Quality and Safety
Instead of admitting certain patients to the hospital, using dedicated observation units in hospitals can often be more efficient, result in shorter lengths-of-stay and lower costs, according to a recent study from Health Affairs.
Increased provider communication leads to decreased readmissions, higher care quality
A study published last week by The Commonwealth Fund found that hospital sustainability efforts could save the healthcare industry up to $5.4 billion over five years and $15 billion over 10 years.
By now, most medical professionals know the hard truth about healthcare delivery in this country: both cost and quality can vary greatly for the same medical procedure from region to region and often times from hospital to hospital in the same market.
During the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) annual conference in Bethesda, Md. in September, the agency announced its preliminary findings of its nationwide patient safety project to reduce the rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs).
The global market for the genetic testing that precedes in vitro fertilization is estimated to be worth $31.9 million in 2011 and is expected to reach $47.4 million in 2018, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2 percent from 2013 to 2018, said a recent report from Transparency Market Research.
The National Quality Forum (NQF) announced Monday it has endorsed 10 behavioral health quality measures aimed at addressing such issues as alcohol and tobacco abuse, antipsychotic medication adherence and follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness.
A new global study by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics identifies six levers that can be used to increase medication adherence, possibly saving some $500 billion in healthcare spending worldwide.
As the federal government evaluates state demonstrations for providing Medicare-Medicaid eligible Americans with better, more cost-effective care, a new study suggests that large savings will be elusive without specialized models and some improvisation.
Eliminating surgical complications is something all hospitals strive towards, however, for some hospitals, savings gained by reducing or eliminating surgical complications can lead to reduced revenues.