Jim Ballard, MD, and Chris Nanson, MD, the physician partners at the Beaverton-based Oregon Surgical Institute, an orthopedic ASC focused on total joint replacement, spine and pain management, discussed how the changing healthcare system is driving total joint replacement to the ASC setting with Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health.
Dr. Ballard and Dr. Nanson shared the following insights on Regent's website:
1. Changes and challenges driving joint replacement to ASCs. Surgery centers are typically considered the high quality, low cost care site, which is one of the reasons total joint replacement is migrating to the ASC, Dr. Nanson said.
"The opportunities presented by value-based care and bundled payments are huge for ASCs, but sometimes they aren’t readily embraced by hospitals," he said in the report. "But it's going to happen. The question is whether physicians will stay in the driver's seat by proving we can manage this effectively, or whether we drop the ball. If we take the best care of patients and collect the data to prove we're doing that, it’s a gigantic opportunity.”
2. The future trends to know on outpatient total joint replacement. Dr. Ballard said the changing economics of healthcare will drive total joint replacement to the outpatient setting. Payers, patients and providers all benefit from outpatient joint replacement. Payers benefit through lower surgery costs without sacrificing quality, patients get the chnace to recover at home and surgeons have the opportunity to control their own practice through working at or owning an ASC.
3. What to expect when starting an outpatient total joint program. Patience pays off when developing an outpatient total joint program, Dr. Nanson said.
"Even when you think you're setting a realistic timeline, it will probably take a little longer. The key is to make sure your patients' interests trump all others and that's what takes so long," he said. "It can be frustrating, but it’s paying off at OSI. The patients are ecstatic, and our effort is absolutely top tier."