Policy

Facilitating Care Delivery Improvement Across Communities

January 30, 2013     Mark Hagland
article
Leaders at the American Health Quality Association recently showcased the release of an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that documented an impressive decline in avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions among Medicare patients in communities in which Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) have coordinated interventions that engaged whole communities in care improvement.

CHIME: CMS Doesn’t Understand Burdens of Electronic Quality Data Reporting

January 29, 2013     Gabriel Perna
news
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), expressing concern that hospitals will not be able to put forth complete, accurate quality data via their EHRs. The comments were in response to a request for information (RFI) on hospital and vendor readiness for the submission of electronic quality data, as part of the CMS’ Inpatient Quality Data Reporting (IQR) program.

Washington Debrief: Mixed Reaction to HIPAA Final Rule

January 29, 2013     Jeff Smith, Assistant Director of Advocacy at CHIME
article
Recently, the long-awaited updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) were released. Most observers agree that provisions meant to move business associates and subcontractors into the world of covered entities will lead to more accountability of protected health information. But some worry that the rule does not clarify the emerging role of HIEs and population health management initiatives.

The 2013 Healthcare Informatics Innovator Awards: Runner-Up: Ozark Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

January 28, 2013     Gabriel Perna
article
Thanks to the drive and commitment of Stacy Zimmerman, M.D., an internal medicine and pediatrics physician, Ozark Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in rural Clinton, Ark. has been on an impressive path to patient-centered medical home (PCMH), which essentially began the day she started her practice, approximately nine years ago. Zimmerman is the lone physician of the practice and works alongside two nurse practitioners.

A Moving Target

January 28, 2013     David Raths
article
What does a technology platform for accountable care look like? What tools do organizations need to allow them to integrate clinical, claims, patient-reported and public health data into a patient-centric data model? Healthcare Informatics recently interviewed several chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), and consultants involved in creating accountable care organizations (ACOs), and a consensus seems to be developing about the areas of infrastructure they need to bolster.

Hospital Leaders Create ‘The Culture of Always’ (INFOGRAPH)

January 28, 2013     Gabriel Perna
article
Whether it’s through better communication or simple amenities, even the most optimistic leader at a hospital will tell you there is no perfect path to perfect patient satisfaction. However, thanks to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) mandatory Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) initiative, hospitals across the country are certainly going to try to achieve that formula.

Americans Prioritize State Insurance Exchanges, Oppose Medicare Cuts, Poll Finds

January 24, 2013     Rajiv Leventhal
news
A majority of Americans put the creation of state-based health insurance exchanges at the top of the priority list for health policy in their state this year, according to a survey released on Jan. 24 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Readmissions Initiative Under the Microscope Again

January 23, 2013     Gabriel Perna
blog
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Federal Readmissions Reduction Program is once again receiving a critical eye. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health say the initiative would punish hospitals that serve the uninsured and poor patients.

IOM Report Details Strategy for Monitoring Safety of Childhood Immunization Schedule

January 22, 2013     John DeGaspari
news
A review of the available evidence underscores the safety of the federal childhood immunization schedule, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. However, the report offers a framework for conducting safety research using existing or new data collection systems. should signals indicate the need for investigation of the schedule.

President Obama Mentions Medicare and Medicaid in his Second Inaugural Speech

January 22, 2013     Mark Hagland
news
In a speech with a strong focus on unity among Americans and with a heavy emphasis on social progress, President Barack Obama briefly mentioned healthcare in his second inaugural address in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21.

HIPAA Final Rule Drops 'Risk of Harm' Standard

January 18, 2013     David Raths
blog
In its HIPAA final rue, HHS chose to drop the harm standard that a breach does not occur unless the disclosure poses "a significant risk of financial, reputational, or other harm to an individual." Instead, a breach notification is necessary in all situations except those in which the provider demonstrates that there is a low probability that the protected health information has been compromised.

New NCQA Certification Program Identifies Medical Home Experts

January 17, 2013     Rajiv Leventhal
news
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has launched a credential program—Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Content Expert Certification—that gives individuals a way to demonstrate their knowledge of the NCQA PCMH recognition program, an innovative program for improving primary care.
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