Outcomes and value in elective cervical spine surgery: an introductory and practical narrative review

Scott L Zuckerman; Clinton J Devin

doi:10.21037/jss.2020.01.11

Outcomes and value in elective cervical spine surgery: an introductory and practical narrative review

J Spine Surg. 2020 Mar;6(1):89-105. doi: 10.21037/jss.2020.01.11.

Authors

Scott L Zuckerman^{1

2}, Clinton J Devin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Vanderbilt Department of Neurosurgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
² Steamboat Orthopaedic and Spine Institute, Steamboat Springs, CO, USA.

Abstract

How we determine a successful clinical outcome and the value of a spine intervention are two major questions surrounding clinical spine research. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), both LEGACY and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures, are becoming ubiquitous throughout the literature. Spine surgeons need a facile understanding of the financial landscape of their environment to influence change. In the current introductory, narrative review on outcomes and value in cervical spine surgery, we aim to: (I) define relevant outcome and cost terminology, (II) review recent cervical spine surgery literature, divided by specific pathology with a focus on LEGACY and PROMIS measures, and (III) discuss value and cost as they pertain to postoperative return to work and ambulatory surgery centers surgeries.

Keywords: Cervical spine surgery; Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS); cervical deformity; cervical myelopathy; cervical radiculopathy; cost-effectiveness; patient-reported outcomes; return-to-work; value.

Publication types

Review