Quality and Safety
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) on Wednesday submitted comments on ICD-10 proposed rulemaking to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. CHIME urged HHS to remain committed to ICD-10, while calling the one-year delay an appropriate "middle ground" for all stakeholders.
Hospitals, physician practices and health plans across the country are boosting care -- and saving millions -- by employing quality measures, information technology and plenty of innovation. A new book tells the stories behind the successes.
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center has rolled out a five-foot, automated disinfection robot named Tru-D (Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfection), part of a $2 million CDC grant awarded to Duke University for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.
No sooner had the American Hospital Association submitted its comments on the proposed rule for Stage 2 meaningful use than they came under fire for "spurious" arguments on patient access to online information.
San Francisco-based start-up Castlight Health, whose mission is to shed light on healthcare pricing, has raised $100 million in Series D funding. This new round of investment brings its total funding to $181 million.
The changes taking place in U.S. healthcare as a result of rapid healthcare IT adoption leave the nation's health IT chief Farzad Mostashari optimistic -- especially about improving quality, he told the audience at a meeting of the National Quality Forum Thursday, as he urged: "Keep our eyes on the prize."
Just in time to consider for comments on ONC's proposed rule on meaningful use Stage 2 (comment period ends May 7), John Loonsk, MD, makes a case for data transfer standards more functional than SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) called for in MU Stage 2 - Loonsk describes SMTP as a "dead end."
There are myriad ways to cut costs in hospitals, even while improving patient care.
The National Quality Forum (NQF) approved for endorsement several sets of quality measures in April, addressing areas such as perinatal and renal care and how resources are put to use in care delivery.
Caregivers who talk with the patient about their care before, during and after care tend to improve outcomes and avoid readmissions. Technology can help improve how it's done -- and documented.