Quality and Safety
In the past, neither hospitals nor practicing physicians were accustomed to being measured and judged. Aside from periodic inspections by the Joint Commission, hospitals did not publicly report their quality data, and payment was based on volume, not performance.
Two recent studies on nurse understaffing and nurse fatigue have revealed that these two prominent issues negatively impact the quality of care delivery, patient and employee satisfaction and operational costs in hospitals.
As voices calling for more patient engagement in healthcare grow louder, a new study reveals that patients with very low activation levels are significantly associated with higher healthcare costs in the here and now and in the future.
As hospitals continue to struggle with operational costs, some are now looking to clamp down on food waste to stem the tide. Providers are addressing the issue with a combination of electronic tracking, composting and forecasting.
Participation in a national hospital project has shown one small Maine hospital the importance of business intelligence tools as it adapts to a value-based business model.
Home care companies have an opportunity to expand their businesses and shape coordinated care efforts by offering their services to hospitals seeking to avoid patient readmissions, say home care experts.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has unveiled a prototype of an online database tool that has the potential to achieve higher quality and higher value cancer care and better outcomes for patients.
Highmark Inc. has unveiled a new group health plan that provides incentives for members to use providers that exhibit higher quality outcomes, fewer complications and reduced readmissions.
Assurance Wireless, a federal lifeline assistance program for wireless phone service, is joining forces with Gold Mobile to offer free two-way messaging services between Medicaid and low-income patients and their healthcare providers, insurance carriers and HMOs.
The Office of Inspector General issued a "special fraud alert" cautioning that physician-owned distributorships (PODs) are "inherently suspect" under the anti-kickback statute and listing suspicious characteristics of these entities that may increase the risk of fraud and abuse.