Correlation of Relative Value Units With Surgical Complexity and Physician Workload: A Contemporary Nationwide Analysis of Orthopaedic Procedures.

INTRODUCTION: Although previous studies have demonstrated inconsistencies between surgeon work and reimbursement, no previous study has calculated expected relative value units (RVUs) based on procedure-specific variables. Our study aimed to evaluate how measures of physician workload and surgical complexity correlate with the work RVUs (wRVUs) assigned to orthopaedic procedures and compare our predicted wRVUs with actual wRVUs. METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used to identify orthopaedic surgeries with the highest procedural volume in 2019. For each Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code, variables related to surgical complexity and postoperative management were retrieved. A multivariable linear regression was conducted, and R 2 values were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 229,792 cases from the top 20 CPT codes by frequency in 2019 were identified. Base RVU values ranged from 7.03 mRVUs for arthroscopic meniscectomy to 30.28 mRVUs for revision total hip arthroplasty. A total of 15 (75%) of the projected mRVUs were lower than the actual mRVU of the procedure. For the 5 (25%) procedures with mRVU projections higher than actual values, the largest differences were seen for CPT codes 29,888 (arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] repair; difference: 7.81), 22,630 (posterior arthrodesis of the lumbar interbody; difference: 7.75), and 27,487 (revision total knee arthroplasty; difference: 4.04). CONCLUSION: Our analysis demonstrates that current orthopaedic wRVUs do not appropriately compensate for objective measures of overall complexity as it relates to each procedure. Significant undercompensation in projected RVUs was noted for several high-volume orthopaedic procedures including arthroscopic ACL repair and revision total knee arthroplasty.

Racial Disparities in Outcomes After THA and TKA Are Substantially Mediated by Socioeconomic Disadvantage Both in Black and White Patients.

BACKGROUND: Demographic factors have been implicated in THA and TKA outcome disparities. Specifically, patients' racial backgrounds have been reported to influence outcomes after surgery, including length of stay, discharge disposition, and inpatient readmissions. However, in the United States, health-impacting socioeconomic disadvantage is sometimes associated with racial differences in ways that can result in important confounding, thereby raising the question of whether race-associated post-THA/TKA adverse outcomes are an independent function of race or a byproduct of confounding from socioeconomic deprivation, which is potentially addressable. To explore this, we used the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) as a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage, since it is a socioeconomic parameter that estimates the likely deprivation associated with a patient's home address. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The goal of this study was to investigate (1) whether race (in this study, Black versus White) was independently associated with adverse outcomes, including prolonged length of stay (LOS > 3 days), nonhome discharge, 90-day readmission, and emergency department (ED) visits while controlling for age, gender, BMI, smoking, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and insurance; and (2) whether socioeconomic disadvantage, measured by ADI, substantially mediated any association between race and any of the aforementioned measured outcomes. METHODS: Between November 2018 and December 2019, 2638 underwent elective primary THA and 4915 patients underwent elective primary TKA for osteoarthritis at one of seven hospitals within a single academic center. Overall, 12% (742 of 5948) of patients were Black and 88% (5206 of 5948) were White. We included patients with complete demographic data, ADI data, and who were of Black or White race; with these criteria, 11% (293 of 2638) were excluded in the THA group, and 27% (1312 of 4915) of patients were excluded in the TKA group. In this retrospective, comparative study, patient follow-up was obtained using a longitudinally maintained database, leaving 89% (2345 of 2638) and 73% (3603 of 4915) for analysis in the THA and TKA groups, respectively. For both THA and TKA, Black patients had higher ADI scores, slightly higher BMIs, and were more likely to be current smokers at baseline. Furthermore, within the TKA cohort there was a higher proportion of Black women compared with White women. Multivariable regression analysis was utilized to assess associations between race and LOS of 3 or more days, nonhome discharge disposition, 90-day inpatient readmission, and 90-day ED admission, while adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking, CCI, and insurance. This was followed by a mediation analysis that explored whether the association between race (the independent variable) and measured outcomes (the dependent variables) could be partially or completely attributable to confounding from the ADI (the mediator, in this model). The mediation effect was measured as a percentage of the total effect of race on the outcomes of interest that was mediated by ADI. RESULTS: In the THA group, after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking, CCI, and insurance, White patients had lower odds of experiencing an LOS of 3 days or more (OR 0.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31 to 0.59]; p < 0.001) and nonhome discharge (OR 0.39 [95% CI 0.27 to 0.56]; p < 0.001). In mediation analysis, ADI partially explained (or mediated) 37% of the association between race and LOS of 3 days or more (-0.043 [95% CI -0.063 to -0.026]; p < 0.001) and 40% of the association between race and nonhome discharge (0.041 [95% CI 0.024 to 0.059]; p < 0.001). However, a smaller direct association between race and both outcomes was observed (LOS 3 days or more: -0.075 [95% CI -0.13 to -0.024]; p = 0.004; nonhome discharge: 0.060 [95% CI 0.016 to 0.11]; p = 0.004). No association was observed between race and 90-day readmission or ED admission in the THA group. In the TKA group, after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking, CCI, and insurance, White patients had lower odds of experiencing an LOS of 3 days or more (OR 0.41 [95% CI 0.32 to 0.54]; p < 0.001), nonhome discharge (OR 0.44 [95% CI 0.33 to 0.60]; p < 0.001), 90-day readmission (OR 0.54 [95% CI 0.39 to 0.77]; p < 0.001), and 90-day ED admission (OR 0.60 [95% CI 0.45 to 0.79]; p < 0.001). In mediation analysis, ADI mediated 19% of the association between race and LOS of 3 days or more (-0.021 [95% CI -0.035 to -0.007]; p = 0.004) and 38% of the association between race and nonhome discharge (0.029 [95% CI -0.016 to 0.040]; p < 0.001), but there was also a direct association between race and these outcomes (LOS 3 days or more: -0.088 [95% CI -0.13 to -0.049]; p < 0.001; nonhome discharge: 0.046 [95% CI 0.014 to 0.078]; p = 0.006). ADI did not mediate the associations observed between race and 90-day readmission and ED admission in the TKA group. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that socioeconomic disadvantage may be implicated in a substantial proportion of the previously assumed race-driven disparity in healthcare utilization parameters after primary total joint arthroplasty. Orthopaedic surgeons should attempt to identify potentially modifiable socioeconomic disadvantage indicators. This serves as a call to action for the orthopaedic community to consider specific interventions to support patients from vulnerable areas or whose incomes are lower, such as supporting applications for nonemergent medical transportation or referring patients to local care coordination agencies. Future studies should seek to identify which specific resources or approaches improve outcomes after TJA in patients with socioeconomic disadvantage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: Has Utilization Among Medicare Beneficiaries Changed Between 2012 and 2018?

