Neal H. Shonnard, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Rainier Orthopaedic Institute in Puyallup, Wash., recently argued for importance of a clinician-led national spine outcomes registry, with a particular focus on vertebral compression fractures in AAOS Now.
As government and private payers take comparative effectiveness data into account for reimbursement decisions, the effectiveness of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for VCF remain controversial. The Noridian Administrative Services — a Medicare administrative contractor — local coverage decision requires participation from all spine surgeons in a local surveillance registry tracking outcomes.
Dr. Shonnard recommended clinician-led BenchMarket Medical, a new VCF registry. Washington State also has the Spine Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program, created in 2012, that includes participation from 80 percent of hospitals delivering spine care.
He urges spine surgeons to participate in these initiatives.
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