NQF endorses readmission measures:
Falling in line with national initiatives, the National Quality Forum endorsed two new measures for all-cause unplanned readmissions Tuesday.
One of the endorsed measures, developed by National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), counts the number of inpatient stays for adult patients to predict the probability of an acute readmission. The second measure is a risk-adjusted readmission rate for surgery/gynecology, general medicine, cardiorespiratory, cardiovascular and neurology. Developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Yale University, the measure estimates the risk-standardized rate of unplanned, all-cause readmissions.
Many providers have criticized national measures of readmissions as an indicator of quality. For example, at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, researchers found that all-cause readmissions inflated rates by 25 percent because they fail to differentiate between planned, scheduled, staged and unplanned surgeries for complications.
NQF said the two newly endorsed measures account for multiple factors that affect readmissions, including the complexity of the medical condition, effectiveness of inpatient treatment and care transitions, patient adherence to treatment plans, patient health literacy and availability of community-based services.
"The recently endorsed NCQA and CMS/Yale measures will focus attention on the multiple patient and system factors which influence re-hospitalizations," Sherrie Kaplan, assistant vice chancellor for healthcare measurement and evaluation and professor of medicine at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, said in a statement. "These measures will hopefully encourage increased communication and collaboration among all the stakeholders needed to reduce avoidable re-hospitalizations."
Costing about $15 billion each year, readmissions are the target of federal programs tied to reimbursements. One in every five Medicare beneficiaries ends up back in the hospital within 30 days, according to NQF President and CEO Janet Corrigan.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has set a goal of cutting readmissions across all settings by 20 percent in 2013 compared to 2010 rates as part of its Partnership for Patients campaign.
To learn more:
- here's the NQF statement
- see the NQF-endorsed standards
Related Articles:
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Study: Hip replacement hospital stays down, readmissions up
NQF approves resource use, cost measures
NQF president Corrigan to step down in June
NQF CEO calls for alignment of quality measures across accountability programs
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Healthcare execs to mentor digital startups in NY 'accelerator' program
Healthcare execs to mentor digital startups in NY 'accelerator' program:
In a move that combines an interest in improving health outcomes with a desire to create jobs and boost the state economy, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) have partnered with the New York City Investment Fund to launch the New York Digital Health Accelerator (NYDHA). The program will subsidize health IT startups and link them with "senior advisors" from New York healthcare organizations to accelerate the development of useful new products.
Within the next few months, the program will choose 12 "early- and growth-stage companies" that are developing products in the areas of care coordination, patient engagement, data analytics and message alerts for healthcare providers. In addition to the mentoring, each selected company will receive up to $300,000 to help create solutions designed to improve quality of care for the state's Medicaid recipients, according to a NYDHA announcement.
Supported by an initial investment of $4.2 million, the Digital Health Accelerator is expected to create about 1,500 jobs over five years. Additionally, the companies involved in the NYDHA are expected to attract as much as $150 million to $200 million in venture capital.
An investor syndicate has agreed to participate in NYDHA. The syndicate includes Aetna, Milestone Venture Partners, New Leaf Venture Partners, New York City Investment Fund, Quaker Partners, Safeguard Scientifics and UnitedHealth Group. The Empire State Development Corporation, Health Research Inc., and NYeC will provide additional funds and/or services to operate the NYDHA, the announcement said.
Eighteen New York healthcare organizations have agreed to participate, including Maimonides Medical Center, NYC Health and Hospitals Corp., New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and Northshore LIJ Health System in the New York metropolitan area. Upstate New York is also represented by such providers as Albany Medical Center, Finger Lakes Community Health, and Visiting Nurse Service of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties.
New York State has for several years been in the forefront of health IT innovation. The state's HEAL N.Y. program has invested $250 million in developing health information exchanges. In addition, HEAL grants have gone to a number of other quality improvement programs, including New York City's Primary Care Improvement Project, which subsidized EHRs for doctors in underserved areas.
