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| Today’s Top Story
Hospital executives say cost control is top priority
According to the Advisory Board’s Annual Health Care CEO Survey, healthcare CEOs ranked “preparing the enterprise for sustainable cost control” as the top priority. This was the first time the item was included in the survey, and 62 percent of executives said it was the top choice, making it the most selected topic in the past four years. “Innovative approaches to expense reduction” was the second highest valued topic. The nationwide survey included 146 C-suite executives and was conducted between December 2017 and March 2018. The survey asked the CEOs about 33 different topics, including cybersecurity, primary care alignment, and development of an agile enterprise.
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| Other News
Study: Young athletes with fatigue may be at an increased risk of ACL injury
According to research presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s annual meeting, young athletes may be more predisposed to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury if they are fatigued. Eleven professional health observers reviewed drop-jump and vertical jump video in 85 track and field, basketball, volleyball, and soccer athletes (mean age, 15.4 years). They found that 44.7 percent had an increased risk of injury after intense aerobic exercise. Injury risk was also associated with the athletes’ level of fatigue: 14 of 22 athletes who demonstrated more than 20 percent fatigue showed an increased risk of ACL injury. Female athletes and athletes older than 15 years of age also demonstrated an increased injury risk.
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| Study: Repeat preoperative MRIs appear to show little change in lumbar stenosis grade
According to a study published online in The Spine Journal, repeated preoperative MRI may not show significant differences in cases of lumbar stenosis. The retrospective chart review examined stenosis patients who underwent lumbar decompression without fusion from 2011 to 2015 at a single institution. Patients had at least two lumbar MRIs prior to operation. At each pathologic disk level, researchers calculated the absolute value of the change in grade for central/lateral recess stenosis, right foraminal stenosis, and left foraminal stenosis from preoperative to repeated MRI. Of the 103 patients included, 37 had more than one lumbar level surgically addressed; 161 lumbar levels were reviewed. Among those who had any change in stenosis grade, most were mild changes of one (36 of 42 patients, 85.7 percent). Two patients displayed a moderate grade change of two, and one patient showed a severe grade change of three.
Read the abstract… |
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| CMS put medical equipment bidding on hold, proposes changes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes to the payment rules for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies, leading the agency to put 2019 DME bidding on hold. CMS said the proposed rule change aims to increase access and simplify the bidding process to drive competition and increase affordability. The proposed rule would more accurately set prices and protect beneficiary access, according to CMS. This change proposes adjustments to the DME fee schedule amounts for January 2019 to the end of 2020, which may put bidding on hold until 2021, according to information from past bids.
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Read the CMS press release… |
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| Trump administration tax tariffs to affect American medical device companies
Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) estimates that President Donald Trump’s tariff on Chinese imports may incur a cost of more than $138 million to American medical device makers, an article in Healthcare IT News reports. The 25 percent tariff that went into effect on June 6 applies to MRIs, sonograms, pacemakers, and other devices, with CT scanners and X-ray devices expected to be hit the hardest. A recent MITA survey predicted that the tariff will cause companies to downsize and reduce budgeting to research and development. MITA requested that the Trump administration exempt medical devices from the tariffs, arguing that they are “humanitarian goods.” The administration argued that the tariffs were put in place to combat China’s trade policies.
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| AAOS Now
Experts offer treatment pearls during ‘top tips’ lecture
Acute trauma patients who arrive at hospitals that don’t have the necessary resources to care for them should be transferred immediately to the nearest appropriate facility, according to trauma surgeon Lisa K. Cannada, MD. “Additional diagnostic tests only delay definitive care,” she explained during an instructional course lecture held at the AAOS 2018 Annual Meeting.
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| Your AAOS
Apply for Patient Safety Committee member-at-large position
The Patient Safety Committee has an open member-at-large position, a two-year term that runs from March 18, 2019, to March 12, 2021. The committee supports the development, validation, and dissemination of culture and processes that improve orthopaedic surgical safety and informs Academy policy with regard to these issues. The last day to submit an application is Aug. 15.
Learn more and submit your application… (member login required) |
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