Advocacy as an Active-Duty Member of the Military

Chad A. Krueger, MD; Kristin Leighty

Advocacy is an important part of the movement toward improving the delivery of orthopaedic care. However, for orthopaedicsts who are members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard, participation in advocacy efforts may lead to some contention and confusion about what is or is not allowed.

What the ACA Delays Mean

Alexandra Blumer; Rachel V. Thakore, BS; A. Alex Jahangir, MD; Hassan R. Mir, MD; Manish K. Sethi, MD

Alexandra Blumer; Rachel V. Thakore, BS; A. Alex Jahangir, MD; Hassan R. Mir, MD; and Manish K. Sethi, MD The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in 2010, will change the U.S. healthcare system more than any other legislation since the Social Security amendments that created Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The ACA promises all Americans access to affordable medical coverage.

Second Look Advocacy

FDA issues caution on acetaminophen The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified healthcare professionals and patients that acetaminophen has been associated with a risk of rare but serious skin reactions. Such skin reactions—known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis—can be fatal and can occur with first-time use of acetaminophen or at any time while it is being taken.

Understanding Online Physician Ratings

David B. Bumpass, MD; Julie Balch Samora, MD, PhD, MPH

Over the past decade, consumer information has been revolutionized by the explosion of websites that provide ratings and customer feedback on nearly everything, including physicians. With a few clicks, potential patients can look up a doctor and find a variety of “star” gradings, feedback posts, and biographical information, often without the physician’s submitting any data or providing permission to the website.

Stage 2 Meaningful Use Deadline Nears

Kevin Kwon

Under current regulations, Stage 2 meaningful use requirements become effective on Oct. 1, 2013, for eligible hospitals and on Jan. 1, 2014, for eligible professionals. As these effective dates near, discussions regarding Stage 2 implementation have intensified.

Budget Battles Loom in Washington

According to AAOS Advocacy Now, a bimonthly enewsletter prepared by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) office of government relations, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have just 9 scheduled legislative days in September to address critical spending issues, including funding the federal government, before the start of the new fiscal year. Government funding runs out on Sept.