2021 MPFS: What It Means for Your THA and TKA Reimbursement

Joanne S. Willer, CPC

On Dec. 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the finalized 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).

COVID-19: Painful but Not Fatal for Orthopaedic Practices

John Cherf, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAOS; William Jackson

To better understand changes caused by COVID-19, the Illinois Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (IAOS) conducted a survey of orthopaedic surgeons in Illinois in October 2020. The findings indicate that although COVID-19 resulted in short-term pain, it will not be fatal for orthopaedic practices.

A Rural Practitioner’s Experience with Providing Orthopaedic Care During the Pandemic

Kerri Fitzgerald

James Barber, MD, FAAOS, an orthopaedic surgeon at Southeastern Orthopaedics in Douglas, Ga., shared his personal experience of being a rural orthopaedic practitioner during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patient Safety in the Era of Telemedicine: Recognizing Red Flags

Jonathan H. Shaw, MD; Todd Kim, MD, FAAOS, FAOA; Konrad Gruson, MD, FAAOS, FAOA

There remains a dearth of orthopaedic literature reporting on the prevalence of adverse events encountered in the setting of virtual visits. This lack of information presents a patient safety concern that must be addressed before telemedicine is considered a mainstay of everyday practice.

Five Best Practices for the Social Media-inclined Orthopaedic Surgeon

Angela M. Mercurio, BS; Karen M. Sutton, MD, FAAOS

This article provides five helpful tips for using social media as a part of your orthopaedic practice.

New Challenges and Proven Strategies for Optimal Surgeon-patient Communication

Ariana Lott, MD; David Weiss, MD, FAAOS; Laurence Baker, PhD; Todd S. Kim, MD, FAAOS, FAOA

Compared to the countless hours dedicated to surgical training, there is little direct observation of orthopaedic resident and fellow communication skills. This lack of training is demonstrated in the literature, as orthopaedic surgeons ranked last out of 28 specialties with respect to patient-reported communication skills.

AAOS Develops Landmark Resource Outlining the Value-based Care Landscape

Dan Murrey, MD, MPP, FAAOS; Chris Naso, MP

AAOS released the first-ever provider-specific payment continuum outlining the musculoskeletal value-based care landscape. This endeavor comes in response to the unprecedented acceleration of new alternative payment models (APMs) and care delivery transformation initiatives to reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes for patients.