Trends in Outpatient Mental Healthcare During Pandemic Have Telehealth Implications
The new study was published by HealthAffairs. The study is based on an analysis of claims data from Office Ally, a claims clearinghouse for Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payers. The researchers compared mental health service utilization from time periods before and during the pandemic: 2016 to 2018 and March to December 2020.
Why Nurses Are Raging and Quitting After the RaDonda Vaught Verdict
In the wake of Vaught’s trial ― an extremely rare case of a healthcare worker being criminally prosecuted for a medical error ― nurses and nursing organizations have condemned the verdict through tens of thousands of social media posts, shares, comments, and videos. They warn that the fallout will ripple through their profession, demoralizing and depleting the ranks of nurses already stretched thin by the pandemic. Ultimately, they say, it will worsen healthcare for all.
Are You Ready For OSHA’s Wave of New Rules?
OSHA is moving forward with several rulemakings, three of which are healthcare-specific, that could affect many employers. If you’re in the healthcare field, you could be facing a permanent COVID-19 standard based on the agency’s 2021 emergency temporary standard (ETS) and infectious disease and workplace violence standards.
OSHA Proceeds With Healthcare COVID-19 Rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled an April 27 public hearing on establishing a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard. The agency is seeking input on changes to its June 21, 2021, emergency temporary standard (ETS). All but the recordkeeping provisions of the ETS was withdrawn on December 27.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 50 – Using Technology to Improve Senior Care
On episode 50 of PSQH: The Podcast, Janet Dillione, CEO of Connect America, talks about how technology can improve senior care.
Intermountain Expands its Inpatient Remote Monitoring Program
The Salt Lake City-based health system is using the money to purchase 70 camera and microphone units, which will be posted in inpatient rooms in Intermountain hospitals throughout the state. The video feed is monitored by clinical staff in Salt Lake City, giving those smaller, rural hospital an extra set of eyes and ears and an on-demand link to providers in an emergency.
How Structured Reporting Can Lead to Better Patient Outcomes
A coalition of 14 professional societies, led by the American College of Cardiology and by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, estimates that only 10% of United States cardiac catheterization labs use structured reporting to improve efficiency and bolster patient outcomes.
DNV Resumes All Annual Surveys Onsite and Unannounced
Noting that the AO said in January that it was likely to continue the remote annual surveys through at least April, DNV announced through an advisory March 23 that “COVID-19 positivity rates, hospitalizations, and community transmission have dropped significantly, making it much safer to return to onsite survey activities.”
Former Nurse’s Criminal Conviction Will Have a ‘Chilling Effect’ on Healthcare
Vaught was convicted Friday of a 2017 fatal drug error after a three-day trial that continues to capture the attention of nurses across the country, many of whom worry that the case could set a precedent of criminalizing medical errors. Vaught, scheduled to be sentenced May 13, faces three to six years in prison for neglect and one to two years for negligent homicide.
Physicians Eager to Help Address Patients’ Social Drivers of Health
The survey was conducted by The Physician Foundation from Feb. 2 to Feb. 11. Data was collected from more than 1,500 physicians. One-third of the physicians who responded to the survey practice primary care, which was defined as family medicine, general practice, internal medicine, or pediatrics. The remaining survey respondents practice in one of two dozen specialties.