News
"Knowledge is key," the saying goes. But sometimes getting to that knowledge – as quickly as possible – can be a challenge for clinicians.
Life is one constant assessment. Analyzing one’s performance in a given category, these assessments can offer quantifiable feedback as to what one can improve upon. A “C” in math? Hold the video games; take the tutor. Four divorces? Perhaps it really is “it’s not you; it’s me.”
At this critical juncture in the evolution of the healthcare delivery system when change is the only constant, hospitals can no longer accept the seemingly intractable inefficiencies and quality and safety problems that have taken root at many facilities. The good news for hospitals grappling with continuous, tumultuous upheavals including seemingly interminable EHR and CPOE implementations, some long-standing problems can be fixed fairly easily and quickly.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by TV’s depiction of physicians in prime time. It’s a lens through which to see how the medical profession is viewed – albeit often distorted for dramatic effect. A few of my favorites:
The message was loud and clear at the Third National Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Summit in Washington, D.C., June 6-8. If I had to sum it up, it would be that ACOs are not like the old HMOs of the 1980s. They are backed by advanced healthcare IT this time, and an even greater urgency to make adjustments to the healthcare payment model.
Connect, link, exchange, share, go – a few verbs that lead to more verbs, such as care, decide, treat, recover, prevent. It must have been what health IT chief Farzad Mostashari, MD, had in mind when he told a packed auditorium of health IT pros at the annual HIMSS conference last February that he thinks of HIE as a verb.
Another milestone: The Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record program has paid out $5.58 billion to 110,650 physicians and hospitals in total program estimates through May 2012.
With the Supreme Court decision on the health reform law expected for delivery by the end of June, more policymakers, experts and stakeholders have been vocal about their predictions of the outcome.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) will help small providers who use smart phones and other mobile devices learn how to easily secure them using simple steps explained in plain language.
Amidst an epoch of rising medical costs and heightened scrutiny towards excess healthcare spending, the U.S. government has responded by encouraging healthcare providers to tighten those proverbial belts while also improving upon the quality of patient care.