure actions and clinical-privileges revocations in sexual misconduct-related reports than in reports for other offenses. Read more…
Read the complete study…
Texas.
The Dallas Morning News reports that a new law in Texas allows the Texas State Board of Pharmacy to inspect a pharmacy’s financial records in response to specific complaints—a move that could increase scrutiny of physician investment in compounding pharmacies. Although it is legal in Texas for physicians to invest in a pharmacy as long as that relationship is disclosed to patients, federal law prohibits inappropriate medical referrals or recommendations by healthcare professionals who may be unduly influenced by financial incentives, and also prohibits physicians from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to a healthcare company if the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship with the company. Read more…
AAOS Resident Assembly Research Committee to host webinar for resident researchers.
The Resident Assembly Research Committee will host a webinar on overcoming the unique challenges and obstacles associated with conducting research during residency. “Performing Research as a Resident—Challenges and Opportunities,” will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET. This is the first of a two-part series that will focus on the importance of conducting research during residency, how to get started, and tips for effectively completing research projects. Register for the webinar…
Call for volunteers: U.S. Bone & Joint Initiative.
AAOS seeks to nominate members for the U.S. Bone & Joint Initiative president-elect position. The president-elect will serve from June 2016 to June 2017, as president from June 2017 to June 2019, and as immediate past-president from June 2019 to June 2020. Applicants for this position must be active fellows. In addition, all applicants must provide the following: an abbreviated biographical sketch, a letter outlining the nominee’s interest in serving and what he or she would like to accomplish, and a commitment to dedicate time to the position. All supporting materials must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, to Donna Malert at: malert@aaos.org
Learn more…(member login required)