To learn more:
- read the NYDHA announcement
- see a Health Affairs study on the HEAL program
- check out a list of recent HEAL grants
Related Articles:Health IT gets a boost with $200M Big Data project
ONC launches contest to develop application for the disabled
In a move that combines an interest in improving health outcomes with a desire to create jobs and boost the state economy, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) have partnered with the New York City Investment Fund to launch the New York Digital Health Accelerator (NYDHA). The program will subsidize health IT startups and link them with "senior advisors" from New York healthcare organizations to accelerate the development of useful new products.
Within the next few months, the program will choose 12 "early- and growth-stage companies" that are developing products in the areas of care coordination, patient engagement, data analytics and message alerts for healthcare providers. In addition to the mentoring, each selected company will receive up to $300,000 to help create solutions designed to improve quality of care for the state's Medicaid recipients, according to a NYDHA announcement.
Supported by an initial investment of $4.2 million, the Digital Health Accelerator is expected to create about 1,500 jobs over five years. Additionally, the companies involved in the NYDHA are expected to attract as much as $150 million to $200 million in venture capital.
An investor syndicate has agreed to participate in NYDHA. The syndicate includes Aetna, Milestone Venture Partners, New Leaf Venture Partners, New York City Investment Fund, Quaker Partners, Safeguard Scientifics and UnitedHealth Group. The Empire State Development Corporation, Health Research Inc., and NYeC will provide additional funds and/or services to operate the NYDHA, the announcement said.
Eighteen New York healthcare organizations have agreed to participate, including Maimonides Medical Center, NYC Health and Hospitals Corp., New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and Northshore LIJ Health System in the New York metropolitan area. Upstate New York is also represented by such providers as Albany Medical Center, Finger Lakes Community Health, and Visiting Nurse Service of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties.
New York State has for several years been in the forefront of health IT innovation. The state's HEAL N.Y. program has invested $250 million in developing health information exchanges. In addition, HEAL grants have gone to a number of other quality improvement programs, including New York City's Primary Care Improvement Project, which subsidized EHRs for doctors in underserved areas.
To learn more:
- read the NYDHA announcement
- see a Health Affairs study on the HEAL program
- check out a list of recent HEAL grants
Related Articles:Health IT gets a boost with $200M Big Data project
ONC launches contest to develop application for the disabled
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Readmission rates higher with long stays, heart failure
Readmission rates higher with long stays, heart failure:
As the industry focuses on curbing readmissions, a new a report reveals that roughly 13.5 percent of hospital stays in Pennsylvania in 2010 were followed by at least one readmission within 30 days, while 5.6 percent were followed by a readmission specifically for a complication or infection, according the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).
The report also found that heart failure patients were responsible for most of the readmissions at 8,846--at a 24.3 percent rate. Mental health disorder patients followed with 6,533 readmissions.
But not all readmissions can be prevented, PHC4 Executive Director Joe Martin said in a statement today, citing follow-up care, patients' willingness or ability to follow post-discharge instructions, patients' access to transportation and insurance coverage as factors that can cause repeat visits. His stance challenges a January study in The Journal of the American Medical Association that found readmissions are indeed preventable.
The PHC4 report also noted that patients were more likely to come back within a month of discharge the longer they stayed in the hospital during the initial visit. In fact, readmission rates more than tripled when length of stay increased from one day (9 percent) to 15 or more days (28.1 percent).
Despite the reason for readmission, the report found that patients' hospital returns led to some hefty Medicare costs. "In 2009, which is the last year for which we have statistics, Medicare just for seniors paid almost half a billion dollars for readmissions," spokesman Gary Tuma told Essential Public Radio. "That doesn't count the original hospital stay, that's just for readmission and treatment associated with it," he said.
For more:
- here's the PHC4 statement and report (.pdf)
- check out the Essential Public Radio piece
Related Articles:
Men have more readmissions, need post-discharge support
'All cause' measure overinflates readmission rates 25%
BCBS saves $232M, cuts readmissions with patient registries
Personal touches help patients at risk for readmission
As the industry focuses on curbing readmissions, a new a report reveals that roughly 13.5 percent of hospital stays in Pennsylvania in 2010 were followed by at least one readmission within 30 days, while 5.6 percent were followed by a readmission specifically for a complication or infection, according the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).
The report also found that heart failure patients were responsible for most of the readmissions at 8,846--at a 24.3 percent rate. Mental health disorder patients followed with 6,533 readmissions.
