Orthopedic Surgery in Ambulatory Surgery Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Low Incidence of Infection Among Patients, Surgeons, and Staff.

Background and objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented tremendous challenges to the healthcare systems worldwide. Consequently, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have been forced to find new and innovative ways to function safely and maintain operations. We conducted a study at a large United States (US) private orthopedic surgery practice, where a universal screening policy and testing protocol for COVID-19 was implemented for patients and ASC personnel including surgeons, in order to examine the incidence of COVID-19 in patients scheduled for orthopedic surgery in ASC settings as well as the incidence among the surgeons and ASC personnel.

Opioid-Prescribing Practices Between Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty in an Outpatient Versus Inpatient Setting.

Despite trends showing increases in the utilization of outpatient (OP) ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and decreases in the utilization of inpatient (IP) facilities for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA), little is known about opioid prescribing for these procedures between each setting. This study evaluated differences in opioid prescribing and consumption between OP ASC and IP settings for elective TKA and THA surgeries over a 1-year period. Data collection also included pain and satisfaction of pain control postsurgery.

Private Bundles: The Nuances of Contracting and Managing Total Joint Arthroplasty Episodes.

In recent years, bundled payment reimbursement models have been used to address the unsustainable rising cost of healthcare. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services initiatives, such as Bundled Payment for Care Improvement Program, have already demonstrated their ability to create financial and performance accountability in the public sector. More recently, these value-based models have been introduced among private payers to increase coordination, quality, and efficiency.