Today’s Top Story
CMS reps clarify some facets of MIPS.
An article in Healthcare IT News reports on comments made by representatives of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). A spokesperson for the CMS Quality Measurement & Value-Based Incentive Group says that the agency will allow clinicians to pick the pace of their participation in the program. Medicare clinicians who participate in MIPS will be reimbursed based on a score of zero to 100, with their scores weighted according to the following four components in 2017: quality (60 percent), cost (zero percent), advancing care information (25 percent), and clinical practice improvement activities (15 percent). During 2017, which serves as a transition year, clinicians may report performance periods ranging from 90 days to the full year, but data must be submitted to CMS by the end of Q1 2018 to avoid a penalty.
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Other News

Study: Gait analysis may help predict clinical response to THA.
According to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, gait analysis may augment clinical scores in predicting a patient’s clinical response to total hip arthroplasty (THA). The researchers analyzed data on 124 patients (mean age 61 years) who were evaluated both before and 1 year after THA using quantitative gait analysis and Harris Hip Scores (HHS). They found that 11.3 percent of participants were nonresponders, based on Outcome Measures in Rheumatology/Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) responder criteria. Prior to surgery, the researchers found that range of motion was 26 percent higher for nonresponders than responders, but the peak external rotation moment was 30 percent lower. Preoperative gait and HHS predicted response with a sensitivity of 71.4 percent and a specificity of 99.1 percent.
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Study: Are bundled payments a viable model for fracture care?
A study published in the March issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma examines the use of a bundled payment model for fracture care. The authors reviewed information on 23,643 operatively treated patients with fracture and 544,067 patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty (TJA) from the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Among TJA patients, they found that the difference in hospital charge between patients with minor or severe severity of illness (SOI) ranged from 153 percent to 211 percent. Among patients surgically treated for fracture, the difference in hospital charge between patients with minor or severe SOI ranged between 314 percent and 489 percent. In addition, the authors observed similar differences in mean hospital length of stay and homebound discharge disposition, with patients with fracture demonstrating greater sensitivity to increasing SOI. “Although bundled payments may be a viable option for patients undergoing elective TJA,” the authors write, “this payment model requires particular attention when applied to fracture care.”
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FDA announces recall of one lot of Hospira Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection, USP.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a voluntary recall of one lot of Hospira Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection, USP (NDC: 0409-6510-01, Lot 591053A, Expiry Date 1NOV2017), to the hospital/retail level, due to a confirmed customer report for the presence of particulate matter in a single vial. The product is packaged in a carton containing 1×100 mL vial. The lot was distributed from August 2016 through September 2016 in the United States. Anyone with an existing inventory of the recalled lot should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately.
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Report adverse events to FDA Medwatch…

Study: Testosterone treatment may help increase vBMD and bone strength in older men with low testosterone.
A study published online in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that testosterone treatment may help increase volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone strength for older men with low testosterone. The research team conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of 211 male patients (mean age 72.3 years), who were treated with testosterone gel, adjusted to maintain the testosterone level within the normal range for young men, or placebo gel for 1 year. Compared to placebo, they found that testosterone treatment was associated with significantly greater increases in mean spine trabecular vBMD, spine peripheral vBMD, and hip trabecular and peripheral vBMD, as well as mean estimated strength of spine trabecular bone, spine peripheral bone, and hip trabecular and peripheral bone. Overall, the research team found that estimated strength increases were greater in trabecular than peripheral bone, and greater in the spine than the hip.
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Study: Greater number of adverse event reports linked to slower response by medical device manufacturers.
Data from a study published online in the journal Production and Operations Management suggest slow response by medical device manufacturers in response to certain adverse event reports. The researchers used a combination of econometric and predictive analytic methods to analyze user-generated reports on adverse events linked to medical devices. They found that a high “signal to noise ratio” (defined as more adverse event reports) correlated with under-reaction, or delays in the responses of manufacturers. Conversely, user feedback related to adverse events characterized by high severity was associated with an increased likelihood of over-reaction.
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AAOS announces Thomas E. Arend, Jr., CAE, as new CEO.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has announced the selection of Thomas E. Arend, Jr., CAE, to the position of chief executive officer (CEO), effective April 1, 2017. Mr. Arend currently serves as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and general counsel at the American College of Cardiology. He will replace current AAOS CEO Karen L. Hackett, FACHE, CAE, who is retiring after 14 years with the organization.
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