NOLC Assesses Impact of ACA Implementation

Speakers address organizational, financial, and healthcare delivery issues Mary Ann Porucznik, G. Jake Jaquet, and Elizabeth Fassbender The National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC), held May 1–4 in Washington, D.C., brought together more than 300 orthopaedic surgeons—members of the AAOS Board of Councilors and the leaders of orthopaedic societies belonging to the Board of Specialty Societies—to address issues of concern.

AAOS Releases Musculoskeletal Care Coordination Primer

Recent efforts to implement reforms in the delivery of healthcare services have included a focus on coordinated care—the idea that patients will benefit and costs will be reduced when healthcare providers work together, whether through an accountable care organization, a medical home, or a “patient-centered medical home neighborhood.” “Musculoskeletal care coordination” serves as an umbrella term for the myriad ways orthopaedic surgeons can offer value in these coordinated care models.

Second Look—Advocacy

FDA withdraws original OxyContin; issues compounding pharmacies alerts The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated labeling for Purdue Pharma L.P.’s reformulated OxyContin (oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release) tablets. The new labeling indicates that the product has physical and chemical properties that are expected to make abuse via injection difficult and to reduce abuse via the intranasal route.

Rep. Phil Roe, MD, Reviews IPAB, IOAS, SGR

BOC Secretary John J. McGraw, MD, interviews his Congressional representative Before his election to Congress, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist. He is currently the cochair of the GOP House Doctors’ Caucus, a group of almost 20 physicians serving in Congress. Recently he spoke with John J. McGraw, MD, secretary of the AAOS Board of Councilors.

Patient Satisfaction: An Emerging Health Policy Issue

Brent J. Morris, MD; Alex A. Jahangir, MD; Manish K. Sethi, MD

The need to improve quality in healthcare delivery is increasing. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), hospitals, and insurance providers alike are striving to better define and measure quality of health care. A major component of quality of health care is patient satisfaction. Furthermore, patient satisfaction is critical to how well patients do; research has identified a clear link between patient outcomes and patient satisfaction scores.