At the 21st Annual Becker's ASC Conference in Chicago on Oct. 24, Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, located in Paducah, Ky.; Amish Patel, MD, Premier Pain Consultants, located in Chicago; and Mark Gostine, MD, ProCare Systems, located in Grand Rapids, Mich., discussed the future of pain management in ASCs in a panel moderated by John C. Saran, an attorney at McGuireWoods LLP.
One of the biggest opportunities for pain management in ASCs is the ability to show value and outcomes, according to Dr. Manchikanti. "At ASCs, the cost of healthcare is less and the quality of treatment is usually better. If we can prove this, then we can seize more opportunities," he said.
Dr. Gostine agreed that the low cost of pain management services at ASCs presents more opportunities. "The tendency for low-cost physicians at ASCs compared to hospitals offers the opportunity to get into population-based management and gain sharing," he said.
Dr. Patel presented opportunities related to marketing pain management ASCs. "Pain physicians bring many cases to ASCs, but I've seen some ASCs that have been more aggressive about looking for specific physicians to fill a need and then advertise this as a marketing move." In this sense, the physicians themselves become a key influence in getting new patients in addition to the pain management services they offer.
In terms of pain management services, ASCs are the optimum providers in comparison to hospitals or office practices, Dr. Manchikanti explained. "The majority of offices can't afford to pay for the treatments or don't have the technology, especially with the new regulations and not enough nursing personnel. ASCs have great patient safety monitoring systems, and also have the accreditation. Compared to hospitals, ASCs can offer better quality and more convenience."