New software program notifies physicians of readmissions
Editor's Note Murmur software helps bridge communication gaps by sending information from an electronic health record, to a hospital's scheduling software, to a physician's cell phone if a patient is readmitted within 5 days, according to Medscapeโs coverage of a study presented May 4 at the Society of Hospital Medicineโs…
Effect of Medicareโs Nonpayment Program on HACs
Editor's Note Medicareโs Nonpayment Program of 2008, which withholds hospital reimbursement for costs related to hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), was associated with a declined in the incidence of selected HACs, and the decline was greater in hospitals with a higher Medicare utilization ratio (MUR), this study finds. Of 867,584 Medicare patients…
ECRI Institute: Penn Medicine wins Health Devices Achievement Award
Editor's Note ECRI Institute on May 5 announced that Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation in Philadelphia was the winner of the 11th Health Devices Achievement Award. Penn Medicine received the award for its technology platform designed for creating custom apps to help clinicians better manage specific patient populations.…
FDA: HeartWare VAD splice kit recalled
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 5 announced that Medtronic is recalling its splice kit used to repair the driveline of the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). The kit was recalled because of a design problem that prevents the repaired cable assembly from withstanding excessive force…
House passes American Health Care Act
Editor's Note The US House of Representatives on May 4 passed the American Health Care Act with 217 yes votes; 216 was the number needed. The bill now moves to the Senate. The House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act with a slim majority on Thursday. The bill gives…
Pulmonary complications after outpatient surgery linked to BMI
Editor's Note Obese Class II and III were associated with an independent risk of pulmonary complications after outpatient surgery in this study. Of 444,532 patients included in this analysis, there were 996 all cause pulmonary complications. Binary logistic regression identified body mass index (BMI) as an independent predictor of a…
Joint Commission: Phase 3 of EP Review Project yields 515 more deletions
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on May 3 that accreditation programs for ambulatory care (85 fewer), behavioral healthcare (63 fewer), critical access hospitals (143 fewer), home care (65 fewer), laboratories (50 fewer), nursing care centers (59 fewer), and office-based surgery practices (50 fewer) will see fewer elements of performance…
Implications of reimbursement for postop complications on quality, value
Editor's Note Postoperative complications add an important marginal cost to Medicare payments and lead to a substantial portion of payments to hospitals, this study finds. Analyzing Medicare data for three procedures from 2009 to 2012, payments per uncomplicated surgical procedure were $13,500 for colectomy, $12,300 for total knee arthroplasty, and…
Joint Commission creates new SAFER Matrix resources portal
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 3 announced the creation of a new SAFER [Survey Analysis for Evaluating Risk] Matrix web portal for information and resources on the scoring methodology that went into effect on January 1. Among the portal features: A webinar and slide deck that discusses the…
CDC releases new SSI prevention guideline
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 3 published an update to its 1999 guideline for the prevention of surgical site infections. Among the recommendations: Patients should shower or bathe with soap or an antiseptic agent on at least the night before a surgical procedure. Antimicrobial…