Co-management Agreements Prove to be Viable Models for Physician Input

Courtland G. Lewis, MD; Theodore A. Blaine, MD

Value-based models of health care have evolved over the past 10 years. During that time, it has become clear that sustainable improvements in quality and reductions in the cost of care require close coordination of stakeholders. Early efforts to provide incentives to surgeons through gain-sharing cost savings were met with variable success, particularly for total joint arthroplasty.

Medicare’s New Documentation Rules Impact Practices

Margaret M. Maley, BSN, MS

In the November 2018 Federal Register, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new, relaxed documentation guidelines, effective Jan. 1, which have a significant effect on office workflow. When documenting services for new and established outpatient visits, the billing provider does not need to redocument any part of the chief complaint (CC) or history in the medical record when recorded by the patient, patient’s family members, or ancillary staff.

Four Tips for Avoiding Data Breaches

Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA

According to a new report by Radware, a provider of load balancing and cybersecurity services for data centers, the average cost of a cyberattack now exceeds $1 million. Furthermore, 37 percent of the organizations that have been attacked experienced subsequent damage to their reputation. I asked Michael J. Sacopulos, JD, founder and president of Medical Risk Institute, to provide some practical approaches for minimizing risk of breaches and costly cyber fallout.

Effective Leadership Is Needed to Ensure Quality and Safety in the Workplace

This is the last in a series of roundtable discussions from a September 2017 meeting of the AAOS Patient Safety Committee. In this article, David C. Ring, MD, PhD, chair; and committee members Michael S. Pinzur, MD; Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA; Dwight W. Burney III, MD; Andrew W. Grose, MD; and Alan M. Reznik, MD, MBA, address the importance of leadership in establishing a culture of safety. What is the role of leadership, and how does leadership advance quality and safety?

Use Detailed Operational Benchmarking Data to Drive Increases in Ancillary Revenues

Bradley Coffey, MA, O-CHCP

Durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) play an important role in musculoskeletal care. Such tools are often used to provide physical support to patients who have undergone surgery. Other types of DME may assist with correcting musculoskeletal deformities, such as scoliosis.

Best Practices Help with Managing Failed Implants

Daniel R. Schlatterer, DO, MS; Richard Schlueter, JD

The first article in this series explored several of the potential liability aspects of failed implants. Although an implant failure in a patient is not malpractice per se, the duty for patient safety continues before, during, and after plaintiff attorneys advertise class action suits.

Pros and Cons of Emerging Payment Models

Benjamin Kopp, MD, MBA; Kevin Bozic, MD, MBA; Karl Koenig, MD, MS

This is part one in a series about payment models. Part two will appear in the May issue of AAOS Now and will focus on the application of condition-based payment models to the management of musculoskeletal disorders. At the core of the surgeon patient relationship is a shared goal of relieving pain, restoring function, and improving health in the most appropriate, convenient, and efficient way possible for the patient’s condition.