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Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the use of telemedicine at one academic health care center during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify opportunities to improve access to this novel delivery method of care. Methods: All patients who underwent telemedicine visits at one urban academic medical center between March 2020 and June 2020 were included. All departments were included including surgical and nonsurgical. Demographic data, primary language, and visit type were collected. Primary zip code was used as surrogate for socioeconomic status through use of the zip code median household income. The demographics of the New York metropolitan area were obtained through the U.S. Census Bureau and used as a control cohort. Results: A total of 362,413 telemedicine visits met inclusion criteria with the majority of visits performed in April and May; 127,851 (35.3%) and 110,166 (30.4%), respectively. The highest performing department was Internal Medicine, which performed 72,796 visits or 20% of the total cohort. In our cohort of telemedicine patients, 59.6% identified as White, 11.4% as Black, and 5.7% as Asian. This is less diverse than the overall population of the metropolitan area, which is 17.5% Black and 11.5% Asian. There was also a large gender gap in the utilization of telemedicine services in general, where women (60.2%) were more likely than men (39.8%) to utilize the virtual visits. In addition, although over a third of patients in the Metropolitan area have median household incomes of

INTRODUCTION Overprescribing contributes to the misuse and overuse of narcotics. We hypothesized that implementation of postoperative prescribing guidelines would consistently reduce the amount of opioids prescribed after ambulatory hand surgery. METHODS A divisional protocol was instituted in November 2018. A retrospective cohort study was designed to examine the policy's effects on postoperative prescribing. Postoperative opioid prescriptions for patients undergoing ambulatory hand surgery were evaluated 1 year before and 1 year after policy initiation. All prescriptions were converted into the total oral morphine equivalent (OME) prescribed. RESULTS A total of 1,672 surgeries were included. Six hundred sixty-one cases were in preimplementation group, and 1,011 cases were in the postimplementation group. The median of total OME decreased significantly after distribution of prescribing guidelines from 75 in the preimplementation group to 45 in the postimplementation group (p < .001) with significant reductions seen for carpal tunnel release (p < .001), trigger finger release (p < .001), distal radius open reduction internal fixation (p < .001), and finger closed reduction and pinning (p < .001). When categorized by procedure type, the median of total OME decreased from 75 to 30 for soft tissue procedures (p < .001) and from 120 to 100 for bony procedures (p < .001). CONCLUSION Divisional prescribing guidelines lead to consistent short-term to mid-term reductions in the amount of opioid medication prescribed postoperatively.

Background As the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) moves toward bundled payment plans for total joint arthroplasty (TJA), it becomes necessary to reduce factors that increase cost for an episode of care such as readmissions. The goal of this study is to evaluate the payment for observation stay versus readmission for patients who present to the emergency department. Methods A retrospective review from 2014-2019 was conducted identifying all Medicare patients who had a primary, elective TJA and visited the ED within 90 days postoperatively. If a readmission was one midnight or less or had an equivalent diagnosis to an observation stay patient, it was characterized as a readmission that could have qualified as an observation stay. Using our institution’s average payment for Medicare readmissions and observations, actual and potential savings were calculated. Results Sixty-nine out of 523 (13.2%) patients were placed under observation, while 454 (86.8%) patients were readmitted. Eighty-six out of 523 (18.9%) patients qualified for observation status. There was an actual savings of 11.8% by placing patients on observation status and readmission rate was decreased by 13.2%. Savings could have increased by a total of 27.7% and readmissions decreased by a total of 29.6% if all patients who qualified had been placed on observation status. Conclusion At our institution, the implementation of observation stay has led to a savings of 11.8% and a potential total savings of 27.7%. The rate of readmissions was decreased by 13.2% and had the potential to decrease by a total of 29.6%.

Background: As the opioid crisis has gained national attention, there have been increasing efforts to decrease opioid usage. Simultaneously, patient satisfaction has been a crucial metric in the American health care system and has been closely linked to effective pain management in surgical patients. The purpose of this study was to examine rates of pain medication prescription and concurrent patient satisfaction in spine surgery patients. Methods: A total of 1729 patients undergoing spine surgery between June 25, 2017, and June 30, 2018, at a single institution by surgeons performing ≥20 surgeries per quarter, with medication data during hospitalization available, were assessed. Patients were evaluated for nonopioid pain medication prescription rates and morphine milligram equivalents (MME) of opioids used during hospitalization. Of the total cohort, 198 patients were evaluated for Press Ganey Satisfaction Survey responses. A χ2 test of independence was used to compare percentages, and 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare means across quarters. Results: The mean total MME per patient hospitalization was 574.46, with no difference between quarters. However, mean MME per day decreased over time (P = .048), with highest mean 91.84 in Quarter 2 and lowest 77.50 in Quarter 4. Among all procedures, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroid prescription rates increased, whereas benzodiazepine and γ-aminobutyric acid–analog prescriptions decreased. There were no significant differences between quarters for mean hospital ratings (P = .521) nor for responses to questions from the Press Ganey Satisfaction Survey regarding how often staff talk about pain (P = .164), how often staff talk about pain treatment (P = .595), or whether patients recommended the hospital (P = .096). There were also no differences between quarters for responses in all other patient satisfaction questions (P value range, .359–.988). Conclusions: Over the studied time period, opioid use decreased and nonopioid prescriptions increased during hospitalization, whereas satisfaction scores remained unchanged. These findings indicate an increasing effort in reducing opioid use among providers and suggest the ability to do so without affecting overall satisfaction rates. Level of Evidence: 4. Clinical Relevance: The opioid epidemic has highlighted the need to reduce opioid usage in orthopedic spine surgery. This study reviews the trends for inpatient management of post-op pain in orthopedic spine surgery patients in relation to patient satisfaction. There was a significant increase in non-opioid analgesic pain medications, and a reduction in opioids during the study period. During this time, patient satisfaction as measured by Press-Ganey surveys did not show a decrease. This demonstrates that treatment of post-operative pain in orthopedic spine surgery patients can be managed with less opioids, more multimodal analgesia, and patient satisfaction will not be affected.

