Bundled Payments Work, Study Finds, But HHS Nominee No Fan
A recent change in the way Medicare pays for joint replacements is saving millions of dollars annually — and could save billions — without impacting patient care, a new study has found. But the man Donald Trump has picked to be the secretary of Health and Human Services has vocally opposed the new mandatory payment program and is likely to revoke it.
NPSF Patient Safety Congress Special Issue
Dear readers, Welcome to our first special issue! Throughout the year, we are going to release special issues preceding select special events or conferences. We will include an article (or two) of interest as it relates to the upcoming conference in addition to our regular content. In this, our first special issue, we’ve included an … Continued
5 Ways Healthcare Systems Can Help Physicians Talk About Adverse Events
Although communication and resolution programs are becoming more pervasive throughout healthcare, providing a more structured approach to adverse event discussions, clinicians still struggle when it comes to discussing unintended outcomes with patients and their families.
Quest Diagnostics Breach Affects 34,000 Individuals
Quest Diagnostics, a Madison, New Jersey-based medical laboratory services company, announced a data breach affecting 34,000 individuals.
New Medicare Rules Should Help ‘High Need’ Patients Get Better Treatment
New Medicare policies reflect heightened attention to the costliest patients in the health care system — mostly older adults who have multiple chronic conditions that put them at risk of disability, hospitalization, and an earlier-than-expected death.
High Reliability and The Impact of ‘Rescuing’ Patients
The healthcare industry is transitioning to a new wave of patient safety, according to a group of experts that says high reliability will become a bigger emphasis for healthcare facilities looking to improve quality care.
Grilled About Deadly Superbug Outbreaks, Execs At Scope Maker Olympus Takes Fifth
Three senior executives at scope maker Olympus Corp., which is under federal investigation for its role in superbug outbreaks, repeatedly invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when questioned recently about internal company emails.
Joint Commission Targets CAUTIs with Updated NPSG
Earlier this year, The Joint Commission updated its National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) on catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) for hospitals and critical access hospitals. It also created a new CAUTI NPSG for nursing care centers. “An estimated 1 to 3 million healthcare-associated infections strike nursing home residents annually, and many of these are infections … Continued
Can Predictive Analytics Push Patient Safety Into the 21st Century?
For industries across the country, data has become a key element of operational improvement, and the use of predictive analytics in particular has opened a new opportunity to better utilize a growing repository of data.
HHS: $28 Billion Saved Through Patient Safety Efforts
Efforts to improve patient safety are paying off, according to a new Health and Human Services (HHS) department report.