Member May 2026: Introduction to the Core Principles of Value-Based Spine Care in PM&R (On-Demand)-Session Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session introduced core principles of value-based spine care from a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) perspective. Drs. Carter and Eubanks argued that spine care must move beyond a fee-for-service, procedure-heavy model toward a longitudinal, biopsychosocial approach focused on function, patient goals, and total cost of care.<br /><br />They defined “value” as outcomes achieved per dollar spent, emphasizing that true patient-centered value includes clinical improvement, functional recovery, patient experience, and return to meaningful life roles such as work and family participation. The presenters highlighted the limitations of legacy metrics like pain scores alone, and encouraged broader measurement using PROMIS, ODI, PHQ-9, fear avoidance, utilization data, and spine registries.<br /><br />A key theme was that PM&R physicians are well positioned to serve as “system architects,” leading triage, coordinating multidisciplinary care, and reducing fragmented pathways that can lead to unnecessary imaging, injections, surgery, and chronic disability. They discussed emerging payment models, including bundled payments, ACOs, capitation, and upcoming CMS models such as TEAMS and the Ambulatory Specialty Model, which may reward better outcomes and coordination.<br /><br />The talk closed with practical implementation strategies: collect data, integrate patient-reported outcomes into EHR workflows, build conservative-first triage protocols, educate staff and patients, and use modular, personalized care pathways. Audience discussion reinforced the importance of patient education, accessibility, and making system-level changes that support better value and better function.

Keywords

value-based spine care

PM&R

biopsychosocial approach

patient-centered outcomes

PROMIS

Oswestry Disability Index

patient-reported outcomes

multidisciplinary care

bundled payments

care coordination

functional recovery