The 2-midnight rule was designed to simplify decisions on whether to order inpatient or outpatient observation services for patients and to reduce the volume of observation cases. However, some hospitals and healthcare systems have reported that the rule has actually increased confusion around level of care, without lowering observation volumes.
Given it’s time for New Year’s resolutions—and my resolution is to work smarter, not harder—it seems appropriate to talk about techniques for bringing balance back into our lives.
This week’s Medicare updates include the announcement of a new bundled payment model, clarification on CMS’ regulations regarding texting of patient information, notification of the new interest rate for overpayments and underpayments, and more!
With massive data breaches rocking industries and the public, and policymakers scrutinizing how organizations respond, it’s time to dust off policies and ensure organizations have meaningful, compliant reporting and response plans.
A recent study, led by researchers at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, found that using pharmacy professionals to take medication histories in the emergency department reduced errors associated with medication history and orders by more than 80%.
