Nursing home industry faces “perfect storm”
California’s nursing home industry is facing a “perfect storm” of problems associated with finances, quality of care and demand for services, a California HealthCare Foundation report has found. The authors of the report said one third of the state’s nursing homes operate in the red, nursing staff turnover rates have risen to 62 percent and 22 percent of nursing homes do not meet the state-mandated minimum level of nursing care. Recent increases to Medicaid reimbursements may be one factor that can moderate these trends, the authors said.
groups release manual on patient-physician efficiency
As physician reimbursements continue to center on cost-effective, efficient care, the American Medical Association and AARP have partnered to create a resource manual on maximizing the efficiency and care quality of the patient-physician relationship. “The average primary care office visit lasts a little under 16 minutes, and covers six different topics, so it’s important that patients and physicians know how to optimize their time together so patients can get the most benefit from their healthcare,” said AMA board member Peter Carmel, MD.
Clinical management tool enables p4p payoff
A Hickory, N.C.-based OB/GYN practice is eligible for a pay-for-performance financial incentive as a result of implementing a clinical document management system. Catawba Women’s Center began using SRS Chart Manager to improve administrative efficiency and eliminate paper charts for 20,000 patients. The center used the tool to validate its quality care procedures, allowing it to participate in the National Committee for Quality Assurance Bridges to Excellence Program.
Providers automate patient-owed fee collection
Information technology firm Verus Inc. has upgraded its online patient financial service to automate the collection of patient-owed balances. The company’s vPAC Version 7 also includes secured two-way messaging for patients and office staff. Verus said the HIPAA-compliant tool makes account management more convenient as healthcare costs are increasingly shifted to patients.