DOCTOR LED BUSINESS MODELS PROVEN SUPERIOR (Orthopedics This Week)
Doctor-Led Models Superior!
A certain in-the-know health policy expert is predicting a pendulum shift—back towards orthopedic surgeons having more say in the care of their patients. Chad Mather, M.D. is an attending orthopedic surgeon at Duke University. Dr. Mather, an AAOS (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) Washington Health Policy Fellow, tells OTW, “Right now, orthopedic surgeons are mobilizing toward adapting to different payment models, much of which requires more integrated care for episodic payments. What we’re starting to see is that physician-led models deliver more cost efficient and convenient care. My health policy colleagues and I were just in Washington, D.C. discussing how to protect access to in-office ancillary services, and we are convinced from examining the evidence that doctor-led initiatives will soon emerge as the most successful models of care. In episodic payment models, reimbursement could go to the orthopedic surgeon, the hospital, or a primary care doctor. We believe that the orthopedic surgeon is the best equipped provider to manage the pathway of care. For example, the facility ...
