Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for June 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Three Issues to Consider Before Selecting EHR
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Work flow, features and functionality, and technical infrastructure should all be considered in advance of selecting an electronic heath record (EHR) system, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Patients Want Online Access to Physicians, Health Records
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Internet-savvy Americans would like to add their doctors to their group of Facebook friends or e-mail contacts, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
AMA Discusses Pre-Retirement Evaluation for Aging Doctors
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues relating to physician retirement and evaluation of aging physicians before retirement are discussed in a Council on Medical Education report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Paraspinal Fat Infiltration Tied to Low Back Pain, Disability
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Paraspinal fat infiltration correlates with high-intensity pain/disability and with structural abnormalities in the lumbar spine, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
SSRIs Tied to Higher Fracture Odds in Menopausal Women
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to ease menopausal symptoms may face a long-term rise in their risk for bone fracture, a new study suggests. The findings was published online June 25 in Injury Prevention.
SCOTUS Upholds Subsidies for Affordable Care Act
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the legality of tax subsidies for millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Global Public Awareness of Venous Thromboembolism Is Low
THURSDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Global public awareness about thrombosis, venous thromboembolism in particular, is low, according to a study published online June 18 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Medical Identity Theft Incidents Increasing
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical identity theft is on the rise, costly to consumers, and challenging to resolve, according to the fifth annual report published by the Ponemon Institute.
Extreme Exercising Without Training May Trigger Sepsis
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Extreme exercise may trigger sepsis in people who haven’t trained properly, new research suggests. The findings were published recently in two journals. One study was in the International Journal of Sports Medicine. The other was in the Exercise Immunology Review.
Clinical Decision Rule Can Classify Risk of Chronic Back Pain
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A clinical decision rule (CDR) with eight items can classify patients with acute low back pain (LBP) by their risk for chronic pain, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
Caution in Social Media Age: Self-Promotion Can Backfire
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a series of experiments, researchers found that people who self-promote often offend others. The study was published in the June issue of Psychological Science.
Aggressive Malpractice Environment Ups Hospital LOS
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An aggressive malpractice environment is associated with increased hospitalization charges and length of stay for patients undergoing spine surgery, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
FDA Cracks Down on Online Sale of Illegal Medical Products
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with international partners, moved this week against more than 1,050 websites that sell potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines and medical devices, the agency said Thursday.
Hundreds Arrested Nationwide for Medicare/Medicaid Fraud
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of people have been charged after health care fraud sweeps were made across the United States, the federal government said Thursday.
Health Highlights: June 19, 2015
Osteoarthritis Care Not Lining Up With Recommendations
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The quality of osteoarthritis care is inadequate for all treatment domains, according to a meta-analysis published online June 17 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Readmitted Surgery Patients Fare Better at Same Hospital
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Surgery patients who suffer complications after discharge from a hospital are more likely to die if they’re readmitted to a different hospital than where they had their original operation, according to a new study published online June 17 in The Lancet.
Virtual Credit Card Fees Amount to 3 to 5 Percent of Payments
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Payment with virtual credit cards (VCCs) is associated with considerable fees, although physicians are often unaware of these charges, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
MRI Scoring System IDs Metastatic Vertebral Fractures
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scoring system can differentiate between osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) and metastatic vertebral fractures (MVFs), according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
Exercise May Be Better Than Arthroscopic Sx for Knee Pain
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Arthroscopic surgery to relieve chronic knee pain in middle-aged and older patients is only temporarily effective and might be harmful, a new analysis suggests. The report was published online June 16 in The BMJ.
Direct Messaging Not Yet Widely Adopted by Physicians
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Direct secure messaging (Direct), which is a standardized protocol for exchanging clinical messages and attachments, has not been widely adopted by physicians, despite its potential for improving care coordination, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Full Text
Review Examines Inappropriate Prescribing of IV Fluids
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluids most often involves incorrect volumes and types of IV fluids prescribed, according to a review published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Article Weighs Paying Off Student Loans Versus Investment
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Newly-minted physicians should consider the issues relating to paying off their loans versus investing for retirement, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Full Text
Obesity Ups Risks in Pediatric Procedural Sedation
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For pediatric patients undergoing procedural sedation, obesity is associated with increased risk of adverse respiratory events and frequency of airway interventions, according to research published in the July issue of Pediatric Anesthesia.
