Quality and Safety
Containing healthcare costs and improving the quality of care are among the state's top priorities said Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick at the Massachusetts Medical Society's State of the State's Health Care 13th Annual Leadership Forum in Waltham, Mass. on Oct. 18.
Our complex healthcare system is often challenging for those who work in it. For those who don't -- patients -- a new brand of companies is rising up to help. Patient navigation companies may be patient-centric but they will impact the way the traditional healthcare system does business.
“Rationing” is a handy label for opponents of government involvement in healthcare to throw around. It connotes hardship during wartime and not being able to use water during a drought. Things we hate.
In a live webcast Tuesday, the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) called on healthcare organizations to step up quality and error reporting.
Massachusetts makes its first real foray into managed care with a demonstration plan focused on dual eligibles from ages 21 to 64. The plan emphasizes patient relationships with independent living support coordinators and community-based organizations.
On Monday, the Saint Raphael Campus of Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn., was recognized for the 2012 Partnership in Prevention Award for achieving the greatest sustainable improvements towards eliminating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Flexing its muscle with the healthcare buying power of 1.4 million employees, Wal-Mart last week announced it was contracting with six healthcare organizations nationwide to provide its health plan covered employees with no out-of-pocket costs for specific heart, spine and transplant surgeries.
While hospitals historically have focused on driving down costs by making improvements in their revenue cycle, nurse productivity and supply chain management efficiency, one area that hasn't received as much attention is the costs associated with the number of assets hospitals own and maintain, said John McCarthy, general manager of asset management professional services at GE Healthcare. McCarthy shares four initiatives to help healthcare organizations reduce overall inventory and drive down costs.
The probability of developing cancer in someone’s lifetime in the United States is 44% for men and 38% for women according to the American Cancer Society. The healthcare industry is well aware of this disease wave and as a result healthcare systems are developing more space to treat the flow of patients needing treatment.
According to a recent study published in the October issue of Health Affairs, comparative effectiveness studies of widely used treatments can change practice patterns, thereby reducing healthcare costs.