BACKGROUND The opioid epidemic in the United States is a public health crisis. As a result, regulatory agencies, including state governments, have enacted initiatives to decrease the use of opioids in the perioperative setting. The purpose of this study was to compare opioid utilization in orthopaedic surgery patients at discrete points after implementation of State regulatory and institution/physician-led initiatives to decrease opioid utilization in the perioperative period. METHODS We reviewed the electronic medication orders for all patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery procedures between September 2015 and June 2018 at our urban academic medical center. The outcome measures were the number of patients who were prescribed opioid medications, duration of prescription (days), and average milligram morphine equivalents prescribed. Patients were divided into three time cohorts to assess the effect of the NY State (NYS) policy and institutional initiatives to decrease opioid utilization. RESULTS A total of 20,483 patients met the inclusion criteria over all three time cohorts. After the initiation of the NYS 7-day supply legislation, there was a decrease in the average supply of opioids prescribed from 10.1 to 7.6 days and the average daily milligram morphine equivalent decreased from 67.9 to 56.7 mg (P < 0.0001). However, with the combination of physician education and surgeon-led institutional initiatives, the percentage of patients who were prescribed opioids decreased by over 10% (96% to 84%), with continued decrease in duration of prescription by 1.0 to 6.4 days (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The addition of institution-led initiatives and education programs to previously established government-led prescription limits produced a substantial reduction in the amount of opioids prescribed to orthopaedic surgery patients in the perioperative period. Although mandatory limits set by the state government resulted in a decreased amount of opioid medications being prescribed per patient, it was only after the introduction of educational programs and institution- and physician-led programs that perioperative patient exposure to opioids decreased. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.

Background There is an increasing utilization of same-day discharge total hip arthroplasty (SDD THA). As the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services considers removing THA from the inpatient-only list, there is likely to be a significant increase in the number of Medicare patients undergoing SDD THA. Thus, there is a need to report on outcomes of SDD THA in this population. Methods A retrospective review was performed on 850 consecutive SDD THA patients including 161 Medicare patients. We compared failure to launch, complication, emergency department visit, and 90-day readmission rates between the Medicare and non-Medicare cohorts. Results The Medicare group was older and had less variability in their admission diagnosis. There was no significant difference in failure to launch, complication, emergency department visit, or 90-day readmission rates between Medicare and non-Medicare groups. Conclusion The benefits of SDD THA can be safely extended to the carefully indicated and motivated Medicare patient.

Objectives To evaluate the causes of 30-day readmissions after orthopedic trauma surgery and classify them based on their relation to the index admission. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting One large, academic, medical center. Participants Patients admitted to a large, academic, medical center for a traumatic fracture injury over a 9-year period. Intervention Assignment of readmission classification. Main outcome measures Readmissions within 30 days of discharge were identified and classified into orthopedic complications, medical complications, and noncomplications. A χ test was performed to assess any difference in the proportion of readmissions between the hospital-reported readmission rate and the orthopedic complication readmission rate. Results One thousand nine hundred fifty-five patients who were admitted between 2011 and 2018 for an acute orthopedic trauma fracture injury were identified. Eighty-nine patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge with an overall readmission rate of 4.55%. Within the 30-day readmission cohort, 30 (33.7%) were the direct result of orthopedic treatment complications, 36 (40.4%) were unrelated medical conditions, and 23 (25.8%) were noncomplications. Thus, the readmission rate directly due to orthopedic treatment complications was 1.53%. A χ test of homogeneity revealed a statistically significant difference between the hospital-reported readmission rate and the orthopedic-treatment complication readmission rate (P Conclusion The use of 30-day readmissions as a measure of hospital quality of care overreports the number of preventable readmissions and penalizes surgeons and hospitals for caring for patients with less optimal health. Level of evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

BACKGROUND: Spine surgery is associated with significant intraoperative blood loss, often leading to transfusion. Patients who receive transfusions have an increased length of stay and risk of perioperative complications. To decrease the transfusion rate, we implemented an evidence-based institution-wide restrictive transfusion blood management guideline. The goal of this study is to describe the impact of this guideline on our spine surgery patients. METHODS: We analyzed the incidence of transfusion following 3709 single-institution, inpatient spine procedures before and after implementation of a revised blood transfusion protocol. The baseline period (1742 patients) from January 2014 to March 2015 was compared to the study period (1967 patients) of April 2015 to July 2016. One patient was excluded because of incomplete medical records. The revised protocol included establishing a postoperative blood transfusion trigger at hemoglobin 7g/dL decreased to 4.9% from 6.1% (P = .09). The rate of transfusions with a prior hemoglobin test increased from 42.0% to 59.1% (P

Background The study assesses whether Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores were influenced by hospital length of stay (LOS) and discharge disposition. Methods HCAHPS scores from 5,682 orthopaedic patients were collected over a 4-year period. Statistical analyses were run to identify associations between Top-Box scores for each HCAHPS domain and LOS or discharge disposition (home versus rehabilitation facility). Results Decreased LOS was associated with increased HCAHPS Top-Box scores for every Top-Box domain except for Discharge composite (P ≤ 0.001 to 0.011). Discharge to home was associated with increased HCAHPS scores for four Top-Box domains (P ≤ 0.001 to 0.009). Discussion Shorter LOS and discharge to home after orthopaedic surgery are associated with better HCAHPS scores. Earlier discharge leads to an improved patient-reported experience and can increase reimbursements. Expedient, appropriate discharge of hospitalized orthopaedic patients should be a treatment goal after orthopaedic surgery.

Private hospital rooms have a number of potential advantages compared to shared rooms, including reduced noise and increased control over the hospital environment. However, the association of room type with patient experience metrics in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients is currently unclear.For private versus shared rooms, we compared our institutional Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores in patients who underwent primary TJA over a 2-year period. Regression model odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for surgeon, date of surgery, and length of stay.Patients in private rooms were more likely to report a top-box score for overall hospital rating (85.6% vs 79.4%, OR = 1.53, P = .011), hospital recommendation (89.3% vs 83.0%, OR = 1.78, P = .002), call button help (76.0% vs 68.7%, OR = 1.40, P = .028), and quietness (70.4% vs 59.0%, OR = 1.78, P.001). There were no significant differences on surgeon metrics including listening (P = .225), explanations (P = .066), or treatment with courtesy and respect (P = .396).For patients undergoing TJA, private hospital rooms were associated with superior performance on patient experience metrics. This association appears specific for global and hospital-related metrics, with little impact on surgeon evaluations. With the utilization of HCAHPS data in value-based initiatives, placement of TJA patients in private rooms may lead to increased reimbursement and higher hospital rankings.Level III, retrospective cohort.

