A recent study indicates that more Medicare patients are being assigned to observation services than in the past, and this decision may be costing these patients money, according to the July issue of Health Affairs.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex condition that is a major source of readmissions at many hospitals, say Loretta Olsen, RN, MSN, the director of case management at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City.
In October, CMS will start including hospital scores on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey in its calculations for the valude-based incentive programs, which is part of the Value-Based Purchasing Programs. Is your organization ready?
More than one-third of Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These individuals typically have a higher risk of numerous health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer-conditions that can all lead to higher rates of complications and readmissions.
If your utilization review (UR) committee is like many others nationwide, it may not have actually met in years-and chances are your UR committee members are secretly glad that's the case. Let's face it; those meetings can be a complete snooze.
Just a few years ago, few employers required certification for new case managers. Today, more than one-third seek this stamp of approval when they bring someone new on board.
For many patients, home health services can mean the difference between a successful recovery and a hospital readmission, but patients who need services go without because of confusion over eligibility requirements.
Improving the hospital experience for patients, improving the quality of care, and reducing costs were the goals when case managers at Martin's Point Healthcare in Portland, Maine, stopped working independently and started working as teams.
