Editor's Note A study by Adventist University of Health Sciences (Orlando, Florida) found that 92% of nurses were dissatisfied with their electronic health record (EHR) technology. In addition, 85% said the EHRs had flaws, and 84% said EHRs disrupted their productivity and clinical workflow. The researchers also found an increase…
Editor's Note Postoperative readmissions are difficult to predict when the patient is discharged, and of the information available at that time, preoperative factors are the most important, this study finds. Of nearly 240,000 surgical patients included in the analysis, 43% were orthopedic, 39% were general, and 18% were vascular. The…
Editor's Note Since Medicare adopted its prospective payment system in 1985, many hospital executives and economists have suggested that the hospital chargemaster (list of prices for all hospital procedures and supplies) is irrelevant. However, in this study, researchers found that hospitals are systematically adjusting their charge-to-cost ratios (ie, chargemaster price…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 7 released its 2017 ORYX Performance Measurement Reporting Requirements for accredited hospitals. Hospitals will report on 5 chart-abstracted measures and a choice of 6 of 13 electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). Critical access and small hospitals may choose the six eCQMs from 13…
Editor's Note The implementation of Lean system redesigns was associated with a significant and sustained wait list reduction from 33.4 days to 12.0 days for patients waiting for elective general surgery in a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, this study finds. Along with the three-fold decrease in wait times from 2014…
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on September 8 announced that it will give physicians and other clinicians more options in the first year to comply with the new Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) quality payment program. During 2017, providers will be able to…
Editor's Note In a September 6 letter to device labelers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it is extending unique device identifier (UDI) requirements for certain Class II devices from September 24, 2016 to September 24, 2018. The extension applies to repackaged single-use devices and device convenience kits. The…
Editor's Note Hospitals that care for the oldest, sickest, and most complicated patients could suffer financially under Medicare’s Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled payment program, this study finds. The study analyzed data from more than 23,000 Michigan patients who had hip or knee replacements at 60 hospitals in a…
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that starting October 1, 2016, hospitals that are still not meaningful users of electronic health records (EHRs) will be subjected to a reduced increase in their Inpatient Prospective Payment System rate, the September 2 Healthcare IT News reports.…
Editor's Note The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) on September 8 announced the launch of its new patient website that offers resources for individuals facing heart, lung, and esophageal surgery. The site allows patients and their families to research their conditions and gather information on treatment options and recovery. …
