VBP program rewards 231 low-quality hospitals
Editor's Note Through its Value Based Purchasing (VBP) program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) paid bonuses to 231 hospitals with lower quality because their patients were less expensive, this study finds. CMS began measuring both spending and quality in FY 2015 to encourage hospitals to provide more…
Organ recipients with previous cancers have higher rates of mortality, new cancers
Editor's Note In this meta-analysis, organ recipients who had cancer before receiving an organ transplant had higher rates of mortality and new cancers than organ recipients who had not had cancer. Organ recipients with previous cancers had a 1.5 times greater risk of dying from any cause, 3 times higher…
CMS delays release of new hospital quality ratings
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 20 announced that it will delay until July the release of hospital quality “star ratings” on its Hospital Compare website, the April 20 Modern Healthcare reports. The ratings were scheduled to be released April 21. The delay stems…
Value-based payment raises quality stakes in patient care
Although many healthcare providers are still struggling to implement a value-based payment (VBP) model, everyone knows that the train has left the station and adjustments must be made. Shifting to a VBP system, expanding surgical patient care to “population health,” and developing a new generation of perioperative nurses are among…
NIH announces initiative to reduce disparities in surgical outcomes
Editor's Note The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on April 18 announced an initiative to support research to better understand and address disparities in surgical care and outcomes for disadvantaged populations. The new program will involve collaboration among several NIH institutes and centers along with the Agency for Healthcare Research…
CMS quality ratings linked to lower readmission, mortality rates
Editor's Note Hospitals that rank higher in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Hospital Compare star ratings system have lower readmission and mortality rates, compared with those ranked lower in the system, this study finds. Hospitals with five stars had an 18.7% readmission rate, compared with 22.9% for one-star…
Most Americans do not link healthcare quality to costs
Editor's Note Most Americans do not think healthcare prices and quality are associated and may avoid low-price care, finds this study. Depending on how the question was framed, 58% to 71% of Americans in a nationally representative survey did not associate healthcare prices and quality. A minority did perceive an…
Better hospital financial performance not linked to better outcomes
Editor's Note How well a hospital performs financially is not associated with improved clinical outcomes, this study finds. Researchers examined the association between financial performance for nearly 280 hospitals against their 30-day mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. The findings suggest that hospitals…
ERAS program for total joints reduces length of stay
Editor's Note Use of an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program in total hip and total knee patients reduced length of stay by 1 day in this study. Short term complications and readmission rates were similar for patients in the ERAS program and those managed in a traditional perioperative care…
Two hospitals face value-based payment - which one does your OR resemble?
H ealthcare trends come and go, but one that shows no signs of stopping is value-based payment. Just this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replace-ment (CCJR) model, which mandates bundled payment for two of the most common surgical procedures in the…
Free Daily News
- Healthcare employment up in February
- New legal standard redefines medical negligence
- Study: Machine learning improves OR efficiency, but challenges remain
- Study: Weekend effect raises risk of surgical patient mortality, complications
- 4-day workweek boosts job satisfaction, work-life balance for nurse leaders
- Open-heart surgery performed on infant mid-delivery
- Infusion pumps deemed high-risk in FDA early alert
- Stem cell researchers tout potential for sickle cell disease cure
- Study: Stem cell therapy restores vision in LSCD patients
- AMSURG launches nationwide campaign to spotlight rising colon cancer rates, urges early screening