Academic

“Waiting to see the doctor is not like waiting in line for a fun ride at Disney World,” says Oren Gottfried, a professor in the neurosurgery department at Duke University School of Medicine and senior author of a study in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.

The Triangle, long known as a hub for world-class health care, is home to three surgeons who rank in the top 1 percent of doctors in their surgical specialty, according to data released to The News & Observer.

From risk-sharing payment models to increased scrutiny placed on hospital surgeons and expanded data collection and integration, six surgeons predict how the specialty will change as healthcare shifts from a fee-for-service model toward value-based care.

Standards of care for spine surgery will become increasingly aligned as surgeons become more reliant on patient outcome data to drive treatment, one spine surgeon predicts.

“A simple, one-page form given to patients ahead of their doctor visit can significantly improve satisfaction with the care they receive, according to a study by Duke Health researchers.”

Oren Gottfried, MD, is a spinal neurosurgeon at Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Hospital.

“From the rise of robots to the use of big data and a move away from hospital-owned practices, changes in the field of spine surgery will be very evident by 2030, six spine surgeons predict.”

Dr. Oren N. Gottfried practices at Duke Spine Center.