Quality and Safety

Between 1997 and 2011, there was a nearly 50 percent reduction in emergency department mortality rates for adults in the United States, according to a new study published by Health Affairs.

Proposal would eliminate any potential financial pressure clinicians may feel to over-prescribe pain medications, especially opioids.

American Hospital Association-backed report says ignoring socioeconomic differences may create the appearance of quality issues where there are none.

One day after Providence Health and Services and St. Joseph Health began operating as a combined nonprofit entity, and the newly-formed health and social services system -- dubbed Providence St. Joseph Health -- said Wednesday that it will use a $100 million investment to create the Institute for Mental Health and Wellness.

Many clinicians report feeling pressure to overprescribe opioids because scores on the pain management questions are tied to Medicare payments.

While the legacy skin test is cheaper in terms of materials, it requires more staff time, and a greater commitment on the part of the patient.

The data show that prices vary widely even within the most expensive regions. Patients, however, rarely know how much a procedure will cost until they receive the bill.

The new HEDIS technical specifications include four new measures, changes to seven existing measures and one that's been retired altogether.

The study's authors said research into practice-level implementation should be the next step, particularly since the vast majority of research conducted to date has been under old -- and possibly soon-to-be-outdated -- care delivery models.

The United States House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce is demanding to know what Theranos, the embattled blood-testing startup based in California, is doing to address its testing inaccuracies and questionable adherence to federal guidelines.