But not all readmissions can be prevented, PHC4 Executive Director Joe Martin said in a statement today, citing follow-up care, patients' willingness or ability to follow post-discharge instructions, patients' access to transportation and insurance coverage as factors that can cause repeat visits. His stance challenges a January study in The Journal of the American Medical Association that found readmissions are indeed preventable.
The PHC4 report also noted that patients were more likely to come back within a month of discharge the longer they stayed in the hospital during the initial visit. In fact, readmission rates more than tripled when length of stay increased from one day (9 percent) to 15 or more days (28.1 percent).
Despite the reason for readmission, the report found that patients' hospital returns led to some hefty Medicare costs. "In 2009, which is the last year for which we have statistics, Medicare just for seniors paid almost half a billion dollars for readmissions," spokesman Gary Tuma told Essential Public Radio. "That doesn't count the original hospital stay, that's just for readmission and treatment associated with it," he said.
For more:
- here's the PHC4 statement and report (.pdf)
- check out the Essential Public Radio piece
Related Articles:
Men have more readmissions, need post-discharge support
'All cause' measure overinflates readmission rates 25%
BCBS saves $232M, cuts readmissions with patient registries
Personal touches help patients at risk for readmission
Monday, April 23, 2012
Men have more readmissions, need post-discharge support
Men have more readmissions, need post-discharge support:
Men have a higher rate of hospital utilization within 30 days of discharge than women, according to a study in BMJ Open. Men are more likely to return to the hospital post-discharge if they are retired, unmarried, exhibit depressive symptoms or have no primary care provider visit during the month.
"Additionally, men fared more poorly at understanding and attending their follow-up appointments, which also appeared to be an independent risk factor for returning to the hospital for men in this study," researchers state. They also note that men's reduced access to primary care may factor into their additional use of hospital services.
With those risk factors in mind, researchers suggest healthcare organizations can lower the risk for early post-discharge readmissions among men by connecting them to primary care services, addressing social isolation by fostering social support and routinely screening for depressive symptoms.
Researchers acknowledged that the study was limited to an urban safety-net hospital, reported Medscape Today.
Gender disparities can go beyond healthcare utilization, as a study published earlier this year in the journal Health Services Research examined differences in perceptions of care between men and women and found that women were more critical. Women tended to be less satisfied with staff responsiveness, their discussions with nurses, communication about medications and discharge plans, and cleanliness and hygiene issues, FiercePracticeManagement reported.
To learn more:
- here's the abstract and full study
- read the Medscape article
Related Articles:
Insurers charge women $1B more than men
Gender pay gap persists in academic medical centers
Females spend 30 percent more for healthcare
Physician gender affects communication
Men have a higher rate of hospital utilization within 30 days of discharge than women, according to a study in BMJ Open. Men are more likely to return to the hospital post-discharge if they are retired, unmarried, exhibit depressive symptoms or have no primary care provider visit during the month.
"Additionally, men fared more poorly at understanding and attending their follow-up appointments, which also appeared to be an independent risk factor for returning to the hospital for men in this study," researchers state. They also note that men's reduced access to primary care may factor into their additional use of hospital services.
With those risk factors in mind, researchers suggest healthcare organizations can lower the risk for early post-discharge readmissions among men by connecting them to primary care services, addressing social isolation by fostering social support and routinely screening for depressive symptoms.
Researchers acknowledged that the study was limited to an urban safety-net hospital, reported Medscape Today.
Gender disparities can go beyond healthcare utilization, as a study published earlier this year in the journal Health Services Research examined differences in perceptions of care between men and women and found that women were more critical. Women tended to be less satisfied with staff responsiveness, their discussions with nurses, communication about medications and discharge plans, and cleanliness and hygiene issues, FiercePracticeManagement reported.
To learn more:
- here's the abstract and full study
- read the Medscape article
Related Articles:
Insurers charge women $1B more than men
Gender pay gap persists in academic medical centers
Females spend 30 percent more for healthcare
Physician gender affects communication
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Patients choose hospitals based on social media
Patients choose hospitals based on social media:
With one-third of consumers using social media for seeking or sharing medical information, 41 percent say tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online forums influence their choice of a specific hospital, medical facility or doctor, according to Tuesday's report from consulting firm PwC.
