Costs & Cost Controls

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October 2024
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EPA rule to limit dangerous emissions from medical sterilization plants

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Editor's Note The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule to reduce chloroprene and ethylene oxide emissions that will impact over 200 chemical plants across the nation, including medical sterilization plants, according to an April 10 report from USA Today. Under the new rule, the EPA will cut more…

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By: Brita Belli
April 11, 2024
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Patient survey: Excessive needlesticks during hospital visits impede workflow

Editor's Note A new survey finds that hospital patients receive more needlesticks than necessary, negatively impacting their experience and contributing to workflow issues. The survey was published March 27 by medical technology company BD and conducted by the Harris Poll. More than 1 in 10 (11%) of 2,006 surveyed adults, including…

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By: Brita Belli
April 8, 2024
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Concierge physician practices expanding to large hospitals

Editor's Note The practice of concierge physicians is expanding as thousands of doctors at large hospital systems shift to a model facilitating high fees and decreased patient load, according to an April 1 report in KFF Health News. The concierge physician model began decades ago in wealthy areas of Florida…

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By: Brita Belli
April 8, 2024
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Private payers profit by delaying medical claims

Editor's Note Private payers initially deny reimbursement on 15% of claims, only to later approve more than half of those initial denials, according to a national survey of healthcare institutions published March 21 by Premiere, Inc. Additionally, the denied claims on average tend to be more prevalent for higher-cost treatments…

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By: Matt Danford
April 4, 2024
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Study deems EHR manipulation “elephant in the room” for OR scheduling accuracy

Editor's Note Reducing surgeon manipulation of electronic health record (EHR) OR scheduling systems can improve efficiency, save resources, and enhance service to patients, according to data published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Healthcare Management. Although predictive models using EHR and machine learning improve accuracy compared to traditional…

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By: Matt Danford
April 2, 2024
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Report illuminates how AI transforms hospitals, healthcare

Editor's Note A paper published March 29 in the journal Bioengineering examines the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into hospital and healthcare systems and the way in which it is augmenting clinical decision-making, optimizing hospital operation and management, improving medical image analysis, and transforming patient care and monitoring through…

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By: Brita Belli
April 2, 2024
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Hospitals report robust margins, caution about potential near-term disruption

Editor's Note Data collected from more than 1,300 hospitals nationwide for Kaufman Hall’s National Hospital Flash Report shows strong margins—averaging 3.9% in February—but does not account for significant, near-term headwinds, according to a March 28 article from HealthLeaders. Revenue growth is primarily from outpatient care, and inpatient revenue continues to…

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By: Matt Danford
April 1, 2024
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Study: Postoperative hospital readmissions higher for older Americans

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Editor's Note Older Americans are at heightened risk for both short-term and long-term hospital readmission following major surgery, according to a study from Yale University published February 28 in Jama Network Open.   Readmission places a major financial strain on health systems, researchers write, pointing out that the total cost…

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By: Brita Belli
March 27, 2024
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Most physicians negatively view private equity ownership of healthcare practices

Editor's Note According to a March 11 research letter published by JAMA Internal Medicine, most physicians have a negative view of private equity’s growing involvement in healthcare. The findings mostly come from a January 2023 survey of 525 medical doctors conducted by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Some highlights…

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By: Brita Belli
March 26, 2024
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Study: Propofol sedation increases colonoscopy costs without improving outcomes

Editor's Note Although the use of propofol for colonoscopy has been rising due to beliefs that deep sedation leads to greater patient comfort, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of nearly 1,500 patients from nine randomized controlled trials shows this view is not supported by available evidence. Published March 8…

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By: Matt Danford
March 25, 2024
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