Data from the recent release from The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, The Third Annual Role of the Orthopaedic Surgeon Study 2013, reveals important trends in the ways that orthopaedic practice is changing in the face of significant increases in hospital-owned practices, cost pressures, and regulations. The findings from the study were presented via webinar on June 13, 2013.
Among the reported changes is a steady growth in services offered and healthcare providers employed by today's orthopaedic practices:
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At least 6 out of 10 orthopaedic practices employ physical therapists, registered nurses, PAs, or coding specialists, and almost all have office administrators.
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The hiring of physician assistants (PAs) is on the increase in orthopaedic practices; 53% of respondents say they have hired more PAs over the past 12 months.
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Roughly a third report their practice has hired more coding specialists, physical therapists, hospitalists, and nurse practitioners over the past 12 months.
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Orthopaedic practices are making it easier for patients to get full-service care in one location by offering X-rays, physical therapy, and MRI imaging services.
Despite these changes, some findings remain consistent from previous years. Research Analyst Rhonda McGee points out "Despite increased consolidation and hospital ownership of practices, surgeons remain involved in the purchasing process, with greater than 90% reporting that they have influence in decisions regarding purchases of orthopaedic devices." This finding is confirmed by research with hospital purchasing professionals, who indicate that orthopaedic surgeons are the number one influencer in determining needs and testing orthopaedic devices and products. The inclusion of purchasing professionals in the research is new to the 2013 edition of the annual survey.
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