Subject: P4P and spine surgery: Jefferson complication assessment. Conservative approaches to spinal disorders

Colleague,

Pay for performance will entail significant changes in financing of spine surgery. Rating performance and outcome measures has begun, with voluntary self-reporting via the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative. The literature poorly defines spine surgery complication incidence, with predominantly retrospective reviews that likely underestimate complication incidence. Conservative approaches, while widely referenced, are poorly defined.

The term complication is poorly defined and inconsistently used. The literature features retrospective reviews that underestimate complication incidence. This survey is designed to quantify spine surgeons’ opinions with regard to operative complications and specifics of conservative approaches. Completing the survey should take 5 minutes. Individual replies will remain confidential, and only the aggregate results will be reported.

Please help through completing this brief survey.

Thank you.

John Ratliff, MD

Thomas Jefferson University Departments of Orthopedics and Neurosurgery Spine Surgery Service

The link to the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=e2k6fBLMd7VbrIXFKIpsFQ_3d_3d