Category: Healthcare Industry News
Private Practices Less Likely to Invest in EHR Technology
Date: July 22nd, 2019Source: EHR IntelligenceTopics: EHRsA recent study found private practices are less likely to maintain EHR technology than clinicians in other care settings, such as hospitals or group practices.
Read MoreThe average price for treating primary care conditions in ED? $2,032, UnitedHealth says
Date: July 22nd, 2019Source: Becker's Hospital ReviewTopics: Care Coordination, Primary Care, Emergency ServicesEach time a patient enters the emergency department with a condition that can be treated in a primary care setting, it comes at an average cost of $2,032 to the healthcare system, according to an analysis published by UnitedHealth Group.
Read MoreHow to Make EHRs Usable: Bring the Data to the Providers
Date: July 20th, 2019Source: Healthcare Business TodayTopics: HIE, EHRs, InteroperabilityThe real problem, however, isn’t solely the EHRs themselves. Rather, as pointed out in these articles, the challenge facing providers is that a single EHR system rarely contains all the information providers need to deliver optimal care. Relevant, actionable data could be in another health system’s EHR, a web-based payer portal, a data analytics application or health information exchange (HIE), to name a few of the many other locations.
Read MoreFocusing on Patient Care to Fuel Healthcare Interoperability
Date: June 20th, 2019Source: EHR IntelligenceTopics: Interoperability, Patient CareThe technology is starting to catch up in the push toward nationwide healthcare interoperability, but a patient-centric approach remains essential.
Read MoreProviders ready to take on more risk, survey shows
Date: June 19th, 2019Source: Healthcare DiveTopics: Accountable Care, risk managementAccording to the survey, 64% of the hospital and health system senior finance executives said their organizations are prepared to increase their levels of risk over the next one to three years — 64% through commercial payer contracting models, 57% through Medicare value-based models and 51% in Medicare Advantage plans.
Read MorePatients get more aggressive end-of-life interventions when physicians take over decision-making, study finds
Date: June 18th, 2019Source: Fierce HealthcareTopics: Advance Care PlanningTerminally ill patients who request that physicians make decisions for them get more aggressive end-of-life treatment, according to a new study. The study, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, looked at patients' and physicians' personal beliefs and attitudes and how they affect end-of-life care
Read MoreColorado hospital ranks in top 20 across all specialities in new report from U.S. News
Date: June 18th, 2019Source: Denver Business JournalTopics: Colorado Hospitals & Health Systems, Colorado Healthcare LeadersChildren’s Hospital Colorado is one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals, according to the new 2019-20 rankings from U.S. News & World Report. The nonprofit hospital in Aurora was the only ranked children’s hospital in Colorado.“Our dedication to patients and families drives our excellent outcomes, our exacting safety standards and our relentless innovation,” Jena Hausmann, Children’s Hospital Colorado president and CEO, said.
Read MoreFee-for-service limits long-term work on social determinants, execs warn
Date: June 15th, 2019Source: Modern HealthcareTopics: Value-Based Care, Social Determinants of HealthHealth system leaders have embraced their role in addressing patients’ social needs but argue that it’s unsustainable long term under the current payment system.
Read MoreBehavioral health cases doubled over a decade
Date: May 20th, 2019Source: Modern HealthcareTopics: Behavioral HealthBehavioral health diagnoses ballooned over the past decade as more youths cope with mental health and substance abuse issues, according to a new analysis of private health insurance claims.
Read MoreHHS To Deliver Value-Based Transformation in Primary Care
Date: May 16th, 2019Source: RCM AnswersTopics: Value-Based Care, Provider Reimbursement, Primary CareThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (@CMSGov) Administrator Seema Verma are announcing the CMS Primary Cares Initiative, a new set of payment models that will transform primary care to deliver better value for patients throughout the healthcare system
Read MoreStudy: EHRs can help address social needs in primary care
Date: May 16th, 2019Source: Modern HealthcareTopics: Primary Care, Social Determinants of HealthThe study found a lack of employment, food insecurity, and problems affording medications were the most prevalent social needs among respondents. Among those who reported having a social need, 22% requested help connecting to resources, and 86% of those who requested help were referred to resources.
Read MoreProper Coding for Risk Adjustment Helps Reduce Healthcare Spending
Date: May 14th, 2019Source: AAPC NewsTopics: risk managementRisk adjustment is basically a tool that determines how much money is needed to care for a patient based on how healthy or unhealthy they are.
Read MoreHow do social determinants of health impact healthcare utilization rates?
