At the beginning of the 2017 fiscal year in October, CMS will add new criteria to the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program that’s expected to save CMS $538 million; $108 million over the previous fiscal year. The new criteria will increase the number of hospitals that are penalized for high...
Anyone who’s had to upgrade a computer system can tell you it’s never as easy as advertised. While for a personal system this may just lead to some frustration, in a healthcare setting those complications have the potential to be life threatening.
Researchers found that when a child is sent to the hospital, there’s a 6.5% chance they'll be readmitted within 30 days. However, 29.5% of those readmitted were for issues that were potentially preventable; such as patient assessment, hospital-acquired conditions, or postoperative complications...
On July 27, CMS publicly released its hospital star ratings system on its Hospital Compare website despite many appeals, requests, and proposed legislation asking for a delay.
Accreditation and quality professionals are being asked to do more than ever to comply with major changes coming out of CMS and The Joint Commission. Our expert instructors can help you with that.
Throughout the year, HCPro will be hosting a series of two-and-a-half day...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
Currently, 60% of U.S. hospitals don't have an antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) that meets all seven components of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stewardship guidelines. But that is about to change with The Joint Commission announcement that as of...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
Several solutions have been proposed to solve the opioid epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new and controversial opioid prescribing guidelines in March, with stricter parameters on when opioids can be given. One advocacy group recommends...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
In June, the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, bringing several changes to CMS. One of the most noteworthy provisions of the act allows CMS to determine acceptable readmission rates and penalties by comparing facilities with...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 27, Issue 8
After initially reversing a ban on texting medical orders, The Joint Commission and CMS have announced that they are working on additional guidance regarding texting policies. The two organizations hope to have a set of FAQs on creating an appropriate medical texting policy...
