In today’s highly competitive market, establishing systems to measure key stakeholder feedback is crucial to increasing volume and nurturing relationships. Well executed survey tools result in business intelligence that can (a) help your practice understand what customers want and expect, (b) assess how your practice is delivering in these areas and (c) help your practice […]
Monitoring Stakeholder Feedback Read More »
In June, the Medical Group Management Association released the results of a questionnaire that ranked members’ most pressing practice-management challenges. In this edition of “Practice Makes Perfect,” we’ll tackle No. 1 on that list: preparing for the transition to ICD-10 diagnostic coding. In DATA, the CMS announced that the new implementation deadline for the International
Practice Makes Perfect: ICD-10 Delay Allows Time for Clinical Documentation Improvement Read More »
Pediatricians and other low-margin practices could take a significant financial hit during the transition to ICD-10 procedural and diagnostic codes, according to a study in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The 68,000-code ICD-10 system is scheduled to replace the 14,000-code ICD-9 system Oct. 1, 2015. Researchers at the University of Illinois
Move to ICD-10 will Hurt Low-Margin Practices, Study Finds Read More »
Americans who enrolled in private health plans through the federal exchange in 2014 qualified for tax credits that covered an average of about three quarters of their monthly premium payment, according to data released Tuesday by HHS. The average total monthly premium was $346 for individuals who qualified for federal subsidies, which are available to
Subsidies Cover 76% of Premiums for Plans Purchased on HealthCare.gov Read More »
At the University of Minnesota Malcolm Moos Health Sciences Tower, teams of students from around the country studying medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and healthcare administration come together each year to compete in a contest testing their ability to solve a systemic and individual patient problem through an interdisciplinary approach. This year, the competition, which
Team Training Takes Off as New Era in Health Reform Dawns Read More »
This article reviews the current role of hydrocodone and puts the potential advantages and disadvantages of the recently approved long-acting hydrocodone preparation into perspective. The authors note that hydrocodone, a semi-synthetic opioid, has been used for decades as a short-acting analgesic, and it’s combined with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The advantages of any hydrocodone product is
FDA Proposes Extended-Release Hydrocodone as Schedule II Drug Read More »
New models of healthcare delivery emphasize team-based coordinated care, but a new idea being tested at the University of Chicago proposes a new, somewhat old-fashioned concept targeting high-risk patients: the comprehensive-care physician.In a clinical trial funded by the CMS Innovation Center, University of Chicago physicians are assigned patients identified as high risk for hospitalization and
New Care Model Targets High-Risk Patients with Comprehensive-Care Docs Read More »
A small but growing number of hospitals are building emergency departments specifically for elderly patients at a time when the senior population is growing and hospitals are incentivized to develop new ways to prevent re-admissions and improve patient satisfaction. That trend made the ECRI Institute’s annual C-Suite Watch List of 10 clinical developments, tools and technologies that raise questions about
Growth of Senior-Specific EDs Holds Quality Promise But Raises Cost Issues Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released another report on the use of electronic health records (EHR). This new report takes aim at the lack of integrity practices CMS and its contractors have established to address vulnerabilities in EHR technology. Last month, the OIG targeted hospitals
OIG Reports on CMS Failure to Address EHR Vulnerabilities Read More »
Millions of Americans will get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act that will protect them from potentially ruinous medical expenses, but a new USA TODAY analysis shows the health plans they can choose still leave them vulnerable to thousands in deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs each year. Medical insurance deductibles for plans on the
Medical Debt Will Persist Despite Health Law Read More »