Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for March 3, 2016.
Resident participation doesn't increase complications in spinal fusions
A new study published in Spine examines how residents participating in single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion affect patient outcomes. The overall complications, medical complications and surgical complications weren't affected by resident participation. The resident participation was associated with longer operative times
Orthopedic conditions cost around $213B per year in treatment & lost wages
A new United States Bone and Joint Initiative report shows that in 2012 an estimated 126.6 million Americans were affected by a musculoskeletal condition, costing an estimated $213 billion in annual treatment, care and lost wages. In 2012, 25.5 million people lost an average of 11.4 days of work due to back or neck pain, totaling 290.8 million lost workdays in 2012 alone.
Supreme Court ruling to quash claims database initiatives in 18 states
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday self-insured health plans could not be forced by a state to report claims information for use in state health pricing databases. The case at issue, Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual, began when Liberty Mutual refused to turn over claims data to Vermont for use in its insurance rate database.
Stryker to launch Xia 4.5 Cortical Trajectory solution for LITe LIF procedures
The Xia Cortical Trajectory implants and instruments are built on Stryker's Xia Spinal System foundation. The implants utilize the low profile tulip head of Stryker's Xia 4.5 Spinal System to allow for maximum visualization and can be used with the LITe Midline Retractor.
Long Island physician faces drug charges following patient death
Steven Parry, DO, an osteopathic medicine physician, is facing drug charges after prescribing painkillers leading to a patient's death. The U.S. District Court in Central arraigned Dr. Parry on Feb. 24 for providing prescription pills such as oxycodone, methadone and hydrocodone to patients who had no medical need for them. Magistrate Judge Anne Shields set Dr. Parry's bond at $200,000, which the physician posted.
Physician empathy is key for patient satisfaction
Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital researchers investigated the effect of physician empathy on outcomes and medical care satisfaction. The study found 65 percent of patient satisfaction linked to physician empathy. The study's findings prove crucial, as reimbursements are directly correlated to patient satisfaction and patient-reported outcomes.
Majority of physicians plan to vote for Hillary Clinton, Sen. Marco Rubio
The majority of U.S. physicians are voting for Hillary Clinton and Sen. Marco Rubio, according to an Atlanta-based Jackson Healthcare survey. The majority of self-identified Democrats are voting for Hillary Clinton, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio. Of the self-identified Republicans, 33 percent are voting for Sen. Marco Rubio, followed by Donald Trump, Gov. John Kasich and junior Sen. Ted Cruz.
Wyoming boasts the fewest number of physicians
Wyoming, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Montana, Idaho and Delaware rank as the top states with the fewest number of physicians, according to 2016 data from Kaiser State Health Facts.