Study finds improved patient health care delivery a must for orthopedic surgeons

Chair of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic: Daniel J. Berry

Study finds improved patient health care delivery a must for orthopedic surgeons

ORLANDO, Fla. — For the specialty to survive, orthopedic surgeons must provide patients with new methods ofhealth care delivery in the form of improved safety, value and care, according to a presentation at the Current Concepts in Joint Replacement 2011 Winter Meeting, here. “We will not thrive as a profession if the population cannot afford our care,” Daniel J. Berry, MD, said. In his presentation, Berry, who chairs the orthopedic department at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., outlined five ways that he believes orthopedic medicine can “out distance” other specialties: innovations in patient safety, fostering research and development, creating affordable and accessible care, improving quality of work, and attracting the best talent to the profession.

The tendency to rush to adopt new technology has hurt the specialty in the past, Berry noted, citing the recent metal-on-metal hip implant recalls as an example of this problem.

The public is also aware of these controversies, he said. Berry also mentioned that surgeons should collectively fight for more funds for musculoskeletal research, noting that such scientific efforts are under-funded in orthopedics compared with other medical professions, despite the prevalence of orthopedic care throughout our society. “We keep people working [and] we keep them independent,” Berry said. Reference: Berry DJ. Optimizing health care delivery: best in class. Paper #35. Presented at the Current Concepts in Joint Replacement 2011 Winter Meeting. Dec. 7-10. Orlando, Fla. Disclosure: Berry receives royalties from DePuy.