Physiatry in a Orthopaedic Practice Can Be A Win-win for Surgeons and Patients

David Schiff, MD

Twenty years ago, when I was offered the opportunity to join the Peachtree Orthopedics Clinic (POC) in Atlanta, I was honored to be recruited by one of the area’s premier orthopaedic practices. The leaders of POC recognized the need for my services as a nonsurgical specialist. As it turns out, I was the group’s first full-time physiatrist. In 1998, most orthopaedic practices had surgeons who were generalists and only a smattering of subspecialists. POC was different.

Disposal of Unused Opioid Medications: Aligning Patient Needs and Provider Expectations

T.K. Miller, MD; Malek Bouzaher, BS, MS; Susan Giampalmo, BS; Joseph T. Moskal, MD

Through the support of a grant from AAOS to the Virginia Orthopaedic Society (VOS), Carilion Clinic Orthopaedics and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine completed an investigational study of the beliefs, perceptions, and practices regarding opioid medication disposal among orthopaedic patients and providers in southwestern Virginia, which is commonly considered the area west of Roanoke, Va.

AAOS Commits to Strengthening Its Practice Management Portfolio

John Cherf , MD, MPH, MBA; Cindy Bracy

In early 2018, the AAOS Board of Directors created a Practice Management Task Force to conduct an internal and external assessment of the AAOS practice management portfolio. The goal of the task force was to support the development of the Academy’s practice management portfolio, reinforce the education strategy, enhance member value, and drive incremental revenue.

Don’t Let Going Out of Network Get Out of Control

Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA

Consider the following: A local hospital has three general surgeons covering trauma. Two are in network with most plans, and one is out. The out-of-network (OoN) surgeon charges whatever he wants. In most instances, insurance companies pay the entire bill, and patients are rarely balance billed for amounts not covered by the payer. Practices such as this raise costs for everyone covered by insurance.

CPT Code Updates Surgeons and Staff Need to Know

Sarah Wiskerchen, MBA, CPC

It’s a new year, and along with it come additions, deletions, and changes to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Here are eight essential updates that surgeons, coders, and billing staffs must understand to code accurately and get paid in 2019. Three new add-on codes are effective in 2019: 20932, 20933, and 20934. Each describes a type of structural allograft.

Communication and Resolution Programs Can Help When Something Goes Wrong and a Patient Is Harmed

Thomas Green, MD; Thomas Gallagher, MD

In the past, patient harm often was followed by a lack of transparent communication with patients about what went awry, ultimately leading to adversarial relationships among patients, physicians, and medical centers. Long delays between the harm and any resolution, lack of investigation, and slow rectification of issues contributing to the harm were common. Apologies are now an accepted and protected part of communication and may come with settlement offers.

Patient Safety Committee Discusses How Professionalism Can Limit Psychological Harm

The AAOS Patient Safety Committee supports the development, validation, and dissemination of culture and processes that improve orthopaedic surgical safety and inform Academy policy regarding these issues. If you have questions related to the content presented in this roundtable discussion or patient safety in general, please email patientsafety@aaos.org. Many medical errors and harms can be traced to ineffective communication and poor team dynamics, which are issues of professionalism.

Failed or Recalled Implants: Is There Surgeon Liability?

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

In recent years, catastrophic failures have been associated with several orthopaedic implants. Issues with biologics, such as bone morphogenic protein, also have been reported. This article explores several of the potential liability aspects of failed implants.

Learn How to Safely Use Humor to Improve Your Practice

Christopher Chiodo, MD

We all like to laugh. Whether breaking up a long meeting or brightening a lunchtime discussion, a well-timed joke or witty comment makes us feel good. It temporarily suspends our mundane thoughts or worries and may even be followed by a moment of increased clarity. In the office setting, a patient encounter enhanced by a shared laugh brings warmth and authenticity to the patient-doctor relationship. For centuries, philosophers and social scientists have tried to understand what makes us laugh.