Patient Rights
Healthcare costs making Americans poorer, sicker
Editor's Note The high cost of healthcare is leading many Americans to skip care and forgo medications, according to the 2023 Healthcare Affordability Survey by the Commonwealth Fund published on October 26. Some highlights of the survey include: A large number of insured working-age adults surveyed admitted difficulty affording their…
UChicago Medicine receives 2023 Tyson Award for healthcare equity program
Editor's Note The University of Chicago Medicine has been awarded the 2023 Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity for the success of its Systematic Treatment and Management of Postpartum Hypertension (STAMPP-HTN) program, The Joint Commission October 25 reports. According to The Joint Commission news…
Patient perceptions of surgeon bias are influenced by race, gender
Editor's Note A new study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that Black patients are more likely to perceive bias from their surgeons compared to White patients. The study, titled "Patient preferences and perceptions of provider diversity in orthopedic surgery," was published on October 6. The study…
Report: Think tank ranking shows hospital segregation persists in some US cities
Editor's Note In a ranking of over 3,000 hospitals done by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank in Needham, Massachusetts, researchers found that while inclusion is being prioritized at some hospitals, segregated healthcare markets remain in cities like New Orleans, St. Louis, and Detroit. The findings were…
Problems with prior authorization, utilizing health insurance coverage are prevalent, survey finds
Editor's Note This KFF survey from June 2023 found that some six in 10 adults with health insurance have experienced problems when trying to use their insurance, KFF Health News September 29 reports. The problems included denied claims, network adequacy issues, and preauthorization delays and denials. According to the survey,…
Study: Effective ACE screening builds trust, reveals vital patient information
Editor's Note This recent study of five pediatric clinics in Los Angeles County, California, found that when clinic staff performed screening for adverse childhood experience (ACE), they were able to elicit important patient information and build trust, with no adverse events reported. The study, titled "Clinician and Staff Perspectives on…
Addressing mistreatment of transgender people in healthcare encounters
Editor's Note Transgender people are subject to mistreatment in healthcare encounters, including harassment, assault, and denial of care, according to this September 2023 qualitative study published by Annals of Family Medicine. This study comprised 30 transgender adults and found the following experiences among transgender patients: Transgender people often found clinicians’…
Price transparency in surgical settings
Takeaways • Healthcare consumers are not aware that they can ask how much something costs. • There is disconnect between the law and common knowledge, and patients generally are confused about what they receive as good faith estimates. • In addition to incorrect CPT codes and OON allowable charges, the…
The Joint Commission updates resources in Health Care Equity accreditation, certification resource centers
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 5, announced that it had updated its Health Care Equity (HCE) Accreditation Standards & Resource Center and its HCE Certification Resource Center to help organizations meet healthcare equity requirements. New resources in the HCE Accreditation Standards & Resource Center include: the feasibility of…
Compliance with CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule linked to financial penalties
Editor's Note This study from Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Georgetown University, Washington, DC, finds that hospital compliance with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2021 Price Transparency Rule is increasing since financial penalties were enforced. Data from 4,377 acute care hospitals operating in 2021 and 2022 were…
Free Daily News
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- Analysis: Overuse of back surgeries costs Medicare $2 billion, risks patient safety
- AI-powered surgical robot learns by watching
- AHA's Congressional "wish list" calls for financial relief, patient access, workforce protections
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates lag pre-pandemic levels, racial disparities persist
- Honoring the OR Manager Award winners this Perioperative Nurses Week
- Study: Demand for anesthesiologists rises sharply, driven by job market, regional variations
- Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert details environmental disaster preparation
- ACS recognizes 77 hospitals for excellence in surgical outcomes
- Color-changing gel could enhance cataract surgery safety, efficiency