Kudos to USAToday for publishing a pretty good article on variations in practice patterns related to back surgeries. In a front page story today, the paper that has been derided by some as “McNews” explores the issues surrounding the explosion in the number of spinal fusions.
The reporting is balanced, insightful, and thorough, a bit of a surprise coming from a paper that prides itself on short sentences, really short words, and lots of color, not depth and nuance.
Noted throughout the article is the primary problem – no one knows how many spinal fusions are the right number, and there is significant disagreement among stakeholders re when a patient should have surgery. (free registration required) That’s all true, and that’s where workers compensation comes in.
Continue reading Workers’ Comp – the answer to the spinal fusion question