Can a hospital system dictate which hip implant patients receive?
At the Cleveland Clinic, the answer is yes. As part of a new "care path" designed to deliver consistent results, improve quality and cut costs, the Cleveland Clinic dictates the manufacturer of the hip implants received at their facilities and by doctors in the Clinic network. One physician did not like that mandate and choose to leave the Cleveland Clinic network.
With so much litigation on hip implants and hip recalls, do you think the hospital should choose? Or should the physician choose the device based upon experience and success?
An excerpt of the article:
By Casey Ross, The Plain Dealer
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — An orthopedic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic's Fairview Hospital is removing his practice from the Clinic because leadership is requiring him to use an implant he says would jeopardize care in the name of cutting costs.
Dr. Raymond L. Horwood wrote a letter recently informing his patients that the Clinic's decision to limit implant options is prompting him to take his practice to St. John Medical Center, a University Hospitals facility in Westlake.
For the complete article, visit Cleveland.com.