Date: May 2nd, 2019Source: MedCity NewsTopics: Emergency Services, Social Determinants of HealthA McKinsey survey of 2,010 individuals found people reporting higher inpatient or ER utilization rates were more likely to report unmet social needs like food insecurity or transportation needs.
Read MoreSocial determinants of health: getting a better picture
Date: April 22nd, 2019Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: Social Determinants of HealthFactors such as food security, access to transportation and even the availability of sidewalks, all are considered critical social determinants of health. These insights can help identify people whose environment or life circumstances may have an upstream effect on their health – and point the way toward improvements in their care.
Read MoreFewer uninsured ED visits, hospitalizations after ACA, JAMA study finds
Date: April 22nd, 2019Source: Healthcare DiveTopics: Value-Based Care, Emergency Services, HealthcareThe percentage of uninsured patients who visited hospital emergency departments or were discharged declined between 2006 and 2016, according to a new JAMA study.
Read MoreHHS Announces Next Steps in Advancing Interoperability of Health Information
Date: April 22nd, 2019Source: Health Data AnswersTopics: Interoperability, TEFCAThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (@HHSGov) issued for public comment draft 2 of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) that will support the full, network-to-network exchange of health information nationally. HHS also released a notice of funding opportunity to engage a non-profit, industry-based organization that will advance nationwide interoperability.
Read MoreStandardizing Social Determinants Of Health Assessments
Date: March 18th, 2019Source: Health AffairsTopics: Social Determinants of HealthHarmonizing documentation of social determinant of health data—for health care organizations, community-based organizations and payers—is critical to ensure SDOH assessment and mitigation are standardized, trackable for individuals and populations, and formalized in health reform efforts.
Read MoreColorado Rural Health Center Releases 2019 Snapshot of Rural Health
Date: March 14th, 2019Source: PR NewswireTopics: Rural HealthcareThe Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) has released the 2019 edition of its Snapshot of Rural Health. The annual publication highlights rural health data such as demographic trends, population health, education levels, opioid use, and the economy through the use of infographic data visualization, text, and maps. This year's edition features expanded information on the impact that rural healthcare providers and facilities have on their communities as a whole.
Read MoreHealth Information Exchanges May Remedy Long Emergency Stays
Date: March 4th, 2019Source: University of TexasTopics: HIE, Hospital Readmissions, Emergency ServicesHospitals that adopt health information exchanges can reduce the amount of time patients stay in emergency departments, according to a new study from the Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas
Read MoreHIE Can Reduce Readmission Rates, Florida Study Finds
Date: February 13th, 2019Source: Healthcare InnovationTopics: HIE, Hospital ReadmissionsHealth information exchange (HIE) participation in Florida was associated with readmission reduction, meaning hospitals should be encouraged to integrate HIE into their quality improvement initiatives, according to new research published in Health Affairs.
Read MoreHealth information exchange participation reduced readmissions in heart attack patients, study finds
Date: February 7th, 2019Source: Healthcare DiveTopics: HIE, Hospital ReadmissionsA new study in Health Affairs lends weight to the value of health information exchanges (HIE) in improving patient outcomes.
Read MoreAHA Wants More Alternative Payment Models for Rural Hospitals
Date: February 7th, 2019Source: RevCycleIntelligenceTopics: Value-Based Care, Accountable Care, Rural Healthcare, APMIn its 2019 Rural Advocacy Agenda, the American Hospital Association (AHA) called for more opportunities for rural hospitals to successfully participate in bundled payment models, the Quality Payment Program, and other alternative payment models.
Read MoreScreening for Social Problems
Date: February 6th, 2019Source: U.S News & World ReportTopics: Social Determinants of HealthTo provide better patient care, the health world is turning to screening tools to uncover issues like loneliness and food insecurity.
Read MoreHIE Tools Underused in Post-Acute Care Transitions, Study Finds
Date: January 29th, 2019Source: Healthcare InnovationTopics: HIE, Care Coordination, Long-Term Care, Post-Acute CareImprovement in transitions of care between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) has been identified as one key to better care, reduced readmissions and lower cost. A recent study in the American Journal of Managed Care, however, found that health information exchange between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities is underused.
Read MoreState and regional HIEs: 'Don't count us out just yet!'
Date: January 29th, 2019Source: Healthcare IT NewsTopics: HIE, InteroperabilityEven as EHR vendor-driven networks gain maturity and scope, older and more traditional health information exchanges still have a lot of critical value to bring to the table, one expert says.
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