| Editor's Choice: Quality | The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimated 8,000 deaths were prevented and $2.9 billion was saved between 2014 and 2016 through successful initiatives to reduce hospital-acquired conditions, including infections, injuries from falls and adverse drugs events. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimated 8,000 deaths were prevented and $2.9 billion was saved between 2014 and 2016 through successful initiatives to reduce hospital-acquired conditions, including infections, injuries from falls and adverse drugs events. | | |
| CMS has released a new a “scorecard” tracking quality measures of states within Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) said it failed to offer a true apples-to-apples comparison of state performance. CMS has released a new a “scorecard” tracking quality measures of states within Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) said it failed to offer a true apples-to-apples comparison of state performance. | | |
| The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) has released the 2018 edition of its annual quality report, illustrating how deficiencies were most commonly found at the hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) it inspects. The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) has released the 2018 edition of its annual quality report, illustrating how deficiencies were most commonly found at the hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) it inspects. | | |
| The “Just Culture” model to encourage healthcare professionals to report mistakes to focus on improving processes, not punishment, hasn’t worked, according to a study authored by Marc Edwards, MD, MBA, of the QA to QI Patient Safety Organization. The “Just Culture” model to encourage healthcare professionals to report mistakes to focus on improving processes, not punishment, hasn’t worked, according to a study authored by Marc Edwards, MD, MBA, of the QA to QI Patient Safety Organization. | | |
| Hospitals will be expected to perform fewer unnecessary C-sections, cut down on imaging procedures for lower back pain and prescribe fewer opioids. If they don’t do so by the end of 2019, Covered California will try to get participating health insurers to exclude those hospitals from their networks. Hospitals will be expected to perform fewer unnecessary C-sections, cut down on imaging procedures for lower back pain and prescribe fewer opioids. If they don’t do so by the end of 2019, Covered California will try to get participating health insurers to exclude those hospitals from their networks. | | |
| The report from Illinois' Cook County inspector general pinned much of the blame on the system’s bureaucracy, citing “a significant number of registration clerks, coders and billers who do not possess adequate self-motivation or the required skill sets and knowledge base” to do the jobs they’ve been assigned. The report from Illinois' Cook County inspector general pinned much of the blame on the system’s bureaucracy, citing “a significant number of registration clerks, coders and billers who do not possess adequate self-motivation or the required skill sets and knowledge base” to do the jobs they’ve been assigned. | | |
| Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston has long been touted as one of the top hospitals in the country for heart transplant and surgery. In recent years, however, its quality scores have plummeted and top physicians have left, all while the center was being led by a relatively inexperienced surgeon. Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston has long been touted as one of the top hospitals in the country for heart transplant and surgery. In recent years, however, its quality scores have plummeted and top physicians have left, all while the center was being led by a relatively inexperienced surgeon. | | |
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