To compare the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among patients with pelvic and/or lower extremity fractures directly admitted to our institution versus those transferred from an outside hospital for definitive management.Retrospective cohort.Tertiary care orthopaedic hospital.Six hundred ninety patients who received definitive care for a lower extremity fracture at our institution between 2010 and 2017.Interfacility transfer for definitive management of pelvic or lower extremity fracture.VTE incidence and time to surgery.The interfacility transfer (TR) group comprised 126 patients, and the direct admission (DA) group comprised 564 patients. TR patients had a significantly higher incidence of VTE compared with the DA group: 9.5% versus 0.7%, respectively (P0.001). Time to surgery was also longer in the TR group compared with the DA group: 3.05 ± 3.00 days versus 2.16 ± 2.42 days, respectively (P = 0.005). Demographics for TR and DA did not significantly differ with regard to age, sex, length of stay, or American Society of Anesthesiologist score. In the TR group, no complete and explicit documentation regarding thromboprophylaxis administration while at the outside facility was found.Patients undergoing interfacility transfer for definitive management of pelvic and lower extremity fractures are at a significantly increased risk of the development of VTE.Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Background: The relaxation of telemedicine (TM) restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption of this technology by many orthopedic practices. The purpose of this study was to exam...

As the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implements value-based reimbursement models based on predetermined outcome measures, access to total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is jeopardized for patients who are disproportionately affected by conditions that predispose them to higher odds of complications. Obesity, depression, and chronic illness, each of which occur at disproportionately higher rates in minorities or individuals in lower socioeconomic brackets, are individually associated with worse TJA postoperative outcomes, including longer hospital lengths of stay and higher rates of readmission within 90 days. Medicaid may even be considered an independent risk factor for worse outcome measures with TJA as enrollees have higher rates of postoperative mortality and complications and longer lengths of stay than patients on Medicare or with private insurance. As same-day discharge for TJA becomes more common, eligibility requirements for the procedure tighten, and existing disparities in access to the procedure will be further exacerbated. The current CMS uniform quality metrics endanger access to TJA for patients in certain racial and socioeconomic groups and oblige physicians who treat more complex patients to jeopardize their reimbursement.

Background Medicare’s Bundled Payments for Care Initiative (BPCI) is a risk-sharing alternative payment model. There is a concern that BPCI providers may avoid operating on obese patients and active smokers to reduce costs. We sought to understand if increased focus on these patient factors has led to a change in patient demographics in Medicare-insured patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent TKA at an academic orthopedic specialty hospital between 1/1/13 and 8/31/19. Surgical date, insurance provider, BMI, and smoking status were collected. Patients were categorized as a current, former, or never smoker. Patients were categorized as obese if their BMI was >30 kg/m2, morbidly obese if their BMI was >40 kg/m2, and super obese if their BMI was >50 kg/m2. Results In total, 10,979 patients with complete insurance information were analyzed. There was no statistically significant change in the proportion of Medicare patients who were active smokers (4.34% in 2013, 4.85% in 2019, Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.6092, P = .146). The proportion of Medicare patients with BMI >30 kg/m2 increased over the study period (35.84% in 2013, 55.77% in 2019, Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.8505, P = .015). When looking at patients with BMI >40 kg/m2 and >50 kg/m2, there was no significant change. Conclusions Despite concern that reimbursement payments could alter access to care for patients with certain risk factors, this study did not find a noticeable difference in the representation of patients with obesity and smoking status undergoing TKA following the installation of BPCI. Level of Evidence III, retrospective observational analysis.

Background Access to elective total knee arthroplasty is important in the treatment of end-stage arthritis, and numerous initiatives, including Medicaid expansion, have sought to improve patients' ability to undergo this procedure. However, despite this, the role of Medicaid insurance in patient outcomes remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature to explore the relationship between preoperative Medicaid insurance status and outcomes following primary total knee arthroplasty. Methods A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify studies examining outcomes in patients who had Medicaid and were undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Studies including complex revision operations or less common indications for total knee arthroplasty were excluded. Data on insurance status, postoperative complications, length of stay, readmissions, and subsequent revision surgical procedures were collected for each article. Results A total of 13 studies showing 6.18 million patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were included in the qualitative synthesis. Seven analyses described an important association between Medicaid coverage and short-term readmissions, and 2 analyses showed a relationship between Medicaid and prolonged length of stay. However, the included studies did not describe a significant association between Medicaid and postoperative mortality or revision rates. Conclusions Patients with Medicaid undergoing total knee arthroplasty may be more likely to experience an increased length of stay and to be readmitted postoperatively. The unique factors associated with these patients may help to inform customized perioperative surveillance and optimization to improve outcomes in this group. Level of evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

To determine whether deep surgical site infection (dSSI) rate exhibits temporal variability, dSSI rates following 98,068 cases were analyzed. The overall dSSI rate decreased significantly between 2009 and 2018. Summer had a significantly greater rate of dSSI than winter. There was no difference in dSSI rate in July versus other months.

