Bundled care, paying and calculating costs for an episode of care rather than fee-for-service, was thought in theory to be able to bring substantial cost savings. But as Yogi Berra said, "In theory, there is no difference in theory and practice. In practice there is."
joint replacement
Knee or hip replacement surgery can greatly improve quality of life for arthritis sufferers. But new research indicates that these procedures may also increase the risk of heart attacks early in the recovery period.
A new retrospective study shows a significant association between reduced rate of knee- and hip- replacement revision and treatment with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A good candidate theory for prospective trial to confirm, or refute.
Since 2010 the University of Massachusetts Department of Orthopedics and Physical Rehabilitation has been maintaining a national database (FORCE-TJR) of total joint replacement surgical and patient-reported outcomes of the surgery. Recently, a disturbing trend has been observed in the data from this study.