CJR and Orthopaedic Bundled Payments: The Future Is Now

Dennis O'Donnell, MHA, PT; John Cherf, MD, MPH, MBA

After many years of designing, testing, and evolving, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) appears committed to transitioning from fee-for-service to bundled payments for several episodes of care. By mandating participation in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program and proposing more mandatory programs, CMS is sending physicians a message that bundled payments are here to stay. Bundled payment models from CMS have been evolving for some time.

2017 Spine CPT Code Changes

Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP

Spine surgeons face a multitude of Current Procedural Terminology ® (CPT) code changes, effective Jan. 1, 2017. This article provides a summary of these changes so practices can get a head start on understanding their implications. A complete listing of changes can be found in the 2017 CPT manual.

Multisensory Patient Education and Informed Consent

Research recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery finds that patient education involving the use of multiple senses (sight, hearing, and touch) during a surgeon-patient informed consent discussion improves patients' understanding of anticipated care and possible outcomes. The randomized, controlled trial involved 67 consecutive patients with a new diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis and who were treated with a corticosteroid injection.