BACKGROUND: The utilization of hyaluronic acid (HA) for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) remains controversial, and more information is needed regarding how its utilization and financial burden have changed over recent years. The purpose of our analysis was to evaluate changes in overall utilization and health-care costs associated with HA injections among Medicare beneficiaries over a contemporary time frame. METHODS: The 2012 to 2018 Medicare Fee-for-Service Provider Utilization and Payment Public Use Files (PUFs) were utilized for our analysis. Organized by Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, these files capture 100% of Medicare Part B claims. Payment and utilization data were collected for all HCPCS codes corresponding to injection of an HA formulation. The number of services involving HA as well as the total cost of HA administration in 2020 U.S. dollars were tabulated. Mann-Kendall trend tests were used to evaluate trends in utilization for providers nationally and when segregated by specialty. RESULTS: Total HA utilization increased significantly from 2012 (n = 1,090,503) through 2018 (n = 1,209,489; p = 0.04). Although orthopaedic surgeons did not demonstrate significant changes in total utilization rates (p = 0.23), the average number of services per orthopaedic surgeon increased significantly (p = 0.02). Reflecting a substantial growth in the number of advanced practice providers (APPs) providing injections, there was a significant increase in utilization and associated costs among physician assistants (p < 0.01) and nurse practitioners (p < 0.01). Total costs associated with HA services increased significantly from $290.10 million to $325.02 million (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the 2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons clinical practice guideline recommending against the clinical utility of these injections, HA services continued to be widely implemented among Medicare beneficiaries. Although there were variations across specialties when evaluating overall utilization rates as well as rates per provider, APPs largely contributed to the increase seen in the U.S. over this study period. More data are needed to support continued implementation and spending on this low-value care.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantages Associated With Prolonged Lengths of Stay, Nonhome Discharges, and 90-Day Readmissions After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Low socioeconomic status and neighborhood context has been linked to poor health care outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The area deprivation index (ADI) addresses this relationship by ranking neighborhoods by socioeconomic disadvantage. We examined the following relationships of the ADI among TKA recipients: (1) patient demographics, (2) lengths of stay (LOS), (3) nonhome discharges, and (4) 90-day readmissions, emergency department visits, and reoperations. METHODS: We reviewed a consecutive series of primary TKAs from 2018 through 2020 at a tertiary health care system. A total of 3928 patients who had complete ADI data were included. A plurality of patients (14.9%) were categorized within ADI 31-40, below the national median ADI of 47. Associations between the national ADI decile and 90-day postoperative health care utilization metrics were evaluated using multivariate regressions (adjusted for patient demographics and comorbidities). RESULTS: The 91-100 ADI cohort was disproportionately African American, female, younger, and smokers. Compared with ADI 31-40 (reference), the ADI 61-70 cohort was associated with higher odds of LOS ≥3 days (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6 [1.08-2.36], P = .019) and nonhome discharges (OR = 1.73 [1.08-2.75], P = .021). The ADI 91-100 cohort was associated with the highest odds of prolonged LOS (OR = 2.27; [1.47-3.49], P < .001), nonhome discharges (OR = 3.49 [2.11-5.78], P < .001), and all-cause readmissions (OR: 1.79, [1.02-3.14], P = .044). No significant associations were found between the ADI and 90-day emergency department visits or reoperations (P > .05). CONCLUSION: A higher ADI was associated with prolonged LOS, nonhome discharge status, and 90-day readmissions after TKA. This index highlights potential areas of intervention for assessing health care outcomes.

