Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

The U.S. healthcare system packs significant environmental punch

A recent study has found that if the U.S. healthcare system were its own country, it would rank 13th in the world for greenhouse gas emissions.

June 10, 2016

How ‘decision fatigue’ may lead physicians to prescribe more antibiotics

Physicians tend to write more prescriptions for antibiotics later in the day, according to a review of prescription data by athenahealth, which may be due to a concept called “decision fatigue.”

June 2, 2016

Editorial: Healthcare profits redistributed profits away from employees

In an editorial in Forbes, Dave Chase argues how the healthcare industry has redistributed profits away from employees:

June 2, 2016

U.S. death rate rises for the first time in 10 years

Even when taking into account the aging population, the death rate in the U.S. for 2015 increased for the first time in 22 years, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

June 1, 2016

Editorial: Mergers mean less competition, more costs

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times discusses how "lower prices, better quality” might be something we hear from healthcare providers. 

May 31, 2016

National payment rate could be key to pay-for-value system

The concept of value-based health care is rapidly gaining traction in the U.S., yet implementation remains a significant challenge. To establish true pay-for-value system, a national payment rate should be established and rooted in and adjusted for three factors: risk of the patient population, geographic variation in the cost of doing business, and patient outcomes.

May 27, 2016

CMS asks for proposals to reduce readmissions by 12% by 2019

CMS has released a request for proposals for hospital improvement plans with the goal of cutting 30-day hospital readmissions by 12 percent and reducing patient harm by 20 percent.

May 26, 2016

ACA hasn’t stopped sales of short-term, limited benefit insurance plans

Health insurance policies that don’t include common benefits are becoming more popular, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, even though the coverage may not meet the Affordable Care Act’s standards.

May 23, 2016

Around the web

Half a year after President Biden officially directed federal agencies in the executive branch’s bailiwick to “seize the promise and manage the risks” of AI, the White House has posted a status report.

U.S. physicians often receive payments from medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. New research in JAMA found a connection between receiving such payments and using specific devices—should the industry be concerned? 

Five of the largest U.S. medical societies focused on cardiovascular health are one step closer to seeing their paradigm-shifting proposal become a reality.

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