Specialty Telehealth Expands the Value of Medicare Advantage
Telemedicine has become routine both for primary and specialty care, from rural hospitals to tertiary care university hospitals. Moreover, digital devices and monitoring modalities are more commonplace. Not only are individuals utilizing cloud-based telehealth patient platforms, but they are also commonly being linked to clinical remote monitoring programs, which are now reimbursable by CMS.
Sensor Solutions Gather Data to Support Telehealth
The platform has been adapted both to track viral load (in order to predict, with approximately 93% accuracy, when a person should pursue a PCR swab test to confirm COVID-19) and to alert a provider of the need for interventions around 21 hours in advance of a critical complication due to COVID-19.
4 Recent Research Articles Examine N95 Respirator Mask Sterilization Methods
N95 respirator masks, which filter at least 95% of 0.3-μm particles, are the gold standard for protection against airborne pathogens such as the novel coronavirus. To conserve supplies of N95 respirator masks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the masks be used by healthcare workers at highest risk of contracting infection or experiencing complications of infection.
HHS Makes COVID-19 Data Reporting a Medicare CoP as of 9/2
The interim rule, which was pre-published for public inspection late Thursday, says the data must be reported daily as specified by HHS and points to a July FAQ for the current list of information sets that must be reported.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 10 – Emergency Management and COVID-19
On episode 10 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Brad Gair, senior managing director, Witt O’Brien’s, about emergency management and lessons learned from COVID-19.
Been Through a Disaster? There is Help for Recovery
If you are affiliated with a state, tribal, territorial or local government operation, or are a non-profit providing critical healthcare services in a declared disaster area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a public assistance program ready to help.
Q&A: Supporting the Survivors of Sepsis
Sepsis is the number one driver of hospital costs in the United States and—according to the CDC—accounts for more than one-third of hospital deaths and more than $24 billion in hospital expenses. Sepsis is the most expensive all-payer condition in the United States.
The Age of Hand Sanitizers
A hygienic workplace provides many benefits, including boosted productivity, a safe working environment, and reduced employee absenteeism due to illness. Here’s a rundown of the ways to improve workplace hygiene and provide an ideal working environment that is safe, healthy, and secure.
Prognosis for Rural Hospitals Worsens With Pandemic
Eighteen rural hospitals closed last year and the first three months of 2020 were “really big months,” said Mark Holmes, director of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Many of the losses are in Southern states like Florida and Texas. More than 170 rural hospitals have closed nationwide since 2005, according to data collected by the Sheps Center.
NSC Says COVID-19 May Become Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
The number of deaths from COVID-19 this year already has surpassed the number of preventable deaths in calendar year 2018. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 currently is widespread in most U.S. communities and considered a workplace hazard.