Health care economics and total joint arthroplasty

Turn on the television, radio, or open your favorite newspaper or online newsfeed and you will undoubtedly come across stories on health care economics and policy. Similarly, pick up a medical journal and there is a good chance that youwill come across studies on some aspect of health care economics. The recent change in the White House administration has only kept the topic of health care delivery in the forefront of the news. Research trends will follow the issues and concerns of the day. While we have not solved the problems of infection, mechanical loosening, polyethylene wear, and osteolysis, many of these complications have become less frequent today than a decade ago. Moreover, with rising health care costs, there has been a shift in research topics with economic and health care policy topics having an increasing presence at most orthopaedic meetings and in orthopaedic journals. At the most recent American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons meeting, 10 of 56 papers, including 2 of 3 award papers, an entire symposium, plus 10 of 20 industrysponsored symposia were devoted to topics on health care economics or policy.