The Journal of arthroplasty
-
In an effort to control rising healthcare costs, healthcare reforms have developed initiatives to evaluate the efficacy of alternative payment models (APMs) for Medicare reimbursements. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMSIC) introduced the voluntary Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) model experiment as a means to curtail Medicare cost by allotting a fixed payment for an episode of care. The purpose of this review is to (1) summarize the preliminary clinical results of the BPCI and (2) discuss how it has led to other healthcare reforms and alternative payment models. ⋯ Despite the unknown future of the Affordable Care Act, BPCI, and CJR, preliminary results of alternative models have shown promise to reduce costs and improve quality of care. Moving into the future, surgeon control of the BPCI and CJR bundle should be investigated to further improve patient care and maximize financial compensation.
-
There is little known in the literature about whether preoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) would affect the risk of periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our study aims to evaluate the predictive values of PROMs on PPF after primary TKA. We hypothesize that poorer PROMs are associated with a higher risk of PPF after primary TKA. ⋯ From our study, low preoperative SF-36 PF and VT scores are associated with a higher risk of PPFs after primary TKA. These results can allow the preoperative identification of patients at higher risk of PPF, and appropriate preoperative counseling, optimization, and close follow-up can be instituted for this at-risk group.
-
The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative and the Arkansas Payment Improvement (API) initiative seek to incentivize reduced costs and improved outcomes compared with the previous fee-for-service model. Before participation, our practice initiated a standardized clinical pathway (CP) to reduce length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and discharge to postacute care facilities. ⋯ While participating in the BPCI and API, continued use of a standardized CP in a high-performing, high-volume total joint practice resulted in maintenance of a low-average LOS. In addition, BPCI patients had similar outcomes after total knee arthroplasty, but had decreased rates of discharge to home and readmission after total hip arthroplasty.
-
Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been associated with decreased blood loss and transfusion after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to examine both transfusion utilization and the economic impact of a Process Improvement Project implementing TXA for THA and TKA. ⋯ Standardized administration of TXA is an effective and economically favorable blood-reduction strategy for patients undergoing elective THA or TKA. Although reduction in transfusions with TXA may be greater after TKA, the economic and clinical impact of transfusion reduction is more substantial in THA patients.
-
To quantify how baseline differences in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for fracture vs elective care potentially lead to significant differences in immediate health care outcomes and whether these differences affect feasibility of current bundled payment models. ⋯ Patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for fracture care are significantly older and have more medical comorbidities than patients treated on an elective basis, leading to more in-hospital complications, greater length of stay, increased hospital costs, and significantly more hospital readmissions. The present bundled payment system, even with the recent modification, still unfairly penalizes hospitals that manage fracture patients and has the potential to incentivize hospitals to defer providing definitive surgical management for these patients. Future amendments to the bundled payment system should consider further separating hip arthroplasty patients based on etiology and comorbidities, allowing for a more accurate reflection of these distinct patient groups.