Today’s Top Story
Study: Young children with major injury may be victims of suspected child abuse.
Data from a study conducted in the United Kingdom and published in the Emergency Medicine Journal suggest that pediatric injuries due to suspected child abuse may be identified based on demographic pattern. The authors reviewed data on 14,845 pediatric patients from The Trauma Audit and Research Network database. They found that 13,708 patients were classified as having accidental injuries, 368 were victims of alleged assault, and 769 patients were victims of suspected child abuse. Of trauma cases due to suspected child abuse, 97.7 percent (n = 751) occurred in children aged 5 years or younger, with 76.3 percent (n = 587) in infants aged 1 year or younger. Compared with patients who had accidental injuries, suspected victims of abuse had higher overall injury severity scores, higher proportion of head injury, and a threefold higher mortality rate. An article in Medpage Today notes that similar patterns of child abuse have been seen in the United States. Read more…
Read the abstract…

Other News

Study: Topically applied vancomycin linked to reduced likelihood of SSI among diabetic patients undergoing foot or ankle surgery.
According to a study published online in the journal Foot & Ankle International, topical application of vancomycin powder in the surgical wound may help reduce risk of surgical site infection (SSI) for high-risk diabetic patients who undergo foot and ankle surgery. The researchers conducted a retrospective, case control study of 162 patients with diabetes mellitus who underwent reconstructive surgery of the foot or ankle, 81 of whom received topically applied vancomycin and 81 matched patients who did not. They found that use of topically applied vancomycin was associated with a 73 percent reduction in likelihood of SSI. Overall, the rate of superficial infection was not significantly different between cohorts. However, compared to the control cohort, deep infection was 80 percent less likely among patients in the vancomycin cohort. Read more…
Read the abstract…

CMS extends deadline for PQRS informal review process to Dec. 16.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the 2014 informal review period for providers who believe they have been incorrectly assessed the 2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) negative payment adjustment. Providers have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 16, 2015, to submit an informal review requesting that CMS investigate incentive eligibility and/or payment adjustment determination. The agency states that informal review requestors will be contacted via email of a final decision by CMS within 90 days of the original request, and that all decisions will be final. Informal review requests must be submitted electronically via the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page. Learn more about the PQRS…
Submit a request for an informal review…

DOJ says fraud case linked to $580 million in fraudulent billing for spine surgery.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has released information on two cases of alleged healthcare fraud, which investigators say are linked to more than $580 million in fraudulent billing for spine procedures. According to DOJ, two defendants previously pleaded guilty and three others have agreed to do so. The five defendants are alleged to have participated in schemes in which physicians received kickbacks for referring patients to two hospitals. Read more…

Tennessee.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that the Tennessee Medical Association has asked lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly to consider adding a clause to the state’s constitution to protect the existing economic damages cap in medical liability cases. If approved by the legislature, the proposal could go before voters on the 2018 ballot. In a separate proposal, an advocacy group has asked lawmakers to consider legislation that would remove medical liability from the courts and refer such cases to an independent panel, modeled after the workers’ compensation system, which would affix specific compensation to physician errors. However, that proposal has met opposition from some physicians, and some stakeholders question its constitutionality. Read more…

Wisconsin.
A blog post on the website of SmithAmundsen LLC suggests that a recent decision from a Wisconsin court could lower the threshold necessary to be met for physician testimony to be admissible as expert testimony. In the relevant case, a physician defendant had argued that the plaintiff’s expert witness testimony “was not the product of reliable principles or methods.” The court allowed the testimony, ruling that “medical methodology is ‘a little less susceptible to precise definition’ due to ‘vagaries of medical treatment and diagnosis.'” The writers argue that the decision “signifies a line of demarcation between medical experts and other scientific or specialized experts, augmenting the threshold of what is considered admissible testimony for medical experts. This decision, as it currently stands, will affect the admissibility of expert testimony, making it more difficult to bar an expert offering medical opinions.” Read more…

AAOS offers free webinar on CMS Comprehensive Care Joint Replacement payment model.
AAOS will host a free webinar to help physicians understand the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement payment model. Under the model, all eligible hospitals in 67 select geographic areas will be accountable for all costs associated with hip and knee arthroplasty procedures, from the time of surgery through 90 days postoperative. In the recent final ruling, CMS moved the start date back to April 1, 2016, from an anticipated Jan. 1 date. The AAOS webinar will take place Dec. 8, from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. CT. Register for the webinar…

Last call: Committee positions closing soon!
A number of openings on the AAOS Committee Appointment Program website are closing soon. Act now to apply for the following positions:

  • Annual Meeting Committee (one member—allied health, one member-at-large; Dec. 1 deadline)
  • Central Evaluation Committee (four members, one each in the following categories; Nov. 30)
    • Basic science
    • Oncology
    • Pediatric Orthopaedics
    • Trauma
  • OKU Evaluation Committee (two members—orthopaedic basic science writer; Nov. 30)

Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)