Becker's ASC Review

31 ORTHOPEDICS But how will patients be properly worked up and referred? Can these retailers actually increase access to orthopedic surgeons — and how exactly will they choose orthopedic practices to send their patients to? ere will be a new push to demonstrate quality of care and maximizing outcomes — a la Center of Excellence Programs. 2. e consumerization of healthcare and digital health tools. ere seems to be a movement toward the "consumerization of healthcare" to provide patients a desired experience, especially in orthopedic surgery. Patients are asserting more influence and control over their medical and wellness care. And COVID-19 has accelerated this movement of consumerization of healthcare as consumers/patients increasingly focus on health. Cuts in healthcare funding and competition for budgets are forcing us to find ways to improve the efficacy and efficiency of healthcare services provision. Engaging patients in the responsible management of their health is critical — and the digital health tools are leading these efforts. e patient engagement niche has become a booming industry over the past few years. e most common examples include: patient portals, secure email/messaging, social networks, video replays, and various mobile technologies. Findings showed that these tools can improve care, self-management, self-efficacy, behavior promotion (quality of sleep, diet, physical activity, mental health) and medication adherence. e various platforms have proven effective for disease prevention, lifestyle changes, management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and is a suitable tool for elderly and younger populations alike. Although patient care directly addressing their pathology remains paramount, engaging them to provide a better patient experience is a growing focus. Innovation in this field continues to grow — thus, improving the safety, value and experience of patient care. n Neurosurgery to be short 1,200 physicians by 2025 By Carly Behm A physician shortage is looming, and neurosurgery is expected to see a dip in physicians as soon as 2025, according to Rosman Search's 2024 Physician Hiring Trends report. Neurosurgery is expected to have a shortage of 1,200 physicians by 2025, the report said. And 49% of active neurosurgeons are at least 55 years old. Still there are overall signs pointing to growing physician employment, the report said. Physician and surgeon employment is expected to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032. For neurosurgery, job growth is expected to grow 14.4% from 2016 to 2026. n How costs of cervical disc replacement and ACDF compare By Carly Behm A lthough the cost of cervical disc replacement and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery costs are similar, long-term costs are different, according to a study in the April issue of Spine. Researchers used a commercial insurance claims database to analyze data from patients who had one- or two-level ACDF and cervical disc replacements between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2017. A total 2,304 patients were included — 1,723 ACDF patients and 581 disc replacement patients. Prices for the surgeries were similar with ACDF mean costs of $26,819, and disc replacement mean costs of $25,954. However postoperative care — which includes physical therapy, pain medication, injections, psychological treatment and additional spine surgeries — cost less for disc replacements after 30 days, 90 days and two years. n Physician employment to grow 3% by 2032: What neurosurgeons should know By Carly Behm A lthough many physician specialties are expected to see shortages, employment is still projected to see some increases, according to Rosman Search's 2024 Physician Hiring Trends report. Five things to know: 1. Physician and surgeon employment is projected to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032, the report said. More than 24,000 job openings for physicians are expected each year on average. 2. Neurosurgery job growth is expected to increase 14.4% between 2016 and 2026. 3. ere are 115 neurosurgery residency programs in the U.S. with 243 positions available. 4. In 2023 about 36% of medical students applying for neurosurgery didn't match. 5. e demand for physicians and surgeons will continue to grow, the report said. But the influx of new physicians likely won't be enough to keep up with physician exits. n

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