Hospice Management Advisor Archives – March 1, 2011
March 1, 2011
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Want to improve your retention? Help employees with personal issues
This is the first of a two-part series that examines ways to support employees' in their personal lives in order to improve work performance and staff retention. -
Evaluate these areas when choosing an EAP
There are many factors to consider when choosing a provider for your Employee Assistance Program (EAP), according to experts interviewed by Hospice Management Advisor. -
Dartmouth Atlas Report: No consistency in care
Where they live can determine whether Medicare patients with advanced cancer die in a hospital or while receiving hospice care, according to the findings of a Dartmouth Atlas Project report. -
Oncology group issues new policy, patient guide
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has called on physicians, medical schools, insurers, and others to help improve quality of life for people with advanced cancer. -
Home case management reduces hospital visits
In three months following participation in a program that provides care management and outpatient services to the frail elderly in their homes after discharge, patients in Dartmouth Hitchcock Regional Medical Center's Bridge Program experienced a 41% decrease in emergency department visits and a 27% decrease in inpatient admissions compared to the three months before the program began. -
MedPAC recommends increase for hospice
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended a 1% increase in hospice payment rates for FY 2012 along with payment reforms that reflect increased costs at end of life. -
Rule would expand notification to hospices
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule that would require most Medicare-participating providers and suppliers to give Medicare beneficiaries written notice of their right to contact a Medicare quality improvement organization (QIO) with concerns about the quality of care they receive under the Medicare program, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). -
Joint Commission deletes element of performance
The Joint Commission has approved the deletion of element of performance (EP) 10 at MM.05.01.01 for the home care, behavioral health care, critical access hospital, hospital, and long term care accreditation program. The deleted element of performance requires that "all medication orders are reviewed for the following: Variation from the hospital's indication for use." -
Steps recommended for communications
A new policy statement issued by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) offers guidance to physicians to initiate discussions about the full range of palliative care and treatment options soon after a patient is diagnosed with advanced cancer. -
Legal restrictions deter advanced directives
a.though all states and the District of Columbia have laws providing for the use of advanced directives, those same legal statutes might hinder the effective use of advanced directives, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.