Background In an effort to control cost and increase value, Medicare is transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based alternative payment models (APMs). The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative represents one such voluntary APM. BPCI offers four different bundling options: model 1 covers all Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) and Models 2–4 cover 48 clinical episodes, including 186 separate DRGs. Questions/Purposes The purpose of this investigation is to analyze and compare the cost savings achieved by two different BPCI program participants, provider A and provider B, enrolled in different models of BPCI (Models 2 and 3) for lower extremity joint replacements (LEJRs). Methods We analyzed the BPCI cost savings for Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) 469 and 470 (lower extremity joint replacement) of two different BPCI program participants. One (provider A) participated in Model 2 while the other (provider B) participated in Model 3. Retrospective payments were based upon savings generated by decreased actual expenses reconciled against target pricing for the episode of care in Models 2 and 3. Results The Model 2 participant reduced the average cost of all episodes by 18.45%, with all of the savings occurring in the post acute phase. The Model 3 participant reduced episode costs by 16.73%. Conclusion Both BPCI providers achieved similar cost savings despite participating in different BPCI models. These cost savings all occurred in the post acute setting. The Model 2 provider achieved post acute savings through decreasing overall discharges to institutional post acute care (PAC) providers and decreasing readmissions, while the Model 3 provider decreased costs largely by decreasing the LOS for the institutional PAC providers and decreasing readmissions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11420-017-9571-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background To quantify how baseline differences in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for fracture vs elective care potentially lead to significant differences in immediate health care outcomes and whether these differences affect feasibility of current bundled payment models. Methods New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database for the years 2000-2014. Results A total of 76,654 patients underwent total hip arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty between 2010 and 2014; 82.8% of the sample was for elective care and 17.2% for fracture-related etiology. Fracture patients were significantly older, more likely to be female, Caucasian, reimbursed by Medicare, and receive general anesthesia. Comorbidity burden and postoperative complications were significantly higher in the fracture group, and hospital charges were significantly greater for fracture patients as compared with those of the elective cohort. Conclusion Patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for fracture care are significantly older and have more medical comorbidities than patients treated on an elective basis, leading to more in-hospital complications, greater length of stay, increased hospital costs, and significantly more hospital readmissions. The present bundled payment system, even with the recent modification, still unfairly penalizes hospitals that manage fracture patients and has the potential to incentivize hospitals to defer providing definitive surgical management for these patients. Future amendments to the bundled payment system should consider further separating hip arthroplasty patients based on etiology and comorbidities, allowing for a more accurate reflection of these distinct patient groups.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is used to reduce blood loss in orthopedic total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study evaluates the effectiveness of TXA in reducing transfusions and hospital cost in TJA. Participants undergoing elective TJA were stratified into 2 cohorts: those not receiving and those receiving intravenous TXA. TXA decreased total hip arthroplasty (THA) transfusions from 22.7% to 11.9%, and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from 19.4% to 7.0%. The average direct hospital cost reduction for THA and TKA was $3083 and $2582, respectively. Implementation of a TJA TXA protocol significantly reduced transfusions in a safe and cost-effective manner.

BACKGROUND As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states were given the option of expanding Medicaid coverage to include adults younger than age 65 years with income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. Although this expansion was intended to provide health care coverage to an estimated 20 million Americans, several studies have shown increased coverage does not equate to increased access to care by specialty providers. METHODS We queried the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database and identified all patients who underwent the 10 most common elective orthopaedic surgeries from January 1, 2012, through March 31, 2016. Medicaid monthly enrollment for the 4-year study period was obtained from NY Department of Health Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Reports. RESULTS Our query identified 700,159 patients who underwent the investigated orthopaedic surgeries. Of these, 60,786 were Medicaid recipients. During the 4-year study period, Medicaid enrollment and the number of procedures reimbursed by Medicaid increased significantly (P < 0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS Affordable Care Act-supported Medicaid expansion was associated with an increase in Medicaid enrollment and a concomitant increase in the utilization of orthopaedic surgery by Medicaid beneficiaries in New York State.

Study Design. A retrospective review of an administrative database. Objective. The purpose of this study is to determine the current extent of regionalization by mapping lumbar spine procedures according to hospital and patient zip code, as well as examine the rate of growth of lumbar spine procedures performed at high-, medium-, and low-volume institutions in New York State. Summary of background data. The association between hospital and spine surgeon volume and improved patient outcomes is well established. There is no study investigating the actual process of patient migration to high-volume hospitals. Methods. New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) administrative data were used to identify 228,695 lumbar spine surgery patients from 2005 to 2014. The data included the patients’ zip code, hospital of operation, and year of discharge. The volume of lumbar spine surgery in New York State was mapped according to patient and hospital 3-digit zip code. New York State hospitals were categorized as low, medium, and high volume and descriptive statistics were used to determine trends in changes in hospital volume. Results. Lumbar spine surgery recipients are widely distributed throughout the state. Procedures are regionalized on a select few metropolitan centers. The total number of procedures grew 2.5% over the entire 10-year-period. High-volume hospital caseload increased 50%, from 7253 procedures in 2005 to 10,915 procedures in 2014. The number of procedures at medium and low-volume hospitals decreased 30% and 13%, respectively. Conclusions. Despite any concerted effort aimed at moving orthopedic patients to high-volume hospitals, migration to high-volume centers occurred. Public interest in quality outcomes and cost, as well as financial incentives among medical centers to increase market share, potentially influence the migration of patients to high-volume centers. Further regionalization has the potential to exacerbate the current level of disparities among patient populations at low and high-volume hospitals. Conclusions. Level of Evidence: 3

The abuse of prescription opioid pain medication has contributed to the U.S. opioid crisis. Opioid stewardship programs ensure that our patients receive the safest and most effective opioid regimens. Opioid stewardship programs involve a multidisciplinary team, including pharmacists, orthopaedic surgeons, nurses, pain management personnel, and anesthesiologists. All of these stakeholders work together to formulate the best evidence-based use of these medications.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of Medicare claims and procedure details from a single institution participation in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) program. OBJECTIVE To analyze the effects of the BPCI program on patient outcome metrics and cost data. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The BPCI program was designed to improve the value of care provided to patients, but the financial consequences of this system remain largely unknown. We present 2 years of data from participation in the lumbar spine fusion bundle at a large, urban, academic institution. METHODS In 2013 and 2014, all Medicare patients undergoing lumbar spine fusions for DGR 459 (spinal fusion except cervical with major complication or comorbidity [MCC]) and 460 (without MCC) at our institution were enrolled in the BPCI program. We compared the BPCI cohort to a baseline cohort of patients under the same diagnosis related groups (DRGs) from 2009 to 2012 from which the target price was established. RESULTS Three hundred fifty patients were enrolled into the BPCI program, while the baseline group contained 518 patients. When compared with the baseline cohort, length of stay decreased (4.58 ± 2.51 vs. 5.13 ± 3.75; P = 0.009), readmission rate was unchanged, and discharges with home health aid increased. Nonetheless, we were unable to effect an episode-based cost savings ($52,655 ± 27,028 vs. $48,913 ± 24,764). In the larger DRG 460 group, total payments increased in the BPCI group ($51,105 ± 26,347 vs. $45,934 ± 19,638, P = 0.001). Operative data demonstrated a more complex patient mix in the BPCI cohort. The use of interbody fusions increased from 2% to 16% (P

