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The largest health plans appear to be in the process of adopting guidelines from the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) for machine-readable insurance cards, according to Peter Barry, of Peter T. Barry Co., a Milwaukee-based consulting firm specializing in health care and information systems. Barry is chair of WEDI's initiative on health identification cards.
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After Concord (NH) Hospital's multidisciplinary cardiac care team began holding daily collaborative rounds with patients and family members on the cardiac patient care unit, length of stay decreased and patient satisfaction scores rose.
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A comprehensive system to ensure that patients with pneumonia receive recommended care resulted in a significant increase in quality measure scores at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC.
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Patient access staff will have to get used to a change for Medicare patients, with the new Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) form now used for all situations where Medicare payment is expected to be denied. The form, implemented by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), becomes mandatory
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While a rapid response is important in trying to save lives and prevent in-hospital deaths from cardiac arrest, the vehicle for that response is now called into question.
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The intervention is membership in a group collaborative. The five measures relate to antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgical patients. The endpoint: Did being part of the collaborative help facilities comply with the measures? The conclusion: No.
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With high scores on Hospital Compare to back her up, Indun Whetsell, RN, CPHQ, director of quality management at The Regional Medical Center (TRMC) in Orangeburg, SC, says her surgical antibiotic prophylaxis initiatives have paid off in a big way.
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A recent article in The Seattle Times tells the tale of a woman who inadvertently learned she had methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) while in the hospital from a nurse making an offhand comment. Since then, that woman, Jeanine Thomas, has been pushing for further disclosure from hospitals on MRSA.
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A pilot program that allows EDs and health care systems across Milwaukee to share patient information is expected to save thousands of dollars by eliminating redundant testing, while improving patient care.
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Earlier intervention, a second pair of hands, and nurses love them these are all reasons why experts Hospital Peer Review spoke with are in favor of continuing the use of rapid response teams.
