Category Archives: Quality Measures

CMS Debuts New Compare Website

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new Web site Friday designed to give consumers speedier access to information they can use to compare the quality of hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, health plans and doctors. … Continue reading

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Proposed Medicare rules on raising rates, doc reimbursement and quality measures

According to Modern Healthcare, CMS issued proposed Medicare rules that would increase hospital outpatient rates by 1.5%, increase ambulatory surgical center payments by 0.9%, and decrease physician reimbursement by 29.5%, with the cut coming as a result of previous delays of mandated cuts tied … Continue reading

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CMS Updates Medicare Payment Policies and Rates

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for hospitals in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.  Proposals included in the rule would help support the Obama Administration’s efforts … Continue reading

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An “Ear to the Ground” Update – ACOs & Anesthesiology

I had the opportunity recently to speak with a group of anesthesiologists.  Our discussion which began with improving clinical documentation quickly evolved into a discussion of ACO deployment, bundled payment, and the implications for the practice of anesthesiology.  To achieve … Continue reading

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Coordination between ED physicians and hospitalists

I read with interest a new study conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) which addresses care coordination for patients treated in hospital emergency departments (EDs) – you can read about some of the survey findings below.  … Continue reading

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HIMSS11 and Being Patient-Centric about the Data

This was my first visit to HIMSS and I must say, I was impressed.  31,000 attended the show and HIMSS had over 14,000 professional registrants. The Keynotes were likewise impressive:  From Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General, Office of the … Continue reading

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Hospitalists and the Medical Record

The emerging healthcare environment presents a unique set of both challenges and opportunities to hospitalist groups.  Hospitalists are being asked to participate in the care of an increasingly large percentage of patients across all specialties.  And we know that Medicare … Continue reading

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How Will Physicians Be Paid In The Future?

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Payment Innovation will explore methodologies to link physician payment to quality, decrease incentives to over-utilize services, and align disparate provider interests to improve continuity of care.  Traditional fee-for-service, as we now know it, is … Continue reading

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NQF Endorses Eight New Outcome Measures for High-Impact Areas

Take Note – The National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed eight outcome measures for cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions and care in the intensive care unit. The endorsement of newly endorsed outcome measures was announced in a news release posted to … Continue reading

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