Procedures With Longer Intraoperative Times Undervalue Surgeon Work in Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Large, Nationwide Database Study.

BACKGROUND: Work relative value units (wRVUs) measure a surgeon's time and intensity required to perform the pre-service, intra-service, and post-service work of a surgical procedure and are commonly used to compare a physician's work between different procedures. Previous literature across multiple specialties report that longer, often revision, operations are undervalued when compared to primary procedures. Our study aims to analyze the differences in intra-operative time, and its corresponding wRVU/h between the Medicare benchmarks and real-world time-stamped data for total joint arthroplasty procedures. METHODS: Thirteen primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty procedures were identified, and intra-operative times were collected using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases from 2014 to 2019. The Relative Value Scale Update Committee's (RUC) estimated median intra-operative times for each procedure was compared to the calculated median intra-operative times from National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, as were their corresponding wRVU/h. Procedures were additionally stratified by "long" (>110 minutes) and "short" (≤110 minutes) intra-operative times. RESULTS: The RUC over-estimated intra-operative time by 35.24% on average and this overestimation was more profound in longer operations than shorter operations (47.75% vs 15.22%, P = .011). The RUC intensity per unit time values (wRVU/h) between "long" and "short" procedures were significantly different (P < .001) and showed the undervaluation of intensity for the longer procedures by an average of 3.47 wRVU/h. CONCLUSION: Our study provides further evidence that physician work is undervalued in revision total hip and knee surgeries.

NarxCare Scores Greater Than 300 Are Associated with Adverse Outcomes After Primary THA.

