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.
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.
St. Peter’s Surgery & Endoscopy Center notified patients that their protected health information (PHI) may have been impacted in January during a breach when an unauthorized third-party accessed their servers. Letters notifying patients were mailed out on February 28, reported St. Peter’s Surgery & Endoscopy Center in a statement.
Q. We acquired a home health agency and now employ home health nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, etc. Can we permit workforce members to use their personal cell phones to communicate with patients? Is there a HIPAA-compliant means of doing so for calls, email, and text messages?
