Paduda: Delays in Treatment = Delays in Recovery

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 | 0

Almost 400,000 surgeries (of all types) were canceled each week during the 12-week COVID peak this spring.

Joe Paduda

In North America, almost 1.2 million orthopedic surgeries were canceled, the vast majority in the U.S. Across all countries, the orthopedic cancellation rate was 82%, the highest percentage of any type of surgery.

Assuming a 20% increase in baseline surgical volume, researchers estimated it would take countries a median of 45 (range 43-48) weeks to clear the backlog of operations resulting from 12 weeks of disruption due to COVID.

While surgical procedure volumes undoubtedly increased this summer, news reports indicate that elective procedures are once again being postponed in many states.

The implication: Claim durations are going to increase as patients requiring surgery are back on the waiting list. 

Even after elective procedures return, many patients will face weeks of therapy before they recover and return to full functionality.

Which leads us to physical therapy.

The good news comes from MedRisk, a physical medicine management firm. Its annual Industry Trends Report shows post-surgical PT ramped up quickly this summer, after the COVID peak. (MedRisk is a consulting client of Health Strategy Associates.)

The company also opined that the delay can complicate recovery because patients become deconditioned while waiting months for surgery, although the delay can be mitigated by preconditioning patients with pre-surgery PT.

What does this mean for you?

These times are different and require different approaches to ensure rapid and complete recovery. Preconditioning may help your patients come out of surgery in better shape and feeling stronger. Yes, it’s different, new and a bit uncertain, but these times demand flexibility and creative approaches. 

Joseph Paduda is co-owner of CompPharma, a consulting firm focused on improving pharmacy programs in workers’ compensation. This column is republished with his permission from his Managed Care Matters blog.