Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

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AI and QI—a partnership made for healthcare

Within healthcare, artificial intelligence and quality improvement have some things in common. 

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The top 25 heart hospitals in the United States

Newsweek and Statista have crunched the data and ranked the top U.S. hospitals for cardiac care. Did your facility make the cut? 

Rishi Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, associate director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Explains a report showing socioeconomic factors are driving increased cardiovascular death rates, especially in younger adults, and urges action to address these health disparities.

Death from heart disease more common in rural areas—what can cardiologists do?

Rishi Wadhera, MD, detailed new data that show how socioeconomic factors are driving cardiovascular death rates, especially in younger adults.

Raj Kedar, MD, MBBS, FACR, vice chair of radiology and the University of South Florida, and chief of radiology at Tampa General Hospital, spoke on how to improve quality of STAT radiology orders and reduce inappropriate exams.

Enhancing STAT radiology exam order efficiency to reduce turnaround time

Raj Kedar, MD, chief of radiology at Tampa General Hospital, spoke on how to reduce the number of STAT imaging exams and inappropriate exams via staff education and additional questions of orders. 

 

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Atrial Fibrillation Centers of Excellence: The best path forward for high-quality care and better outcomes

The world is in the throes of an AFib pandemic, one that could potentially get worse in the years ahead due to population growth, economic hardships and rigid resource limitations. According to the Heart Rhythm Society, one way to effectively combat this issue is the development of more AFib Centers of Excellence.

Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence

The 55-year-old patient woke up experiencing chest pain one morning and an ambulance was called. He was dead just a few hours later. His family's lawsuit argued that delays in care, communication errors and other issues were directly responsible for his death.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, a cardiologist, speaking at the TCT interventional cardiology conference on health disparities in the U.S. health system and paying more for care has not resulted in better outcomes. #healthdisparities #healthequity

FDA commissioner, a veteran cardiologist, highlights ongoing issues with US healthcare system

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, talked to Cardiovascular Business about healthcare spending, inconsistent patient outcomes and much more.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, explains the U.S. is spending the most on healthcare of any country, but has poorer outcomes than other western nations. He said healthcare reform is needed to change that course. #Healthdisparities #healthequity

FDA commissioner urges health systems to strengthen AI quality oversight

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, explains the need for hospitals to perform quality assurance checks on clinical artificial intelligence to ensure these technologies don't "drift" from what was originally cleared by the FDA.
 

Around the web

Suman Tandon, MD, an American Society of Nuclear Cardiology board member, explains the group's call on Congress to update a number of healthcare policies. 

The 2026 MPFS proposed rule includes higher conversion factors across the board. However, some cardiology groups remain concerned about a series of reimbursement reductions for high-value cardiology services. 

The Heart Rhythm Society and its new advocacy arm plan on pushing CMS to include certain policy improvements in the 2026 MPFS.