Opioid addiction affects patients of every race, sex, and socioeconomic status. Overprescribing is a known cause of the opioid crisis. Various agencies have implemented requirements and programs to combat practitioner overprescribing; however, there can be adverse ethical consequences when regulations are used to influence physician behavior. We aimed to explore the ethical aspects of some of these interventions.We reviewed various interventions for opioid prescribing through the lens of ethical inquiry. Specifically, we evaluated (1) requirements for educational programs for prescribers and patients, (2) prescription monitoring programs, (3) prescription limits, (4) development of condition-specific pain management guidelines, (5) increased utilization of naloxone, and (6) opioid disposal programs. We also evaluated patient satisfaction survey questions relating to pain.The present analysis demonstrated that the following regulatory interventions are ethically sound: requirements for educational programs for prescribers and patients, robust prescription monitoring programs that cross state lines, increased prescribing of naloxone for at-risk patients, development of condition-specific pain management guidelines, improvement of opioid disposal programs, and elimination of pain-control questions from patient satisfaction surveys. However, implementation of strict prescribing limits without accommodation for procedure and patient characteristics may have negative ethical consequences.Although the importance of addressing the current opioid crisis cannot be understated, as surgeons, we must examine ethical implications of any new regulations that affect musculoskeletal patient care.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine if nutritional screening could be used as a predictor for the development of complications and hospital readmissions. Methods A variation of the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) score was collected for all inpatients with orthopaedic trauma on admission to our hospital from 2009 to 2011. We retrospectively compared each patient's MUST score with the subsequent development of infection, venous thromboembolism, respiratory failure, ulceration, or readmission. Finally, a chart review was performed to collect comorbidity data and evaluate Charlson comorbidity indexes to estimate the overall health of each patient with an available MUST. Results Of the 796 consecutive patients in our total cohort, 57.7% (n = 459) were of normal nutritional status and 42.3% (n = 337) exhibited at least 1 sign of malnutrition. In patients with normal nutrition, 2.8% developed at least one of the specified complications, and we observed a complication-to-patient ratio of 0.033. In patients with signs of malnutrition, 8.0% developed at least 1 complication with a complication-to-patient ratio of 0.101. This difference was significant (P = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that each additional point in a patient's nutrition score corresponded to a 49.5% increase in the odds of developing a complication when controlling for other factors (odds ratio = 1.495, confidence interval = 1.120-1.997, P = 0.006). Charlson comorbidity indexes were not significantly associated with total complications when MUST scores used were a covariant. Discussion and conclusions Patients treated for fractures and dislocations with any sign of malnutrition according to the MUST score were more than twice as likely to acquire some combination of infection, venous thromboembolism, respiratory failure, or other reason for readmission than those of normal nutritional status. Increasing levels of malnourishment corresponded with increasing risk for developing complications, whereas these complications were not necessarily associated with higher comorbidity. An assessment of a fracture patient's nutritional status should be considered a factor in evaluating risks related to fracture care. The MUST score is a predictive tool. These data have important implications for hospitals whose fiscal reimbursement is dependent on the maintenance of defined quality measures. Level of evidence Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Objectives: To determine whether bundled payments are feasible in the orthopaedic fracture setting, and the potential economic implications of this reimbursement structure. Design: Prospective. Setting: Multicenter. Patients/Participants: Between 2004 and 2014, a total of 23,643 operatively treated patients with fracture and 544,067 patients with total joint arthroplasty (TJA) were identified using the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Interventions: Severity of illness (SOI), hospital charges ($USD), length of stay (LOS; days), and discharge disposition (homebound vs. not) were collected. Main Outcome Measurements: Patients were subdivided into groups of minor and severe SOI. Differences in hospital charges, LOS, and discharge disposition were analyzed. Differences in charges, LOS, and discharges were further analyzed based on minor and severe SOI. Results: The difference in hospital charge between patients with minor or severe SOI undergoing elective TJA ranged between 153% and 211%. In contrast, patients undergoing fracture surgery exhibited differences ranging from 314% to 489% between minor and severe SOI levels. Similar differences were observed regarding mean hospital LOS and homebound discharge disposition, with patients with fracture demonstrating greater sensitivity to increasing SOI. Conclusions: Although bundled payments may be a viable option for patients undergoing elective TJA, this payment model requires particular attention when applied to fracture care.

Background The frequency of total joint arthroplasties (TJAs) performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is increasing. However, not all TJA patients are healthy enough to safely undergo these procedures in an ambulatory setting. We examined the percentage of arthroplasty patients who would be eligible to have the procedure performed in a free-standing ASC and the distribution of comorbidities making patients ASC-ineligible. Methods We reviewed the charts of 3444 patients undergoing TJA and assigned ASC eligibility based on American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status, a set of exclusion criteria, and any existing comorbidities. Results Overall, 70.03% of all patients undergoing TJA were eligible for ASC. Of the ASA class 3 patients who did not meet any exclusion criteria but had systemic disease (51.11% of all ASA class 3 patients), 53.69% were deemed ASC-eligible because of sufficiently low severity of comorbidities. The most frequent reasons for ineligibility were body mass index >40 kg/m 2 (32.66% of ineligible patients), severity of comorbidities (28.00%), and untreated obstructive sleep apnea (25.19%). Conclusion A large proportion of TJA patients were found to be eligible for surgery in an ASC, including over one-third of ASA class 3 patients. ASC performed TJA provides an opportunity for increased patient satisfaction and decreased costs, selecting the right candidates for the ambulatory setting is critical to maintain patient safety and avoid postoperative complications.

Favorable patient experience and low complication rates have been proposed as essential components of patient-centered medical care. Patients' perception of care is a key performance metric and is used to determine payments to hospitals. It is unclear if there is a correlation between technical quality of care and patient satisfaction. The study authors correlated patient perceptions of care measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores with accepted quality of care indicators. The Hospital Compare database (4605 hospitals) was used to examine complication rates and patient-reported experience for hospitals across the nation in 2011. The majority of the correlations demonstrated an inverse relationship between patient experience and complication rates. This negative correlation suggests that reducing these complications can lead to a better hospital experience. Overall, these results suggest that patient experience is generally correlated with the quality of care provided.

