All AOPA members will be receiving in the mail a copy of the recent Military Medicine Supplement. Military Medicine is the official journal publication of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS), and this edition arises in conjunction with the topics covered at the December annual meeting of AMSUS.
There are two articles that are very important to all AOPA members which are included in the edition. Most members are aware of the Dobson-DaVanzo study on cost-effectiveness, which demonstrates, using four years of Medicare data, that timely O&P intervention saves payers’ money (the study has been a central feature of the www.MobilitySaves.org website, and you may wish to take a look there also). Dr. Allen Dobson, the author of this research, presented his work at the AMSUS meeting, and the attached manuscript will make this work widely available for citation for use by payers (including both Medicare and private sector providers), and others to show the value of O&P care (page 18).
Secondly, this edition also includes the manuscript developed by a Multi-Disciplinary Task Force headed by John Fisk, M.D., with physician representatives from both physical medicine and rehabilitation, and orthopedic surgery, a physical therapist, and certified O&P professionals around key issues on the orthotic treatment team, distinctions between OTS and customized orthotics, the importance of the orthotist’s notes and records, and other key clinical issues (page 11). This publication is particularly timely in establishing this valuable consensus viewpoint at a time when orthotic care, and its reimbursement are attracting greater attention and scrutiny.
There are also several reasons why we are especially pleased to see both of these articles appearing in Military Medicine. This journal is a peer-reviewed medical journal, listed in the Index Medicus, which conveys substantial credibility for these papers, placing it in the top tier for purposes of medical citations, and because of the importance of topics covered in this journal to Congressional Appropriations and Department of Defense matters, Military Medicine is circulated to all Congressional Offices, giving these messages great reach to our lawmakers.