Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN) is touting a 97.3% decrease in readmission rates for joint arthroplasties using its Episode of Care Assurance Program, a bundled payment option designed to reward good patient outcomes.
Working with group purchasing organization Provider PPI, the British orthopedics and wound care giant’s eCAP program combines its hip and knee implants, Pico negative-pressure wound therapy and Acticoat Flex 7 antimicrobial barrier dressings. Among some 1,380 total joint arthroplasties over the past 14 months performed using the program, there were only two readmissions, Smith & Nephew said. That’s a rate of just 0.15%, compared with published rates of 5.3% or higher, the company claimed.
“As healthcare systems move from fee-for-service to pay-for-value, healthcare providers are increasingly responsible for the episode of care for the patient,” Smith & Nephew U.S. president Glenn Warner said in prepared remarks. “eCAP can help enable providers to reduce costly readmissions after TJA by adding class-leading wound care products to help manage surgical incisions. We are proud to support our customers with innovative programs that deliver improved care in a large-scale, real-world setting.”
“Adding Pico and Acticoat products from Smith & Nephew to our TJA cases has been a great win for our health system clients and their patients,” added Provider PPI VP Paul Gallagher. “I am extremely pleased to see our readmission rate drop to nearly zero. In Smith & Nephew we’ve worked with a comprehensive product solutions partner that’s willing to stand behind its product portfolio.”
