WCRI: Orthopedic Surgeons with Stake in ASCs more Prone to Operate

By Michael Whiteley, Eastern Bureau ChiefFlorida orthopedic surgeons presumed to have an ownership stake in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) performed between 52% and 111% more surgeries than their counterparts who did not own an ASC, the Workers Compensation Research Institute reported on Friday.The Cambridge, Mass.-based research group analyzed data on knee, shoulder and wrist surgeries between 1997 and 2004 gathered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) then cross-matched the data with records maintained by the...