Policy

It was fascinating to read a recent account in the July/August issue of “Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare” about a Six Sigma project around improving perioperative outcomes and processes. Not only was the case study a worthwhile read in itself, it clearly had implications for healthcare IT leaders.

With open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace set to begin October 1, it’s worth taking a look at how informed the public is on state-operated insurance exchanges. The answer to that depends on the state where you live.

Anita Samarth, President of Clinovations, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that works with the government, providers, and other health IT stakeholders, talks about the scope of different policy issues facing industry leaders in 2013 and beyond. This is part 1 of a three-part series.

A newly published survey of 1,200 physicians nationwide by athenahealth is revealing a mixed bag of opinions among doctors regarding how well electronic health records (EHRs) are working for them, with a range of views about the efficacy, cost-benefit analysis, and usability, of EHRs. Meanwhile, attitudes towards government involvement in healthcare have become more positive in the past year. But there remains concern over the transition to the ICD-10 coding system.

As the penalty for avoidable readmissions will continue to grow, one hospital has been proactive in connecting with outside care facilities to help lower its readmission rates—and the results have been impressive.