Efforts to improve patient safety are paying off, according to a new Health and Human Services (HHS) department report. Between 2010 and 2015, increased patient safety efforts have prevented 3.1 million hospital-acquired conditions (HAC), saved 125,000 lives and $28 billion in healthcare costs...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 12
On one hand, physicians are experts that people seek out because of their knowledge of human health. On the other, physicians are still their patients’ employees. While physicians can strongly encourage a course of action, they can’t force a patient to do it—nor can they compel patients to...
On December 2, the American Hospital Association (AHA) sent a letter to president-elect Donald Trump asking him to reform 33 different CMS regulatory requirements and policies. The letter argues that reducing administrative complexity would save billions annually and allow providers to spend...
A deadly infection that has lingered throughout healthcare for the last several decades is finding a foothold at the national level thanks to recently updated definitions that offer clinicians a more targeted approach for detection and prevention.
Although sepsis has existed within...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 12
The pressure is on for hospitals to organize their binders. Starting January 1, 2017, The Joint Commission is getting rid of its clarification process. That means facilities will be expected to have their documentation readily available during survey if they want to avoid a finding. Even if the...
It’s been almost five months after CMS publicly released its hospital star ratings system amidst widespread controversy and opposition. Now, a new study by WalletHub has provided evidence that hospitals’ ratings are highly linked to their location and socioeconomic factors.
CMS last week released a list of 97 reporting measures for hospitals, clinician practices, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, and other settings. The measures are being considered for use in Medicare’s quality and value-based purchasing programs.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 11
Since the start of the 21st century, the U.S. has suffered several major disasters: hurricanes, floods, wildfires, blizzards, tornados, and terrorist attacks to name a few. In times of crisis, hospitals and healthcare centers are particularly susceptible to the chaos and failing...
