Hospital Peer Review – January 1, 2007
January 1, 2007
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More alignment of measures on horizon — but not soon enough for many QPs
When performance measures required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) were completely aligned, many quality professionals breathed a sign of relief. -
How does your hospital really measure up?
Many organizations currently rank hospitals using publicly reported quality data. But this information can be confusing and even conflicting, since each entity is measuring different aspects of quality, using different methodologies for different purposes. -
Discharge Planning Advisor: Sutter Health disease management, case management programs strike balance for best patient outcomes
The successful integration of case management and disease management is the latest step in the ongoing evolution of the Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region Care Management Programs, says Jan Van der Mei, RN, the region's continuum case management director. -
Discharge Planning Advisor: CMS discharge rule requires revision
A potentially onerous hospital discharge rule proposed in April 2006 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is significantly less burdensome in its final form. -
Discharge Planning Advisor: AHRQ to request evaluation of pay-for-quality programs
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a notice in the October 24, 2006, Federal Register that it intends request permission from the Office of Management and Budget to conduct an evaluation project on pay-for-quality programs. -
Discharge Planning Advisor: Most hospitals support pay for performance
Nearly all hospitals support the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in moving forward with a pay-for-performance program over the next few years, but selecting the right measures will be a critical element of future success, according to a new report by Mathematica Policy Research. -
Survey coordinator: 'Point person' for preparedness
Keeping up with the ever-increasing requirements of regulatory and accreditation groups is proving too much for many hospital-based quality professionals. To address this, some hospitals are creating "survey coordinator" roles, with a single individual acting as the point person for accreditation requirements. -
Restraint and seclusion: CMS issues new rule
Hospitals failed to report 44 of 104 documented deaths related to restraint and seclusion to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) between 1999 and 2004, according to a September 2006 report from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. (For a complete copy of the report, go to http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-09-04-00350.pdf.) -
The Quality - Cost Connection: Share automation-enabled error stories with staff
In a perfect world the people who care for patients would never make a mistake and the operations of a health care facility would be under complete control at all times. There would be no unplanned, undesirable events, and no accidents, incidents, or inefficiencies. -
Joint Commission posts potential NPSGs
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has posted potential 2008 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) requirements and implementation expectations for field review by home care agencies. -
CMS expands preventive service coverage
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded coverage for preventive services such as diabetes screening. -
Patient Safety Alert supplement
Collaborative model works in Knoxville RRT initiative