Previous studies have demonstrated no significant difference in overall functional outcomes of patients discharged to a sub acute setting versus home with health services after total joint arthroplasty. These findings coupled with pressure to reduce health care costs and the implementation of a prospective payment system under Medicare have supported the use of home rehabilitation services and the trend towards earlier discharge after hospitalization. While the overall functional outcome of patients discharged to various settings has been studied, there is a relative dearth of investigation comparing postoperative complications and readmission rates between various discharge dispositions. Our study demonstrated patients discharged home with health services had a significantly lower 30 day readmission rate compared to those discharged to inpatient rehab facilities. Patients discharged to rehab facilities have a higher incidence of comorbidity and this association could be responsible for their higher rate of readmission.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of hospital volume and charges on the rate of surgical site infections for total hip replacements (THRs) in New York State (NYS). In NYS, higher volume hospitals have higher charges after THR. The study team analyzed 93 620 hip replacements performed in NYS between 2008 and 2011. Hospital charges increased significantly from $43 713 in 2008 to $50 652 in 2011 (P < .01). Compared with lower volume hospitals, patients who underwent THR at the highest volume hospitals had significantly lower surgical site infection rates (P = .003) and higher total hospital charges (P < .0001). The study team found that in the highest volume hospitals, preventing one surgical site infection was associated with $1.6 million dollars in increased charges.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT As the opioid crisis has gained national attention, there has been an increasing effort to decrease opioid usage. Simultaneously, patient satisfaction is a crucial metric in the American health care system, and has been closely linked to effective pain management in surgical patients. PURPOSE Examine rates of pain medication prescription and concurrent patient satisfaction in spine surgery patients. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 1,729 patients undergoing any spine surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES Rates of non-opioid pain medication prescriptions during hospitalization as part of a multimodal analgesia regimen, morphine milligram equivalents (MME) of opioids used during hospitalization, Press Ganey Satisfaction Survey data. METHODS Patients ≥18yo undergoing spine surgery between 6/25/2017-6/30/2018 at a single institution by spine surgeons performing ≥20 surgeries/quarter and who had medication data during hospitalization available included. Additional data collected included physician and procedure type. All data analyzed by quarter. Chi-squared test to compare percentages and ANOVA to compare means across quarters. Multivariate regression used to compare procedure-specific trends, controlling for age, revision and level of pain. Significance set at p RESULTS A total of 1,759 patients were included, 427 in Quarter 1 (Q1), 439 in Q2, 453 in Q3 and 440 in Q4. Mean total MME per patient hospitalization was 574.46, no significant difference between quarters (p=0.116). Mean MME/day per patient decreased between quarters (p=0.048), with highest mean 91.84 in Q2 and lowest 77.50 in Q4. From Q1 to Q4, three physicians had decreased mean MME/day (75.47→50.92, p=0.023; 115.70→46.05, p=0.013; 92.89→69.53, p=0.42, respectively) and two physicians had decreased total MME (815.88→243.15, p=0.004; 706.79→451.72, p=0.014, respectively). MME/day decreased (74.78→52.37, p=0.046) for discectomy cases. Controlling for age, revision and level of pain, total MME decreased for discectomies (p=0.006). Among all procedures, acetaminophen, NSAID and steroid prescription rates increased (9.13%→17.05%, p=0.001; 6.32%→9.77%, p=0.048; 9.13%→17.05%, p=0.001, respectively). This was also the case in fusion patients specifically (9.09%→17.99%, p=0.002; 2.77%→5.76%, p=0.024; 9.09%→17.99%, p=0.002, respectively). NSAID prescription in laminectomy patients also increased (3.23%→4.89%, p=0.041). Concurrently, benzodiazepine and GABA analog prescriptions decreased among all procedures (19.20%→10.68%, p CONCLUSIONS Over the studied time period, opioid use decreased and nonopioid prescriptions increased during hospitalization, while satisfaction scores remained unchanged. These findings indicate an increasing effort in reducing opioid use amongst providers, and suggest the ability to do so without impacting overall satisfaction rates. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.

The rate of unplanned 30-day readmissions to the hospital after discharge is being used as a marker to compare the quality of care across hospitals and to set reimbursement levels for care. While the readmission rate can be reported using administrative data, the accuracy of these data is variable, and defining which readmissions are unplanned and preventable is often difficult. The purpose of this study was to review readmissions to a single orthopedic hospital to identify the causes for readmission and, in particular, which readmissions are planned versus unplanned. Using that hospital's administrative database of patient records from 2007 to 2009, we identified all patients who were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of a previous hospitalization for a procedure. Readmissions were broadly categorized as planned (a staged or rescheduled procedure or a direct transfer) or unplanned. Unplanned readmissions were defined as either surgical or nonsurgical complications (medical conditions not directly related to the procedure). Almost 30 percent of readmissions were planned. Of the unplanned readmissions, close to 60 percent were triggered by an infection or a concern for an infection. Nonsurgical complications accounted for 18.2 percent of unplanned readmissions. This study highlights the importance of careful data collection and abstraction when calculating early readmission rates. Preventing surgical site infection and better coordinating care between orthopedic surgeons and primary care and medical subspecialty physicians may significantly reduce readmission rates.

Background The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is transitioning Medicare from a fee-for-service program into a value-based pay-for-performance program. In order to accomplish this goal, CMS initiated 3 programs that attempt to define quality and seek to reward high-performing hospitals and penalize poor-performing hospitals. These programs include (1) penalties for hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), (2) penalties for excess readmissions for certain conditions, and (3) performance on value-based purchasing (VBP). The objective of this study was to determine whether high-volume total joint hospitals perform better in these programs than their lower-volume counterparts. Methods We analyzed data from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database on total New York State hospital discharges from 2013 to 2015 for total knee and total hip arthroplasty. This was compared to data from Hospital Compare on HAC's, excess readmissions, and VBP. From these databases, we identified 123 hospitals in New York, which participated in all 3 Medicare pay-for-performance programs and performed total joint replacements. Results Over the 3-year period spanning 2013-2015, hospitals in New York State performed an average of 1136.59 total joint replacement surgeries and achieved a mean readmission penalty of 0.005909. The correlation coefficient between surgery volume and combined performance score was 0.277. Of these correlations, surgery volume and VBP performance, and surgery volume and combined performance showed statistical significance ( P Conclusion Our study demonstrates that there is a positive association between joint replacement volumes and overall hospital quality, as well as joint replacement volumes and VBP performance, specifically. These findings are consistent with previously reported associations between patient outcomes and procedure volumes. However, a relationship between joint replacement volume and HAC scores or readmission penalties could not be demonstrated.

The incidence of wrong-site surgery in orthopaedics is unknown. This is due to a lack of data regarding the exact numbers of surgical procedures performed and a lack of a uniform mandatory error reporting infrastructure. Twenty-one percent of hand surgeons, 50% of spinal surgeons, and 8.3% of knee surgeons surveyed have reported performing at least one wrong-site surgery during their career. Every orthopaedic surgeon, no matter his or her orthopaedic subspecialty, is at risk for completing a wrong-site surgery during his or her career. Prevention of wrong-site surgery should remain a priority for the orthopaedic community. Surgeon leadership, commitment, and vigilance are critical to improve patient safety by ensuring that validated safety processes are used in all orthopaedic settings including effective surgical team communication, checklists, and routine collection and analysis of quality and safety data.

