There were two buzz phrases in the air at the 2018 Healthcare Information Management Systems Society Health IT Conference (HIMSS18): artificial intelligence and machine learning. While these initiatives have great potential in terms of analytics, the data can be difficult to interpret.
Providers should be preparing for another rulemaking cycle from CMS as we hit April, with the IPPS rule expected to include a discussion on how the existing payment system can address new and emerging cellular and gene therapies.
With the expansion of telehealth services, providers for both the originating site and distant site can also count on the expansion of Medicare contractor audits.
The shift from fee-for-service to value-based programs for outpatient payment systems has increased the need for outpatient CDI staff to review documentation for pertinent clinical factors.
Using EHRs to share laboratory results with other hospitals within a system is associated with significant reductions in heart failure and pneumonia mortality scores, according to a study in The American Journal of Managed Care. Results showed a statistical significance of a .24 reduction in pneumonia mortality scores and a .19 reduction in patient heart failure.
