Orthopedics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Orthopedics, including details on chronic injuries, muscoskeletal disorders, surgery, reconstruction.

Payer type has little effect on operative rate and surgeons' work intensity.

Brinker MR, O'Connor DP, Pierce P, Spears JW

Fondren Orthopedic Group L.L.P, Houston, TX, USA. mb53@fondren.com

Does health-care payer type affect the rate of operative treatment and surgeons' work intensity for patients with orthopaedic conditions? We analyzed the clinical and financial data collected during 6 consecutive years (1999-2004) for a group practice of 40 orthopaedic surgeons. We examined the rate of operative treatment and surgeons' work intensity (total physician's work Resource-based Relative Value System units) by diagnosis, patient age, and payer type. The eight payer types were: capitation health maintenance organization, health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, indemnity, self-pay, Workers' Compensation, Medicaid, and Medicare. There were 230,306 patients with 526 unique primary diagnoses. Diagnosis accounted for most of the variability in operative rates and surgeons' work intensity. After adjusting for differences attributable to diagnosis, payer type had little effect on the rate of operative treatment and surgeons' work intensity.

Published 13 October 2006 in Clin Orthop Relat Res, 451: 257-62.
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