According to a new study published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, only 7 percent of Tennessee hospitals have hand specialists available 24 hours to treat trauma patients in the emergency department. Researchers conducted a survey of119 hospitals in Tennessee with both an operating room and emergency room. They found 58 percent of the hospitals offered at least basic emergency coverage for hand injuries, but 42 percent offered no emergency coverage for these injuries. Only 7 percent had hand specialists on call at all hours.
The study also reported an increased private insurance payor mix in hospitals with hand specialists on call 24 hours, and hospitals with more than four hand surgeons had a 67 percent greater chance of having someone on call 24 hours.
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The study also reported an increased private insurance payor mix in hospitals with hand specialists on call 24 hours, and hospitals with more than four hand surgeons had a 67 percent greater chance of having someone on call 24 hours.
More Articles on Orthopedic Surgery:
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How I Can Do a Rotator Cuff Repair for $350
Knee Arthroscopy & Chondroplasty Coding Changes