Study Estimates Incidence of Surgical Never Events
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Wrong-site surgery and retained surgical items still occur, and evidence for interventions to prevent these is limited, according to a review published online June 10 in JAMA Surgery.
Some Graduating Seniors Not Matching to Residency Positions
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than 250 of this year’s graduating seniors from U.S. medical schools did not match to a residency position, according to the American Medical Association.
Duloxetine Appears Beneficial for Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Duloxetine significantly improves osteoarthritis knee (OAK) pain, according to a meta-analysis published online June 5 in Pain Medicine.
Geographic Location Most Important for Residents
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For residents, the most important element in a future practice is geographic location, with lifestyle, adequate call hours and personal time, and a good financial package also cited as being important, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Report Offers Guidance on Medical Ethics Education
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An analysis of the current state of medical ethics education in the United States has been published in the June issue of Academic Medicine. The article, the Romanell Report, also offers guidance to assist medial ethics educators in meeting expectations.
Full Text
Extra Time During MCAT Linked to Less Success in Med School
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical school applicants with Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores obtained with extra test administration time have lower rates of success in medical schools, according to a study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Fewer BMD Tests May Be Indicated for Some Women
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A postmenopausal woman who is 50 and has a normal bone density test may not need her next such test for 10 or even 15 years, according to research published in the June issue of Menopause.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Spinal Cord Injuries Up Among the Elderly in U.S.
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — While the overall rate of traumatic spinal cord injuries was stable from 1993 to 2012, an increasing number of older Americans have experienced this injury, according to research published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Progress Toward Intuitive Motorized Prosthetic Lower Leg
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Scientists say they’re making progress toward developing a motorized artificial lower leg that automatically adjusts to changes in movement, such as from walking to using stairs, according to research published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Professional Guidelines Have Limited Impact on Pre-Op Testing
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The publication of 2002 professional guidelines on routine preoperative testing correlated with a reduction in routine electrocardiogram testing, but not in the incidence of radiography, hematocrit, urinalysis, or cardiac stress testing, according to research published online June 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Analysis Targets U.S. Hospitals With Highest Markups
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest charge-to-cost ratio have markups approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowable costs, and most of these hospitals are for profit, according to a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs.
AMA Offers Guidance for Physician-Hospital Relationships
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines can enable successful physician hospital relationships and integrated leadership, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Coaching Can Halve Radiation Dose for Pain Physicians
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Knowledge of and real-time coaching on scatter dose profiles can reduce the radiation dose received by physicians performing pain treatment procedures, according to a study published in the June issue of Pain Practice.
Obesity Has Negative Impact on Metabolic Quality of Muscle
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among older men, obesity has a negative effect on the metabolic quality of skeletal muscle, according to a study published online May 26 in Diabetes.
Study IDs Surgical Never Events, Contributing Factors
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Surgical never events and contributing human factors have been identified, with individual cognitive factors contributing one half of all nano-codes, according to a study published online May 29 in Surgery.
Arthritis, Other Chronic Disease Takes Toll on Work Force
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among adults with one or more chronic conditions, those with arthritis appear much more likely than those without arthritis to have work disability, according to research published in the June 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Full Text
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Formed
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nine states have enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact law, with the seventh state’s enactment triggering formation of a commission to administer a process for physicians seeking licensure in multiple states, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
MRI Can Visualize Effects of Traction on Herniated Discs
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Magnetic resonance imaging can be used to visualize the effects of continuous traction on herniated lumbar intervertebral discs and their surrounding structures, according to a study published in the June issue of Radiology.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
CMS: Hospital Charges for Common Procedures Up
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prices hospitals charge patients for a number of common procedures rose more than 10 percent between 2011 and 2013, more than twice the rate of inflation, according to data released by the federal government Monday.
Post-Op Myocardial Necrosis Common After Orthopedic Sx
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Myocardial necrosis is common after orthopedic surgery and is associated with increased risk of long-term mortality, according to a study published in the June 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Review: Diet-Linked Weight Loss Tied to Drop in Hip BMD
MONDAY, June 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Diet-induced weight loss is associated with a decrease in total hip, but not lumbar spine, bone mineral density (BMD), according to a review published online May 25 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Copyright © 2015 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
