News Briefs
News Briefs
HEDIS 2000 adds four measures
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), in its final specifications for HEDIS 2000, has added four new measures: controlling high blood pressure, appropriate medications for people with asthma, chlamydia screening, and management of menopause. HEDIS is a performance measurement tool that holds the nation’s managed care plans accountable for quality care, and already includes a broad range of measures related to key public health issues such as cancer, diabetes, and mental health.
"The measures that we are adding to HEDIS will prevent heart attacks, make asthma more bearable, control the spread of chlamydia, and ensure that women know their options for dealing with menopause," notes NCQA president Margaret E. O’Kane.
In addition to the new measures, the NCQA’s Committee on Performance Measurement also approved several other changes for HEDIS 2000, including retiring the current eye exams for diabetics measure, which is being replaced by the new comprehensive diabetes care measure.
For more information, contact: Barry Schilling, NCQA, 2000 L Street N.W., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036. Telephone: (202) 955-5104.
Oral drug screening test shipped
Avitar Inc., of Canton, MA, has shipped what it claims is the first oral screening test for drugs of abuse, OralScreen. The "three-panel" product detects cocaine, opiates, and marijuana, and was first introduced in April at the American Occupational Health Conference.
"With the three-panel test, we plan to focus initial marketing efforts on corporations, law enforcement agencies, and correctional institutions, where substance abuse testing programs are not only in most demand, but can result in significant legal challenges and losses in productivity," notes Peter P. Phildius, Avitar’s chairman and CEO.
For more information, contact: Avitar Inc., 65 Dan Road, Canton, MA 02021. Telephone: (781) 821-2440. Fax: (781) 821-4458.
New tool assesses work ethics
Responding to the need to better measure the impact of ethics programs on employee attitudes and behavior, New York City-based Arthur Andersen, a global professional services organization, has introduced IntraSight Assessment, a research-based diagnostic service designed to help companies assess their ethical culture and evaluate the impact of programs on overcoming ethics and compliance weaknesses.
"With IntraSight Assessment, companies for the first time can develop ethics programs targeted to produce specific attitudes and behaviors that support responsible business practices and discourage those that are unethical or unacceptable," says Barbara Ley Toffler, PhD, who heads Arthur Andersen’s Ethics & Responsible Business Practices Group. "The service also lets companies measure their progress in improving their ethical culture over time."
For more information, contact: Anne Board, Arthur Andersen. Telephone: (212) 708-4780. E-mail: [email protected].
Publication addresses workplace violence
Gazelle Press, Glassboro, NJ, has launched a new publication, Workplace Violence Briefings, to address what has become one of the nation’s most troubling and expensive workplace problems.
Workplace violence "is a crippling issue in the American workplace," notes publisher Sherry Hausman, MPH. "In addition to the potential human tragedy, the costs of legal liability, repairing the firm’s reputation, aftermath counseling, and property damage can be enormous."
According to Hausman, during a typical week, an average of 20 Americans are murdered at the workplace and over 18,000 are assaulted. The average jury award in a case of lethal workplace violence is $2.2 million, she adds.
For more information, contact: Gazelle Press, 600 Quincy Court, Glasboro, NJ 08028. Telephone: (800) 848-1906. Fax: (609) 307-0141. E-mail: [email protected].
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