In a survey of more than a thousand consumers, more than two-fifths of individuals said social media did affect their choice of a provider or organization. Forty-five percent said it would affect their decision to get a second opinion; 34 percent said it would influence their decision about taking a certain medication and 32 percent said it would affect their choice of a health insurance plan.
The PwC report follows a study last summer by hospital market research firm YouGov Healthcare, which found that 57 percent of consumers said a hospital's social media connections would strongly affect their decision to receive treatment at that facility.
Following the release of the study, YouGov Healthcare Managing Director Jane Donohue told FierceHealthcare, "We were surprised that consumers were going to review sites and blogs as often as they are going to the official hospital sites." She added, "Clearly, any successful social media strategy is going to have to monitor and engage those [review site] conversations because you don't control them. With your own content on Facebook and Twitter, you have a lot of control, but you certainly need to be engaged in those conversations."
However, as one reader noted on the story, "This is the kind of research that ends up misleading healthcare managers to go down a strategic path to nowhere. ... Social media is a valuable and growing tool for communication, but it is nowhere near the usage deciding factor."
Even if the studies overestimate social media's impact on consumer behavior, other experts say it goes beyond marketing.
"Savvy adopters are viewing social media as a business strategy, not just a marketing tool," Kelly Barnes, US Health Industries leader of PwC, said in a company announcement.
Farris Timimi, medical director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, said social media in healthcare is a "moral obligation," at the ninth annual World Health Care Congress in in National Harbor, Md., on Monday, FierceHealthIT reported.
"Our patients are there. Our moral obligation is to meet them where they're at and give them the information they need so they can seek recovery," Timimi said. "This is not marketing; this is the right thing to do."
For more information:
- check out the PwC report
- here's the accompanying announcement
Related Articles:
Most hospitals don't budget, plan for social media
Healthcare social media a 'moral obligation'
Patients pick hospitals for social media presence
Why hospital social media is a full-time job
With one-third of consumers using social media for seeking or sharing medical information, 41 percent say tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online forums influence their choice of a specific hospital, medical facility or doctor, according to Tuesday's report from consulting firm PwC.In a survey of more than a thousand consumers, more than two-fifths of individuals said social media did affect their choice of a provider or organization. Forty-five percent said it would affect their decision to get a second opinion; 34 percent said it would influence their decision about taking a certain medication and 32 percent said it would affect their choice of a health insurance plan.
The PwC report follows a study last summer by hospital market research firm YouGov Healthcare, which found that 57 percent of consumers said a hospital's social media connections would strongly affect their decision to receive treatment at that facility.
Following the release of the study, YouGov Healthcare Managing Director Jane Donohue told FierceHealthcare, "We were surprised that consumers were going to review sites and blogs as often as they are going to the official hospital sites." She added, "Clearly, any successful social media strategy is going to have to monitor and engage those [review site] conversations because you don't control them. With your own content on Facebook and Twitter, you have a lot of control, but you certainly need to be engaged in those conversations."
However, as one reader noted on the story, "This is the kind of research that ends up misleading healthcare managers to go down a strategic path to nowhere. ... Social media is a valuable and growing tool for communication, but it is nowhere near the usage deciding factor."
Even if the studies overestimate social media's impact on consumer behavior, other experts say it goes beyond marketing.
"Savvy adopters are viewing social media as a business strategy, not just a marketing tool," Kelly Barnes, US Health Industries leader of PwC, said in a company announcement.
Farris Timimi, medical director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, said social media in healthcare is a "moral obligation," at the ninth annual World Health Care Congress in in National Harbor, Md., on Monday, FierceHealthIT reported.
"Our patients are there. Our moral obligation is to meet them where they're at and give them the information they need so they can seek recovery," Timimi said. "This is not marketing; this is the right thing to do."
For more information:
- check out the PwC report
- here's the accompanying announcement
Related Articles:
Most hospitals don't budget, plan for social media
Healthcare social media a 'moral obligation'
Patients pick hospitals for social media presence
Why hospital social media is a full-time job
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