BACKGROUND: The association between preoperative prescription drug use (narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants) and complications and/or greater healthcare utilization (length of stay, discharge disposition, readmission, emergency department visits, and reoperation) after total joint arthroplasty has been established but not well quantified. The NarxCare score (NCS) is a weighted scalar measure of overall prescription opioid, sedative, and stimulant use. Higher scores reflect riskier drug-use patterns, which are calculated based on (1) the number of prescribing providers, (2) the number of dispensing pharmacies, (3) milligram equivalence doses, (4) coprescribed potentiating drugs, and (5) overlapping prescription days. The aforementioned factors have not been incorporated into association measures between preoperative prescription drug use and adverse events after THA. In addition, the utility of the NCS as a scalar measure in predicting post-THA complications has not been explored. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Is the NarxCare score (NCS) associated with 90-day readmission, reoperation, emergency department visits, length of stay, and discharge disposition after primary THA; and are there NCS thresholds associated with a higher risk for those adverse outcomes if such an association exists? (2) Is there an association between the type of preoperative active drug prescription and the aforementioned outcomes? METHODS: Of 3040 primary unilateral THAs performed between November 2018 and December 2019, 92% (2787) had complete baseline information and were subsequently included. The cohort with missing baseline information (NCS or demographic/racial determinants; 8%) had similar BMI distribution but slightly younger age and a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Outcomes in this retrospective study of a longitudinally maintained institutional database included 90-day readmissions (all-cause, procedure, and nonprocedure-related), reoperations, 90-day emergency department (ED) visits, prolonged length of stay (> 2 days), and discharge disposition (home or nonhome). The association between the NCS category and THA outcomes was analyzed through multivariable regression analyses and a confirmatory propensity score-matched comparison based on age, gender, race, BMI, smoking status, CCI, insurance status, preoperative diagnosis, and surgical approach, which removed significant differences at baseline. A similar regression model was constructed to evaluate the association between the type of preoperative active drug prescription (opioids, sedatives, and stimulants) and adverse outcomes after THA. RESULTS: After controlling for potentially confounding variables like age, gender, race, BMI, smoking status, CCI, insurance status, preoperative diagnosis, and surgical approach, an NCS of 300 to 399 was associated with a higher odds of 90-day all-cause readmission (odds ratio 2.0 [95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.3]; p = 0.02), procedure-related readmission (OR 3.3 [95% CI 1.4 to 7.9]; p = 0.006), length of stay > 2 days (OR 2.2 [95% CI 1.5 to 3.2]; p < 0.001), and nonhome discharge (OR 2.0 [95% CI 1.3 to 3.1]; p = 0.002). A score of 400 to 499 demonstrated a similar pattern, in addition to a higher odds of 90-day emergency department visits (OR 2.2 [95% CI 1.2 to 3.9]; p = 0.01). After controlling for potentially confounding variables like age, gender, race, BMI, smoking status, CCI, insurance status, preoperative diagnosis, and surgical approach, we found no clinically important association between an active opioid prescription and 90-day all-cause readmission (OR 1.002 [95% CI 1.001 to 1.004]; p = 0.05), procedure-related readmission (OR 1.003 [95% CI 1.001 to 1.006]; p = 0.02), length of stay > 2 days (OR 1.003 [95% CI 1.002 to 1.005]; p < 0.001), or nonhome discharge (OR 1.002 [95% CI 1.001 to 1.003]; p = 0.019); the large size of the database allowed us to find statistical associations, but the effect sizes are so small that the finding is unlikely to be clinically meaningful. A similarly small association that is unlikely to be clinically important was found between active sedative use and 90-day ED visits (OR 1.002 [95% CI 1.001 to 1.004]; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Preoperative prescription drug use, as reflected by higher NCSs, has a dose-response association with adverse outcomes after THA. Surgeons may use the preoperative NCS to initiate and guide a patient-centered discussion regarding possible postoperative risks associated with prescription drug-use patterns (sedatives, opioids, or stimulants). An interdisciplinary approach can then be initiated to mitigate unfavorable patterns of prescription drug use and subsequently lower patient NCSs. However, given its nature and its reflection of drug-use patterns rather than patients' current health status, the NCS does not qualify as a basis for surgical denial or ineligibility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study.

Work Relative Value Units Do Not Adequately Support the Burden of Infection Management in Revision Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Revision total knee arthroplasty for infection is challenging. Septic revisions, whether 1-stage or 2-stage, may require more time and effort than comparable aseptic revisions. However, the burden of infection may not be reflected by the relative value units (RVUs) assigned to septic revision compared with aseptic revision. The purposes of this study were to compare the RVUs of aseptic and septic revision total knee arthroplasties and to calculate the RVU per minute for work effort. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was analyzed for the years 2006 to 2017. The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 27487 and the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 996.XX, excluding 996.6X, were used to identify all aseptic revision total knee arthroplasties (n = 12,907). The CPT code 27487 and the ICD-9 code 996.6X were used to determine all 1-stage septic revision total knee arthroplasties (n = 891). The CPT codes 27488 and 11981 were used to identify the first stage of a 2-stage revision (n = 293). The CPT codes 27447 and 11982 were used to identify the second stage of a 2-stage revision (n = 279). After 4:1 propensity score matching, 274 cases were identified per septic cohort (aseptic single-stage: n = 1,096). The RVU-to-dollar conversion factor was provided by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and RVU dollar valuations were calculated. RESULTS: The septic second-stage revision was used as the control group for comparisons. The RVU per minute for the aseptic 2-component revision was 0.215, from a mean operative time of 148.95 minutes. The RVU per minute for the septic, 2-component, 1-stage revision was 0.199, from a mean operative time of 160.6 minutes. For septic, 2-stage revisions, the first-stage RVU per minute was 0.157, from a mean operative time of 138.1 minutes. The second-stage RVU per minute was 0.144, from a mean operative time of 170.0 minutes. Two-component aseptic revision total knee arthroplasty was valued the highest. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the increased complexity and worse postoperative outcomes associated with revision total knee arthroplasties for infection, the current physician reimbursement does not account for these challenges. This inadequate compensation may discourage providers from performing these operations and, in turn, make it more difficult for patients with periprosthetic joint infection to receive the necessary treatment. Therefore, the CPT code revaluation may be warranted for these procedures.