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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Burnout is now classified by the World Health Organization

WHO has added burnout to its international classification of diseases, giving it an ICD-11 code, the organization announced May 28. While WHO noted burnout is an occupational phenomenon and not a medical condition, it is notable that symptoms can affect health status.

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CDC: Cancer death rates drop while heart disease deaths rise in the U.S.

Two of the leading causes of death have had opposite trajectories in the U.S. over the last two decades, despite sharing similar lifestyle and health-risk factors.

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Medicare Advantage outperforms fee-for-service on cost of care, quality

The overall cost of care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries is 16.7% higher than Medicare Advantage beneficiaries when it comes to caring for dual eligible beneficiaries, according to a recent report from Avalere.

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Avoidable hospitals deaths dip

Avoidable hospital deaths are on the decline, according to recent estimates from the Leapfrog Group for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

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All Children’s gets another extension to meet corrective actions

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., has been given another extension from federal regulators to correct its problems. The pediatric hospital came under fire in late 2018 after the Tampa Bay Times uncovered widespread problems at the facility, including a rising death rate in the pediatric heart unit.

Amputations related to diabetes more likely among black, Latino patients

Amputations that are a result of diabetic complications are a life-changing action when the disease spirals out of control. As the prevalence of the disease continues to rise––30 million Americans are estimated to have diabetes––black and Latino patients are more likely to have an amputation compared to non-Hispanic whites, CNN reports.

DOJ: 24 charged in $1.2B healthcare fraud scheme

Twenty-four defendants, including C-suite executives from five telemedicine companies, the owners of dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies and three licensed medical professionals, have been charged in what the U.S. Department of Justice is calling one of the largest healthcare fraud schemes investigated by the FBI and HHS.

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Hospital readmissions high for heart patients hastily sent home from skilled nursing

Nearly a quarter of heart failure patients discharged after rehabbing in skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) are bound to get readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of going home. And those whose stay at the SNF two days or fewer are up to four times more likely to be readmitted than those who stay longer.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”