Here five spine surgeons discuss ways in which new regulations and changes in healthcare delivery have affected their attitude toward the spine industry.
Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What concerns you most about the spine industry?
Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, March 12, at 5 p.m. CST.
Question: How have regulatory burden and industry changes impacted your attitude toward the spine industry?
Neel Anand, MD, Clinical Professor of Surgery, Director, Spine Trauma, Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, Los Angeles: I don't think there is a lot that is exciting in the industry at the moment. A lot has been stalled by onerous FDA approval processes and stringent reimbursement criteria. It has downsized new developments or expansions in the industry.
Michael S. Chang, MD, Spine Surgeon, Sonoran Spine Center, Mesa, Ariz.: For all the looming problems and uncertainty we as a profession face, I do have confidence we will persevere. Although government scrutiny of the industry side of spine care has substantially increased in the past several years, we continue to innovate and improve on how we may better serve society.
Advances in deformity surgery, minimally invasive technologies and novel approaches to familiar problems allow us to tackle problems previously thought untreatable with less patient morbidity. Even with additional constraints placed upon us, I am confident innovation and the constant desire for improvement will keep the industry a lively and exciting one for many years to come.
Thomas C. Chen, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurological Surgery at the USC Spine Center, Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles: The most exciting thing about the spine industry at the moment is that we are now, more than ever, demanding good evidence to support conclusions and new technologies. In the recent past, there had been an explosion of novel devices and technologies, and the entire spine industry was excited. We have now entered a phase where surgeons and payers are looking for good evidence to support the use and reimbursement of novel technologies, which will hopefully result in better science and improved outcomes for our patients.
In addition, the value we receive from the new device or procedure and how cost effective it is for society is being increasingly scrutinized. I believe it will result in better and more reliable novel technology that has a great chance of helping us treat our patients.
Purnendu Gupta, MD, Director, Chicago Spine Center, Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago: What excites me the
most about the spine industry today is solidifying a comprehensive approach in the treatment of patients with lumbar pain and other associated disorders. It's benefiting patients and helping to reduce healthcare costs.
Physicians are well aware of the looming price of care for spine patients. To prove their care in the future, it is going to be necessary for us to look at the patient in a multidisciplinary setting where patients can access care — from physical medicine and rehabilitation to pain management and surgical treatment — when they need it.
This approach already has helped us to provide the best possible care for our patients. Furthermore, we expect to improve patient outcomes and to experience potential cost savings through our multidisciplinary team.
Jeffery Wang, MD, Chief, Orthopedic Spine Service, Co-Director, USC Spine Center, Keck Medical Center of USC, Los Angeles: I believe we are at a bit of a tipping point. There has been recent controversy over research studies, a move toward greater transparency and the creation of different reimbursement models. Our spine industry is changing.
Change is always uncomfortable and individuals will deal with this change in different ways. However, all spine surgeons are somewhat over-achievers and have risen to face challenges. We would not be in this field if we had not all overcome many obstacles and barriers in our lives. How we meet this change and the end result is both uncomfortable and exciting, often at the same time.
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