Today’s Top Story
HHS finalizes rule to prohibit sex discrimination under the Affordable Care Act.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) final rule of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits denial of health care or health coverage based on race, color, national origin, age, disability and, for the first time, sex, HealthcareIT News reports. The rule requires that women be treated equally with men in the health care they receive, and prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, gender identity, and sex stereotyping. The final rule also enhances language assistance for people with limited English proficiency and helps to ensure effective communication for individuals with disabilities.
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Read the HHS fact sheet…
Other News
Data breaches continue to plague healthcare systems.
Healthcare organizations are experiencing more data breaches and other cybersecurity problems than ever, and the situation does not seem to be improving, according to a study by the Ponemon Institute, as reported by the Memphis Business Journal,. Data breaches cost the healthcare industry $6.2 billion a year, according to the report, about the same as in 2010. “In the last six years of conducting this study, it’s clear that efforts to safeguard patient data are not improving,” said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the institute. Half of breaches are the result of criminal activity, with the others occurring from negligence, including employee mistakes, problems at third party vendors, and stolen and lost devices. The most frequently exposed data are medical records, billing and insurance records, and payment details.
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Read the study summary…
Report: Scorecards for hospital safety don’t measure up.
Hospital safety scorecards such as those issued by U.S. News & World Report and the federal government provide patients with an unreliable picture of the quality of care at a given institution, according to new research from Johns Hopkins’ Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, The Baltimore Sun reports. The researchers found that just one of the 21 most common measures used by the ratings—accidental punctures or lacerations in surgery—met a scientific threshold to be a true indicator of hospital safety. A major problem with the scorecards is their reliance on billing data rather than clinical data, the report stated. “Patients should have measures that reflect how well we care for patients, not how well we code that care,” said Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, director of the Armstrong Institute. A report from the Institute last year found that hospital safety rankings varied considerably from scorecard to scorecard because of inconsistencies in rating criteria.
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Study: What factors predict clinical outcome after ACL reconstruction?
A study published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) examines predictors of clinical outcome after revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The research team conducted a cohort study of 1,205 patients who underwent revision ACL reconstruction by 83 surgeons at 52 hospitals. Of 989 patients surveyed at 2-year follow-up, they found that previous meniscal injury and current articular cartilage damage were associated with the poorest outcomes in terms of decreased sports participation, more pain, more stiffness, and more functional limitation. The research team states that prior lateral meniscectomy and current grade 3 to 4 trochlear articular cartilage changes were linked to the worst outcome scores.
Read the abstract…
Study: Six factors may increase likelihood of UCL reconstruction among MLB pitchers.
According to data published online in AJSM, six key performance factors may present significant risk factors for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction among Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. The authors conducted a case control study of 104 MLB pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction surgery and 104 age- and position-matched control participants. They found that fewer days between consecutive games, smaller repertoire of pitches, less-pronounced horizontal release location, smaller stature, greater mean pitch speed, and greater mean pitch counts per game were all significant predictors of UCL reconstruction.
Read the abstract…
Submit papers now for 2017 Kappa Delta and OREF Clinical Research Awards.
July 1, 2016 is the deadline for receipt of manuscripts submitted for the 2017 Kappa Delta Awards and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award. Up to two $20,000 Kappa Delta awards (Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award and Ann Doner Vaughan Award), one $20,000 Kappa Delta Young Investigator award, and one $20,000 OREF award will be bestowed, provided manuscripts of requisite quality are submitted. Manuscripts should represent a large body of cohesive scientific work, generally reflecting years of investigation. If the submission reflects a single project, it should be of high significance and impact. Manuscripts must be submitted by members (or candidate members) of the AAOS, Orthopaedic Research Society, Canadian Orthopaedic Association, or Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society. Submissions for the 2017 Kappa Delta and OREF Clinical Research Awards will be accepted in electronic format only. A PDF of the entire submission must be emailed no later than 11:59 p.m. CT on July 1, 2016. Late submissions will not be considered.
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Submit your manuscript to: kappadelta@aaos.org
Fellows elect 2017 Nominating Committee; adopts resolutions and bylaw amendments.
The members of the 2017 AAOS Nominating Committee have been identified. In May, the AAOS Fellowship elected six members of the 2017 Nominating Committee, and the AAOS Board of Directors appointed the chair at its meeting in February. In addition, the Fellowship adopted seven AAOS resolutions (each up for its 5-year review) and two bylaw amendments; 12.6 percent of eligible Fellows cast ballots. The 2017 Nominating Committee members are:
- Joshua J. Jacobs, MD (Ill.), Chair
- Leesa M. Galatz, MD (N.Y.)
- James D. Heckman, MD (Texas)
- L. Scott Levin, MD (Pa.)
- William N. Levine, MD (N.Y.)
- Mary I. O’Connor, MD (Conn.)
- Stuart L. Weinstein, MD (Iowa)
- Tracy Watson, MD (Mo.), was elected as the alternate member of the committee.
The 2017 Nominating Committee will present a slate of candidates for the positions of:
- Second Vice-President
- Board member-at-large (no age designation)
- Board member-at-large (younger than age 45 on March 16, 2017)
- National Membership Committee member (preferably someone who has been a mentee or mentor in the AAOS Leadership Fellows Program)
The 2017 Nominating Committee is actively soliciting suggestions for individuals who might serve in these positions. Please prepare your recommendations, along with a paragraph on your candidates and why you believe they are uniquely qualified for the position for which you are nominating them. Send this information to Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, chair, 2017 Nominating Committee, c/o AAOS Office of General Counsel, 9400 West Higgins Road, Rosemont, Ill. 60018-4202.
