The Financial Impact of CMS’ Two-midnight Rule

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services removed total knee arthroplasty from the inpatient-only list, institutions had to employ the two-midnight rule to short-stay (one-midnight) inpatient hospitalizations.

Survey Asks Orthopaedic Fellows How Medical Debt Impacts Life and Career

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

In a new study, researchers discovered that the massive burden of educational debt not only severely impacts orthopaedic fellows’ bank accounts and career choices, but also plays a significant role in their life decisions.

Is It Necessary to Use a Fresh Knife Blade After Incision to Reduce Infection Risk?

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

The practice of switching to a fresh knife blade after the incision is made remains a subject of debate, as data are conflicting as to whether the practice reduces contamination. A study that was presented as part of the Annual Meeting Virtual Experience found that contamination rates did not differ regardless of whether the knife blade was switched following incision.

Higher Facility Costs Do Not Improve THA and TKA Outcomes

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

Costs associated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) vary significantly at different facilities. A study presented as part of the Annual Meeting Virtual Experience compared short-term outcomes of THAs and TKAs performed at higher- versus lower-cost facilities and observed no significant differences.

Hip Fractures: Medicare ‘Paid Less for Doing More’

Terry Stanton

A study that evaluated actual Medicare reimbursement to hospitals for care of hip fracture patients utilizing the three hip fracture admission types from 2011 to 2016 found that the mean episodic Medicare reimbursement to hospitals decreased by nearly 10 percent and more than $2,000 per episode for hip fracture patients with major medical comorbidities.

Direct-to-consumer Advertising of Stem Cell Therapy Is Subpar

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

More healthcare practices are offering stem cell therapy (SCT) as part of their services for musculoskeletal treatments.

Value of Bundled TJR: A Perspectives Analysis

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio

A study that was presented as part of the Annual Meeting Virtual Experience assessed how the value of bundled total joint replacement (TJR) differs among patients, payers/employers, and hospitals/providers.