AAOS Puts Patient Safety at the Forefront

Terry Stanton; Paul Zemaitis

Taking a cue from the adage about safety in numbers, more than 150 representatives from more than 75 healthcare organizations came together near AAOS headquarters in August to take part in the inaugural National Surgical Patient Safety Summit (NSPSS).

AAOS Awarded Research Grant to Support Development of New CPGs and AUCs

On July 26, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) approved a $1.5 million grant to AAOS to help develop six clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and six appropriate use criteria (AUCs) over the next 4 years. The grant was obtained as part of a collaborative effort with the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), and coordinated through the Data and Research Coordinating Center of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

AJRR Update

As the official registry of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), the American Joint Replacement Registry's (AJRR) mission is to collect data on 90 percent of the hip and knee replacement procedures performed in the United States. Under the direction of Paul Haisman, AJRR's first-ever chief technology officer, the national registry has begun making several technological enhancements that will enable it to meet that goal.

Education Challenges and Opportunities

Gerald R. Williams Jr, MD

From its beginnings in 1933, your AAOS has always been the leading educational or­ganization for orthopaedic surgeons. Education is one of the seven domains in the Academy's strategic plan, and most activities—from the Annual Meeting to webinars—are geared to meeting your educational needs. More than 2,500 volunteers are involved in education-oriented activities, as authors, reviewers, faculty, and committee members.

AAOS Enhances its Education Strategy

The AAOS, through the Council on Education, continually strives to support and provide education practices and opportunities that enable its members to provide the highest level of orthopaedic care. To that end, the AAOS Council on Education is currently in the process of revamping its working structure and education strategy to be more responsive to members' learning needs. To find out more, AAOS Now spoke with Evan L. Flatow, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Education.

Orthopaedics in Kenya: Trauma and Tea Time

Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA

Many U.S. orthopaedic surgeons like myself volunteer for short-term assignments in underserved areas. But few decide to devote their lives to serving the poor of another country. One of those orthopaedic surgeons is Daniel D. Galat, MD, whom I met through mission work in Africa. Early in his training, Dr. Galat realized a calling to work in rural Africa helping the poor.

AOFAS Celebrates 15 Years of Vietnam Outreach

Volunteers from the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) recently completed the organization's 15th Overseas Outreach Project to Vietnam. Since 2002, members of AOFAS have participated in more than 1,300 surgical procedures and have seen more than 3,000 patients in clinic in Vietnam.

Health Literacy and Patient Safety

Dwight W. Burney III, MD

As orthopaedic surgeons, we are often frustrated by patients who have trouble understanding our advice, continue to have questions, or are “noncompliant.” We need to consider that the average American reads at a fifth-grade level and may have difficulty understanding prescriptions, appointment cards, and consent documents. Even patients with college degrees may not be sufficiently “health literate” to understand our written or verbal messages.

Pat on the Back…

elected president of the New York Society for Surgery of the Hand. John E. Lonstein, MD, and Harry L. Shufflebarger, MD, recipients of Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Lifetime Achievement Awards. David A. Spiegel, MD, recipient of the SRS Walter P. Blount Humanitarian Award.

Academy CEO Karen Hackett Announces Her Retirement

Karen L. Hackett, FACHE, CAE, announced that she will retire from her position as chief executive officer (CEO) of the AAOS, after 14 years at the helm, effective April 14, 2017. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Hackett has overseen a number of major developments at the Academy, including the opening of the new Orthopaedic Headquarters in Rosemont, Ill., in 2015.

Spread the Word About the Dangers of Distracted Driving, Walking

Alan S. Hilibrand, MD

In 2009, AAOS launched the "Decide to Drive" program to educate children, teens, and adults about the dangers of distracted driving. Last year, AAOS expanded its injury-prevention efforts to include distracted walking with the "Digital Deadwalkers" campaign.

In Memoriam

Jan. 11, 2016 Alabaster, Ala. John F. Flynn Jr, MD Chicago Robert C. Meisterling, MD Aug. 16, 2016 Stillwater, Minn. Robert D. Shlens, MD Dec. 5, 2014 Los Angeles Gilles R. Tremblay, MD Montreal John Raymond Wagner, MD Dec. 11, 2014 Saint Louis Philip D. Wilson Jr, MD June 29, 2016 New York City

Instant Learning Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be

Chad A. Krueger, MD; Matthew R. Schmitz, MD; Patrick M. Osborn, MD

Graduate medical education (GME) is far different today than it was 20 years ago. Societal, financial, and regulatory pressures—as well as a new generation of residents more focused on quality of life—have led to significant changes in how physicians learn. Although both residents and educators often discuss these influences on education, they frequently overlook today's resident learning style, in particular the impact of information overload and instant access to electronic media.