Dr. Varacallo Press/Media and Feature Articles
Matthew Varacallo MD named to Becker’s top 65 total knee replacement surgeons to know in 2020
The article distinguishes selected surgeons as having “led accomplished careers and hold(ing) leadership positions at some of the top instutions across the United States. The list was developed through nominations and internal research.
In depth interview into our practice
Matthew Varacallo MD perspective/commentary
“Lower Complication Rates Following Ankle Fracture Fixation by Orthopaedic Surgeons Versus Podiatrists”
Men’s Health Magazine
September 2019 edition
Topics covered include:
*Dysfunctional Core/Low Back Pain
*Increased predisposition to upper and lower extremity injuries secondary to a dysfunctional core
*Exercise routine recommendations to avoid these common pitfalls!
“ ”
“understanding the readmission profile (for potential predictable orthopedic treatment groups) has important implications for developing future cost containment strategies.”
“Big Data” versus “Little Data”
In future studies, Dr. Varacallo said, “I want to continue this trend of advocating for the ‘little data’ in this increasingly popular era of ‘big data.’ We do not live in a one-size-fits-all society, and I and my group will continue to push for the individual institution’s voice amidst these controversial topics. We would like to explore the influence of additional clinical risk factors in this specific treatment category and analyze other future potential bundled payment models.”
“ ”
“The conflicting issues behind this stem from not only are physicians expected to correctly code for the services provided, but also with orthopedic surgery, we have at least 5 years of extra training beyond medical school. The expectations are there. So, it is rather surprising we get any in our training.”
“One of my biggest areas of interest is risk factor analysis for increasing costs and hospital readmissions across the 90-day period and applying ‘big data’ at the institutional level,” Dr. Varacallo said. “While big data and large nationwide/international database studies play a critical role in the provisional identification of at-risk clinical variables, my fear is that we inherently apply a one-size-fits-all approach across all hospital systems and regions of practice. From an institution’s perspective, the ‘big data’ needs to be tailored to yield the even more valuable ‘little data.’”
Examining efforts to improve residents’ knowledge of documentation, coding
“The current healthcare environment necessitates better physician awareness regarding clinical documentation guidelines and coding principles,” said first author Matthew A. Varacallo, MD, “Very few adjustments to incorporate these teachings have been made to most residency training curricula, and the lack of time and resources remains the concern of many surgical programs. We have demonstrated that orthopedic resident knowledge in these important areas drastically improves after a single, high-yield 45-minute teaching session.”
An automated system that identifies high-risk osteoporosis patients being treated for fractures and can generate letters encouraging follow-up is an effective way to promote osteoporosis intervention and prevent future fractures…