Background Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTA) is the gold standard for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) but involves radiation and iodinated contrast exposure. Of orthopedic patients evaluated for PE, a minority have a positive CTA study. Herein, we evaluate end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ) as a method to identify patients at low risk for PE and may not require a CTA. We hypothesize that ETCO 2 will be useful for predicting the absence of PE in postoperative orthopedic patients. Methods In this prospective study, all patients older than 18 years who were admitted for orthopedic surgery and who had a CTA performed for PE were eligible. These patients underwent an ETCO 2 measurement. Patients were determined to have PE if they had a positive PE-protocol CT. Results Between May 2014 and April 2015, 121 patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. Of these patients, 84 had a negative CTA examination, 25 had a positive examination, and 12 had a nondiagnostic examination. We found a statistically significant difference ( P = .03) when comparing the average ETCO 2 values for the positive and negative CTA groups. An ETCO 2 cutoff value of 43 mm Hg was 100% sensitive with a negative predictive value of 100% for absence of PE on CTA. Conclusion This study demonstrates a significant difference in ETCO 2 measurements between postoperative orthopedic patients with and without CTA-detected PE. A cutoff value of >43 mm Hg may be useful in excluding patients from undergoing CTA.

Study Design. Retrospective review of medical records. Objective. We reviewed all early readmissions after elective spine surgery at a single orthopedic specialty hospital to analyze the causes of unplanned readmissions. Summary of Background Data. Recent advances in techniques and instrumentation have made more complex spinal surgeries possible, although sometimes with more complications. Early readmission rate is being used as a marker to evaluate quality of care. There is little data available regarding the causes of early readmissions after spine surgery. Methods. Using the hospital's administrative database of patient records from 2007 to 2009, all patients who underwent spine surgery and were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days were identified and broadly categorized as planned (a staged or rescheduled procedure or a direct transfer) or unplanned. Unplanned readmissions were defined to have occurred as a result of either a surgical or a nonsurgical complication. Analysis was focused on 12 common spine procedures based on the principle procedure International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code for the patient's initial admission. The readmission rate was calculated for each procedure. Results. A total of 156 early readmissions were identified, of which 141 were unplanned. Of the unplanned readmissions, the most common causes were infection or a concern for an infection (45 patients, 32% of unplanned readmissions), nonsurgical complications (31 patients, 22% of readmissions), complications requiring surgical revision (21 patients, 15% of readmissions), and wound drainage (12 patients, 9% of readmissions). Fifty-seven percent of unplanned readmissions required a return to the operating room (76% of infections or concern for infection). The average length of stay for the unplanned readmissions was 6.5 days. When using the 12 most common procedures based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, the early readmission rate was 3.8% (141 early readmissions in 3673 procedures). Conclusion. Infection, medical complications after surgery, and surgical complications requiring revision of implants are the primary causes of unplanned early readmissions and spine surgery. Further studies are necessary to identify patients and procedures most associated with readmission.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) and associated complications on cost, length of stay, and inpatient mortality after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of an ankle fracture, and the implications of these variables during a time of health care payment reform. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database, which includes all admissions to New York State hospitals from 2000 to 2011. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS A total of 58,748 patients were identified as having undergone the primary procedure of ORIF of the ankle (ICD-9-CM procedure code 79.36). INTERVENTION ORIF of the ankle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Cost, length of stay, and inpatient mortality. RESULTS Of the 58,748 patients evaluated, 7501 (12.8%) had DM. Mean length of stay and total hospital charges were significantly greater for the DM cohort compared to the without DM cohort (P < 0.01). Patients with DM had greater Charlson Comorbidity Index scores and greater in-hospital mortality than patients without DM (both P < 0.01). Of the patients with diabetes, 1098/7501 had complicated diabetes mellitus (C-DM). Patients with C-DM stayed 2.4 days longer and were $6895 more costly than those with diabetes alone (both P < 0.01). Patients with C-DM also had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate than those with diabetes alone. CONCLUSIONS Patients with diabetes admitted to the hospital for ankle ORIF have more expensive hospital stays and higher in-hospital mortality rates than patients without diabetes. The presence of diabetic complications further increases these risks. These data will help provide risk-adjustment for future health care payment reform initiatives. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Increasing attention has been placed on providing higher quality and safer patient care. This requires the development of a new set of competencies to better understand and navigate the system and lead the orthopaedic team. While still trying to learn and develop these competencies, the academic orthopaedist is also expected to model and teach them.The orthopaedic surgeon must understand what is being measured and why, both for purposes of providing better care and to eliminate unnecessary expense in the system. Metrics currently include hospital-acquired conditions, "never events," and thirty-day readmission rates. More will undoubtedly follow.Although commitment and excellence at the individual level are essential, the orthopaedist must think at the systems level to provide the highest value of care. A work culture characterized by respect and trust is essential to improved communication, teamwork, and confidential peer review. An increasing number of resources, both in print and electronic format, are available for us to understand what we can do now to improve quality and safety.Resident education in quality and safety is a fundamental component of the systems-based practice competency, the Next Accreditation System, and the Clinical Learning Environment Review. This needs to be longitudinally integrated into the curriculum and applied parallel to the development of resident knowledge and skill, and will be best learned if resident learning is experiential and taught within a genuine culture of quality and safety.

In order to control the unsustainable rise in healthcare costs the Federal Government is experimenting with the bundled payment model for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). In this risk sharing model, providers are given one payment, which covers the costs of the TJA, as well as any additional medical costs related to the procedure for up to 90 days. The amount and severity of comorbid conditions strongly influence readmission rates and costs of readmissions in TJA patients. We identified 2026 TJA patients from our database with APR-DRG SOI data for use in this study. Both the costs of readmission and the readmission rate tended to increase as severity of illness increased. The readmission burden also increased as SOI increased, but increased most markedly in the extreme SOI patients.

Reducing the cost of total joint implants can significantly reduce the cost of an episode of care without affecting the quality. In 2011 we began a program to decrease and standardize the pricing of total joint implants. In the first year of the intervention we preformed 1,090 and 1,022 unilateral total knee and total hip arthroplasties respectively. Based on our volume and pricing data, our institution saved over $2 million during the first year of this intervention. It is clear that our initiative to negotiate lower implant cost with our vendors has lead to a significant reduction in the cost of joint arthroplasties and a reduction in the variability in costs between physicians.

