High participation in ASCQR program continues, March deadline for reconsideration requests
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2025 Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program data, showing strong participation among Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs), ASC Focus December 20 reports. Of the 6,012 facilities included in the list, 5,714 will receive the full Annual Payment Update…
Mastering CMS regulations: How to ensure a finding-free Joint Commission survey
Takeaways • Requirements for improvement and condition level deficiency findings have been trending up in recent The Joint Commission surveys. • The scoring trends and OR hot spots focus on infection control, medication management, national patient safety goals, post-surgical electronic health record tracers, and transplant (tissue) safety. • Federal regulations,…
Study links pandemic stress to persistent increases in nursing-sensitive quality indicators
Editor's Note A study analyzing data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) revealed that nursing-sensitive quality indicators (NSIs) worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain elevated years after the onset of the pandemic, reflecting ongoing challenges in nursing practice. Published in the journal Nursing Research, the findings…
CMS final rule for CY 2025: Key updates impacting Medicare payments, quality programs
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule for the 2025 calendar year, updating payment systems and quality reporting requirements across healthcare settings, JD Supra November 19 reports. Effective January 1, 2025, the rule outlines significant changes to Medicare payments and conditions for participation…
ACS recognizes 77 hospitals for excellence in surgical outcomes
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has recognized 77 US hospitals for “exceptional surgical outcomes” in 2023 based on performance metrics tracked as part of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). According to an October 30 ACS announcement, these hospitals were selected from among 609 eligible…
CMS expands social determinants of health screening to outpatient settings
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding its social determinants of health (SDoH) initiatives to include outpatient settings, starting with voluntary reporting in 2025 and moving to mandatory reporting in 2026, MedLearn Publishing August 26 reports. This expansion aims to address gaps in care by…
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- Commentary: Studies show how surgeon decisions follow the money
- Proposed HIPAA updates would improve cybersecurity, increase costs for healthcare providers
- Study: EMR data can enhance hand hygiene compliance, infection prevention
- Study: Machine learning model improves perioperative pain assessment
- Call for improved suicide risk screening in ASCs aims to strengthen safety protocols
- Study: Perioperative pregabalin reduces risk of kidney decline compared to gabapentin
- Medical school diversity declines after Supreme Court ruling
- Surgeons risk losing ground as transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions rise