Monday
Jul192010
Report finds hospital acquired infection rate dropped in Pennsylvania Hospitals
Pennsylvania hospitals have reduced hospital acquired infections by 12.5 percent between 2008 and 2009.
Monday
Jul192010
HealthGrades releases names of top performing emergency departments
HealthGrades has released a report identifying the top performing emergency departments in the nation.
James J. Pfeffer | in Mortality, Quality Ratings, Risk-Adjusted Mortality | tagged HealthGrades | Post a Comment | Share Article Monday
Jul192010
Americans spend more time in hospitals in their final days
The average time spent in hospice and palliative care is falling in the United States. In 2008, one-third of people who received hospice care received it for a week or less, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Monday
Jul192010
Pay for performance may not work well for all hospitals
Concerns have been raised about Medicare’s plan to implement pay-for-performance.
James J. Pfeffer | in Hospital Pay-for-Reporting | tagged PLoS Medicine | Post a Comment | Share Article Monday
Jul192010
Hospitals can submit structural quality data online
An online tool is available for hospitals and vendors to submit Structural Measures/Data Accuracy and Completeness Acknowledgement data for the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update Program for Fiscal Year 2011.
Monday
Jul192010
CPOE systems can miss 50% of medication errors
Computer physician order entry systems can miss half of routine medication order errors, one third of which are potentially fatal.
James J. Pfeffer | in Electronic Medical Records | tagged The Leapfrog Group | Post a Comment | Share Article Monday
Jul192010
Many Americans not getting recommended cancer screenings
Although the number of Americans being screened for colon and breast cancer has risen, some adults are still not getting recommended breast and colorectal cancer screenings.
Monday
Jul192010
Opportunities for states to share serious reportable events reporting
Ten years ago, the Institute of Medicine called for mandatory reporting of medical events that result in death or serious harm, and voluntary reporting of near misses and minor injuries.
Monday
Jul192010
Program aims to improve palliative care at veteran’s hospitals
The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded the City of Hope a three-year contract to educate nurses on how to provide better palliative care for Veterans with life-threatening illnesses.
Monday
Jul192010
Health Literacy Action Plan aims to improve health literacy across the nation
The Center for Disease Control estimates that 9 out of 10 adults have trouble following medical advice because of the jargon-filled language, dense writing, and complex explanations.
Thursday
Jul012010
U.S. health system underperforms when compared to other countries
The U.S. health system is the most expensive in the world, but when compared to health systems in other countries, it consistently underperforms.
Thursday
Jul012010
Experts propose four criteria for improving quality measures
Experts have examined process-of-care measures used in national transparency and payment programs to promote quality in hospitals and health systems and among physicians and have proposed four criteria for improving quality measures.
Thursday
Jul012010
New Jersey launches initiative to reduce heart failure readmissions
The New Jersey Hospital Association’s Institute for Quality and Patient Safety has launched a yearlong collaborative partnership to reduce heart failure hospital readmissions and improve the quality of healthcare in New Jersey.
Thursday
Jul012010
Survey finds that the cost of individual insurance is rising
More than three-quarters of people who purchase individual health insurance report being asked for a premium increase when they renewed their coverage.
Thursday
Jul012010
Thomson Reuters releases list of top 10 U.S. health systems
Thomson Reuters has released its second annual study identifying the top 10 U.S. health systems based on their clinical performance across their entire system.