Four spine surgeons discuss the Medicare and Medicaid data recently released on spinal fusions and how data transparency is changing healthcare, for better or for worse.
Q: How has the release of Medicare and Medicaid data impacted spine surgeons?
Frank Phillips, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Co-Founder, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (Chicago): The data was released with little explanation or context. We have already seen media outlets using this data to generate stories about high volume Medicare providers. The data could reflect badly on surgeons if they have a high number of fusions compared to the national average; sometimes the volume may be justified based on practice patterns whereas in other instances the numbers may reflect excessive surgical volume and inappropriate care.