Background Hospital reimbursement for Medicare/Medicaid/self-pay patients has not kept pace with rising expenses, and even well run efficient organizations struggle to maintain a positive margin on these cases. Therefore, hospitals rely on commercially insured patients to remain economically viable. However, hospitals located in areas with a high Medicare/Medicaid/uninsured population cannot depend on a favorable payer mix for financial sustainability. Methods Using the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database, total joint arthroplasties (TJAs) in New York from 2000 to 2012 were identified. Hospitals were divided into quartiles by volume, with quartile 1 representing the lowest volume hospitals. TJA cases were stratified by primary payer type, and the percentage of each primary payer type was calculated and compared among quartiles. Results The highest number of hospitals performing TJAs was 207 in 2000, and the least number of hospitals was in 2012, with only 178 hospitals performing TJA. Despite the decrease in the number of hospitals, the total number of joint arthroplasties increased from 33,036 in 2000 to 62,104 in 2012. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that higher volume hospitals tended to have a more favorable payer mix (less Medicare/Medicaid/self-pay patients). This inequity widened over the 12-year study period. This trend has ethical implications for lower socioeconomic status patients as high-volume centers tend to have superior outcomes compared with low-volume centers. In addition, the lower volume high Medicare/Medicaid/self-pay hospitals are more susceptible to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services quality penalties making their economic viability even more tenuous potentially leading to access of care problems for these patients.

The demand for spinal surgery and its costs have both risen over the past decade. In 2008 the aggregate hospital bill for surgical care of all spinal procedures was reported to be $33.9 billion. One key driver of rising costs is spinal implants. In 2011 our institution implemented a cost containment programme for spinal implants which was designed to reduce the prices of individual spinal implants and to reduce the inter-surgeon variation in implant costs. Between February 2012 and January 2013, our spinal surgeons performed 1493 spinal procedures using implants from eight different vendors. By applying market analysis and implant cost data from the previous year, we established references prices for each individual type of spinal implant, regardless of vendor, who were required to meet these unit prices. We found that despite the complexity of spinal surgery and the initial reluctance of vendors to reduce prices, significant savings were made to the medical centre. Cite this article: 2015; 97-B:1102–5.

We explored the average cost of 94,197 total knee and 78,541 total hip arthroplasties (TKA and THA) using the New York State Hospital Inpatient Cost Transparency database to evaluate the effect of beneficiary health status on hospital reported cost for the two operations. Using the 3M APR-DRG severity of illness index as a measure of patient's health status, we found a significant increase in cost for both TKA and THA for patients with higher severity of illness index. This study confirms the greater cost and variability of TKA and THA for patients with increased severity of illness and illustrates the inherent unpredictability in cost forecasting and budgeting for these same patients.

There is currently wide variation in the use and cost of post acute care following total joint arthroplasty. Additionally the optimum setting to which patients should be discharged after surgery is controversial. Discharge patterns following joint replacement vary widely between physicians at our institution, however, only weak correlations were found between the cost of discharge and length of stay or readmission rates. The inter-physician variance in discharge cost did not correlate to a difference in quality, as measured by length of stay and readmission rates, but does imply there is significant opportunity to modify physician discharge practices without impacting patient outcomes and the quality of care.

Summary: The purpose of our pre-post intervention study was to reduce the number of near-miss events pertaining to wrong-site surgery, including incorrectly sided surgical bookings and incorrectly per- formed preoperative time-out procedures. Pre- and postintervention, in- correctly booked cases, and improperly performed presurgical time-out procedures were recorded. We then educated each surgeon and their staff regarding the importance of and proper way to perform these tasks. Sub- sequently, the monthly percentage of incorrectly booked surgical proce- dures and improperly performed time-outs were significantly decreased. Introduction: In 2004, the Joint Commission published comprehensive guidelines to prevent wrong-site surgery. Seven years have passed, and the incidence has not declined. The Joint Commission estimates that in the United States, wrong-site procedures including surgeries occur at least 40 times a week. "Near misses" are events that could have harmed a patient, but did not due to chance or mitigation. Improperly performed time-out procedures and inaccurate surgical bookings are considered near misses and could ultimately lead to "never events," such as wrong- site surgery. Near-miss analysis is a highly effective method of preventing rare, "never events." We hypothesize that proper education of surgeons and staff will be effective in reducing the number of near misses. Methods: All cases analyzed were performed at an academic, orthope- dic surgery specialty institution. From August 2010 to May 2011, near misses were identified and stored in Patient Safety Net (PSN), an elec- tronic database. We tracked these cases and educated each offending attending physician and his or her staff about the importance of accurate surgical bookings. Additionally, we began an observational program to carefully review presurgical time-out procedures as they occurred. We tracked the percentage of these improperly performed time-outs and counseled offenders (attending surgeon, or any member of the operating room staff who made the error) regarding the deficiencies that caused the time-out to be ineffective. The number of near misses that occurred before and after the interventions were recorded and analyzed. Results: Of the 12,215 cases included in this study, 6,126 cases formu- lated the "pre-education" cohort, while a total of 6,089 cases formulated the "post-education" cohort. In the first four months of the study, the monthly rate of incorrectly booked cases was 0.75%. Since the interven- tion, the rate decreased to 0.41% (p = .0139). The percentage of improp- erly performed time-out procedures decreased from 18.7% to 5.9% after the educational interventions were performed (p < .0001). Conclusion: A program designed to educate physicians to the impor- tance of decreasing near misses for wrong-site surgery is effective. When analyzing the literature, it is clear that the reduction in near misses ob- served in this study decreases the likelihood of a wrong-site surgery.

article i nfo The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed bundling of payments for acute care episodes for certain procedures, including total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to quantify the readmission burden of TJA as a function of readmission rate and reimbursement for the bundled payment. Using the hospital's administrative database, we identified all unplanned 30-day readmissions following index admissions for total hip and total knee arthroplasty, and revision hip and knee arthroplasty among Medicare beneficiaries from 2009 to 2012. For each group, we determined 30-day readmission rates and direct costs of each readmission. The hospital cost margins for Medicare TJAs are small and any decrease in these margins can potentially make performing these procedures economically unfeasible potentially decreasing Medicare patient access.