Home Orthopedics September 2015 Briefing – Orthopedics

September 2015 Briefing – Orthopedics

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for September 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.

Online Follow-Up Feasible for Most Surgery Patients

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Online postoperative care is preferred over in-person care by a majority of patients who have routine, uncomplicated surgery, according to research published online Sept. 22 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Calcium Supplements May Not Benefit Bone Health

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Extra calcium may not protect aging bones after all. The findings appear online in two reviews published online Sept. 29 in The BMJ.

Booster Massage Dose May Be Helpful in Chronic Neck Pain

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain, a booster dose of additional massages may be effective for reducing pain and dysfunction, according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of The Spine Journal.

Saxagliptin Not Linked to Increased Fracture Risk in T2DM

THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with type 2 diabetes, treatment with saxagliptin is not associated with increased fracture risk, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Diabetes Care.

Health Insurance Deductibles Rising Faster Than Wages

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Health insurance deductibles have risen more than six times faster than American workers’ average wages since 2010, a Kaiser Family Foundation report says.

IOM: Most U.S. Patients Will Experience Diagnostic Error

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new report commissioned by the U.S. government contends that most Americans will encounter at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with severe consequences for their physical and mental health.

Medical Schools Teaching Students About Costs of Care

TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many medical schools are integrating discussions of cost, value, and effectiveness into their curricula, according to Kaiser Health News.

Docs in Productivity Models Likely to Encounter Compensation Caps

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians, especially those working in a productivity model, need to understand compensation caps, which are set at a specific percentile of national pay based on surveys, according to a report in Medical Economics.

Researchers Find 96 Percent of Deceased NFL Players Had CTE

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The latest data from a brain bank that focuses on traumatic head injury show that 87 of 91 deceased former National Football League (NFL) players tested positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Cholecalciferol May Help Reduce BMD Loss After Bariatric Surgery

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An intervention including cholecalciferol, protein supplementation, and physical exercise reduces bone mineral density loss after bariatric surgery, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Volunteer Doctors Need to Check Liability Coverage

FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians who volunteer their medical expertise should consider their legal risks, according to an article published online Sept. 3 in Medical Economics.

Mid-Morning May Be Best Time for Workday Break

FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Choosing preferred activities for a work break and taking a break earlier in the shift are linked to more resource recovery after a break, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

2012 Office Visits 57% Higher for Women than Men, Ages 1864

FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In 2012 there were an estimated 301 physician office visits per 100 persons, with higher rates for females and adults aged 65 years and older, according to a September data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

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Women Less Likely to Be Full Professors Than Men

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In academic medicine, women are less likely to be full professors than men and have less startup funding than men, according to two studies published in the Sept. 15 issue of JAMA.

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Support Tool Could Aid Decision on Total Joint Arthroplasty

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A decision-support tool would help with decision making for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) for patients with osteoarthritis, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

Mortality Risk Up for Hip Surgery After Fracture Vs Elective THR

TUESDAY, Sept. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture have a higher risk of mortality and major complications than those receiving an elective total hip replacement, according to research published online Sept. 15 in JAMA.

Geographic Variation in Costs of Posterolateral Fusion

TUESDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — There is significant geographic variation in the costs of posterolateral fusion (PLF), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and TKA with major complications or comorbidities, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.

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Vision Test Helps Detect Concussion in Athletes

MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A timed vision test may aid in detection of concussion during sideline testing of athletes, according to research published in the Sept. 10 issue of Concussion.

Leptin Suppresses the Rewarding Effects of Running

FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Leptin appears to inhibit running reward via signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), according to an experimental study published online Sept. 1 in Cell Metabolism.

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For Pharma Reps, Access to Physicians Continuing to Drop

FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physician access for pharmaceutical representatives is continuing to decline, with access restricted to some degree for more than half of physicians, according to an AccessMonitor survey published by ZS.

Physician Re-Entry Program Set to Redress Physician Shortage

THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An online educational program aims to help physicians get back to work and reduce the nation’s physician shortage, according to an article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

4% Increase in Population of Actively Licensed Physicians

THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The total population of actively licensed physicians in the United States and the District of Columbia has increased by 4 percent since 2012, according to a report published in the Journal of Medical Regulation.

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Post-Op Delirium Diminishes Recovery in Older Patients

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with delirium following major surgery are more likely to have worse outcomes, including lower quality of life, disability, or even death, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in JAMA Surgery.

Management, Treatment of Chronic Disease Up With ACA

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More Americans are getting health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act, which may lead to many more people getting diagnosed and treated for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, a new study contends. The findings were published in the September issue of Health Affairs.

Accelerated MD Program Doesn’t Mar Academic Performance

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An accelerated baccalaureate (BA)/doctor of medicine (MD) program does not impair the academic performance of medical students, according to a study published online July 3 in Academic Medicine.

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EHR Vendors Not Adhering to Usability Certification Standards

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among electronic health record (EHR) products, there is a lack of adherence to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) standards, according to a research letter published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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ACP Supports Expanded Role of Telemedicine for Health Care

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Telemedicine can be beneficial, within the framework of an established physician-patient relationship, according to a position paper published online Sept. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Handholding, Speaking to Patients Reduces Anxiety

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty under local anesthesia, handholding and providing spoken information correlate with reduced patient anxiety, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Suggested Response Provided for In-Flight Medical Emergencies

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a review article published online Sept. 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine, guidance is offered for physicians providing emergency in-flight medical care.

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Total Knee Replacement Procedures Up From 2000 to 2010

THURSDAY, Sept. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — From 2000 to 2010, the rate of total knee replacement increased considerably, with a higher rate for women than men in 2000 and 2010, according to a September data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

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Bike Injuries Up Among Older Americans

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Injuries among older bicyclists have increased dramatically in recent years, according to a research letter published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Cardiovascular Risk Up After Knee, Hip Replacement

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients who have total hip or knee replacement surgery face a greater risk for myocardial infarction (MI) during the first month following the procedure, according to research published online Aug. 31 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

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