Cambridge, MA ─ The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is hosting a one-hour webinar on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET on its study, Reoperation and Readmission Rates for Compensated Patients Undergoing Lumbar Surgery. The study's authors, Dr. Rebecca Yang and Dr. Randy Lea, will discuss the main results and answer questions from the audience.

"Readmission and post-operative reoperations are the key quality indicators used by commercial, government and a limited number of employee compensation payers in their value-added purchasing programs," said John Ruser, President and CEO of WCRI. “The study can help policymakers and other stakeholders shed light on the areas where quality improvements are most needed. It can also prove useful for patients in considering treatment options. "

The study quantifies the 30-day and 90-day reoperation and readmission rates for workers compensation patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery and compares these rates with those for non-workers compensation patients reported in other studies. It also discusses the main types of reoperations and the main reasons for readmission, examines the medical payments per claim, and describes the interstate differences in the prevalence of reoperations and readmissions.

Analysis for this report focuses on workers with lower back pain who underwent either lumbar discectomy / decompression or lumbar fusion surgery for injuries occurring between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016 in 18 states, with experience until March 31, 2018. The 18 study states that make up 61 percent of all employee compensation paid nationwide are Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina , Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Webinars are priced at $ 50 for non-members and are FREE to WCRI members, the press, lawmakers, and their employees and government officials who make policy decisions about compensation for employees. All attendees will receive a free copy of the slides and a recording of the webinar. 

About WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, MA. The institute, founded at the end of 1983, does not comment on the topics it has examined. Rather, it provides information that has been obtained through studies and data collection efforts and is consistent with recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is also ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review processes. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; Insurer; Government agencies; Managed care company; Health care provider; Insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and government agencies in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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