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Clinical and Economic Advantages of Out-Patient Spine Surgery

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Abstract

Outpatient spine surgery has grown dramatically over the last decade because of significant clinical and economic advantages to patients, physicians, and the healthcare industry. Improving technology, increased patient and physician satisfaction, as well as a desire to control healthcare costs are key drivers of this growth. Patients prefer outpatient procedures because of the increased convenience and quality of care. Physicians benefit from the efficiencies of the outpatient setting and potential profit from ownership. The healthcare market continues to evolve because of ambulatory surgery centers providing a disruptive innovation to the existing industry structure. Shifting site of surgery to the outpatient setting leads to an overall decentralization of heathcare and significant cost saving opportunities. The trend toward moving spine surgery to the outpatient setting will continue as patients and physicians become more comfortable with the process and evidence continues to show excellent outcomes, low complications, and economic efficiencies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Orthopedic Sports Clinic, Houston, TX, USA

    Neil M. Badlani

  2. Nobilis Health Corporation, Houston, TX, USA

    Neil M. Badlani

  3. Nobilis Health Corporation, Investor Relations, Houston, TX, USA

    Joel Lehr

  4. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Frank M. Phillips

Authors
  1. Neil M. Badlani
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  2. Joel Lehr
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  3. Frank M. Phillips
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Frank M. Phillips

  2. Texas Back Institute Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano Scoliosis and Spine Tumor Center, Plano, TX, USA

    Isador H. Lieberman

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    David W. Polly Jr.

  4. Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, USA

    Michael Y. Wang

Appendices

Quiz Questions

  1. 1.

    Economic advantages of outpatient spine surgery include all of the following except:

    1. (a)

      Patients have lower copays and coinsurance payments.

    2. (b)

      Physicians can benefit from shared profits and increased control over their workplace.

    3. (c)

      The overall the cost of performing a surgical procedure in an ASC is about 53–55% of the cost of performing the same procedure in a hospital,

    4. (d)

      CMS uses the same measure of inflation, the consumer price index, when calculating reimbursement changes over time for ASCs and hospitals.

  2. 2.

    The following is an example of a disruptive innovation in healthcare:

    1. (a)

      Locked plates compared to standard plates for treating fractures

    2. (b)

      Multiple antiretroviral drug treatment for HIV

    3. (c)

      Ambulatory surgery centers compared to large academic institutions for performing standard outpatient spine cases

    4. (d)

      Intraoperative navigation and robotics for pedicle screw placement

Answers

  1. 1.

    d

  2. 2.

    c

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Badlani, N.M., Lehr, J., Phillips, F.M. (2019). Clinical and Economic Advantages of Out-Patient Spine Surgery. In: Phillips, F., Lieberman, I., Polly Jr., D., Wang, M. (eds) Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19007-1_46

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19007-1_46

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-19006-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-19007-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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