Improving Collaboration Around Medication Management Programs
There are numerous reasons patients stop taking medication against their physician’s advice. They might feel better (or, thanks to side effects, feel worse). They might not be able to reach the pharmacy. The cost might be too steep. Then, of course, there is the potential for medications to be prescribed from a number of points of care, which is leading to more challenges regarding medication reconciliation. Whatever the cause, poor medication adherence has significant costs for both the individual and the health system.
Five Years of Nursing Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital
Five years ago, PSQH spoke with Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, DNP, FAAN, about a new and exciting innovation in her hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) – an initiative that designated 12 Innovation Units, where a philosophy of relationship-based care and 13 evidence-based interventions could be safely tested. This March, we checked in to see how the initiative has fared.
How to Get Readmission Rates Under Control
To say readmissions are a big deal in medicine is a massive understatement. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was enacted in 2010 specifically to take on this problem and has imposed nearly $1 billion in penalties. An estimated $17 billion in Medicare spending is spent annually on avoidable hospital readmissions.
Handshake-Free Zone: Keep Those Hands – and Germs – to Yourself in the Hospital
Testing a new method for limiting the spread of germs and reducing the transmission of disease in the hospital: a handshake-free zone.
CMS Report Reveals Gender Disparities in Care Quality
Two of the most significant healthcare gender disparities are related to follow-up care and alcohol/drug treatment, according to Gender Disparities In Health Care in Medicare Advantage, a report released by the CMS Office of Minority Health in April based on 2015 data.
Caucus Pushes for Telemedicine Expansion in Congress
When it comes to healthcare and congress, finding bipartisan support on anything is a daunting task. Politicians from both sides are coming together in support of new bills aimed at improving and expanding telemedicine services in the United States.
Putting A Lid on Waste: Needless Medical Tests Not Only Cost $200B – They Can Do Harm
Some experts estimate that at least $200 billion is wasted annually on excessive testing and treatment. This overly aggressive care also can harm patients, generating mistakes and injuries believed to cause 30,000 deaths each year.
Improve Quality Outcomes in Managed Care: Back to Basics
“The more things change, the more they remain the same.” Technology and pharmacology are advancing rapidly. Reimbursement systems for healthcare services are in flux, and the sites for delivering healthcare are expanding to pharmacies and grocery stores. What remains the same is that people need healthcare and healthcare professionals provide it.
The Multifaceted Roles of the Physician Advisor and Influence in Health Care Organizations
We are in the midst of tremendous change in healthcare, and physician advisors are needed to be the lighthouse guiding our physician colleagues in the turbulent waters. The notion that a physician advisor only needs to know how to determine a proper level of care is well past us at this point, because organizations have realized that physician advisors can, and are, impacting healthcare organizations in many other equally important ways.
Medicare Failed To Investigate Suspicious Infection Cases From 96 Hospitals
Almost 100 hospitals reported suspicious data on dangerous infections to Medicare officials, but the agency did not follow up or examine any of the cases in depth, according to a report by the Health and Human Services inspector general’s office.