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.

As hospital quality increases, racial inequality in care decreases

A major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that as quality improved on 17 measures in hospital care, so did racial and ethnic equality, according to Medscape.

December 14, 2014
Quality measures

Hospital execs express concern over ‘clinical meaningfulness’ of quality reporting

While quality reporting helps stimulate improvement initiatives, hospital executives see little correlation with clinical outcomes, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

December 10, 2014

Keys for success in population health

What are the keys to population health management? Patient engagement and acting on available data, according to Hospitals & Health Networks.

December 10, 2014
Question

Healthcare should embrace imitation, not innovation

Healthcare should focus more on imitation and less on innovation, according to an article published in Harvard Business Review.

November 22, 2014

Study: Behavioral health management can reduce costs, improve health

More than one-third of hospitalization costs in 13 low-income N.J. communities are linked with behavioral health conditions, underscoring the need for better coordination of behavioral and physical healthcare, according to a Rutgers study. 

November 20, 2014

Experts explore data quality in cancer care

The Peer Exchange convened by The American Journal of Managed Care brought together payers and providers to hear their views on the value proposition of quality measures in oncology.

November 18, 2014

Joint Commission names 1,224 top hospitals for quality performance

The Joint Commission has recognized 1,224 hospitals as “Top Performer” hospitals which have demonstrated overall quality improvements, according to Becker’s Healthcare.

November 15, 2014

Price transparency tools can lower costs

A small study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that price transparency tools can put a significant dent in medical costs, reports The Washington Post. 

October 25, 2014

Around the web

Five of the largest U.S. medical societies focused on cardiovascular health are one step closer to seeing their paradigm-shifting proposal become a reality.

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions and Society of Thoracic Surgeons have both shared statements in support of the ban, which is already being challenged in court. The American Hospital Association, meanwhile, opposes the policy shift, saying it “errs by seeking to create a one-size-fits-all rule”

Alison Bailey, MD, co-chair of the business of cardiology sessions at ACC.24, emphasized that reimbursement cuts can have a long-term negative impact on patient. 

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