An April CBS report examined spinal fusion surgery, using Medicare-released data to discuss trends in fusion use and investigate potentially unnecessary procedures; now CBS is reporting on reaction to their original investigation.
Here are five things to know about the follow-up report:
1. Government agencies — the FBI, Department of Justice and Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services — are using the data released by Medicare as a "starting point and aid" in their investigations. The data presented in the CBS report was "cleaner" and allowed for easier access than before. The recent CBS report mentions at federal authorities opened criminal investigation into at least one particular surgeon since the data was released.
2. Congress members are also taking notice. Senator Orrin Hatch, who has led previous investigations on physician-owned distributorships, said Finance Committee — where he is a ranking member — plans to investigate these reports. Bill Ferguson, state senator from Maryland, is reportedly looking to expand the authority of the state's medical board to use the data, according to the CBS report.
3. Medical boards are using the data for patient safety as well. On the west coast, the Medical Board of California cross-references the CBS report with other information collected on nearly 50 spine surgeons. Medical boards could also use the data to proactive; the Florida Board of Medicine previously opened investigations only after specific complaints were filed, but that could change with the Medicare data release.
4. The Congress of Neurological Surgeons president called on regulators to pay closer attention to the high-volume physicians in the report. Other organizations sent the database out to their members, and the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery endeavored to summarize fusion appropriateness for patients.
The North American Spine Society sent CBS a letter warning about the "hazards of commenting on a particular case without viewing the complete medical record." According to the CBS report, a small number of surgeons perform spinal fusions more frequently than others — exceeding 460 procedures over two years when the national average was 46.
5. Patients now also have information about their spine surgeons with a new level of transparency; this could bring additional insight and accountability to their spine care.
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