The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Outpatient Spine Trauma Consult Follow-up

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on spine trauma patient follow-up. Summary of Background Data: Although damage to the spinal column accounts for a small proportion of all traumatic injuries, it results in a significant burden on the patient, provider, and health care system. Postoperative follow-up is essential to direct rehabilitation, prevent early deterioration, and manage complications early in the postoperative period. Previous studies have established the role of insurance coverage on follow-up compliance, however, the impact of the ACA on follow-up has been scant. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed upon institutional review board approval of spine trauma patients consulted by orthopedic spine or neurosurgery from January 2013 to December 2013 (pre-ACA) and January 2015 to December 2015 (post-ACA). Patient demographics, surgical case characteristics, and follow-up compliance were assessed via manual chart review. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify predictors of follow-up in the overall cohort, as well as within nonoperative and operative patients. Results: A total of 827 patients were included in the final analysis after inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, patient follow-up significantly increased after implementation of the ACA (P
Source: Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques - Category: Surgery Tags: Primary Research Source Type: research