Task force backs team-based care for hypertension control
Team-based care that includes nurses increases the percentage of patients who got their blood pressure under control, according to guidelines from the U.S. Task Force on Community Preventive Services. The biggest improvements came when team members could change patient medications independently or with physician approval. HealthDay News (5/15)
CDC report connects health to education, income
Highly educated people with more income were less likely to have chronic diseases and had greater life expectancy than those with less income and education, according to a report released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. From 2007 to 2010, obesity rates were lower among children and teens ages 2 to 19 in homes where the head of the household had at least a bachelor’s degree. Women age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher were less likely to be obese, but the obesity rate did not correlate consistently with education among men. Time.com/Healthland blog (5/16), United Press International (5/16)
U.S. sets deadline for proposals on state health care exchanges
The Obama administration forged ahead with health care reforms on Wednesday, announcing a November 16 deadline for state governments to submit proposals showing how they intend to operate health insurance exchanges in 2014. read more »
Harvard Business School’s Regina Herzlinger, the “godmother of consumer-driven health care,” is less enthusiastic about other models of care, including the patient-centered medical home. “The reason PCMHs will not succeed is that…20 percent of patients generate 80 percent of the costs,” she says. “Those 20 percent are the chronically ill, and I don’t see how primary care physicians serving these patients add value to their care.” She calls for “focused factories” of care–provider organizations that deliver highly specialized care for groups of patients with certain chronic conditions. They are, she explains, the opposite of ACOs “that do everything for everyone.” (Managed Care Magazine)
An analysis by researchers at Tulane University Medical Center found that, in 2009:
Source: “Cancelled Surgeries Costing Hospitals Millions,” Anesthesiology News, May 2012, http://www.anesthesiologynews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?d=Policy%2B%26%2BManagement&d_id=3&i=May+2012&i_id=839&a_id=20765
| Status |
|
| Routine |
72% |
| Long-Term Care and Other Facilities |
13% |
| Home Healthcare |
10% |
| Another Short-Term Hospital |
2% |
| In-Hospital Deaths |
2% |
| Against Medical Advice |
1% |
Publication Source: HealthLeaders Media Thomson Reuters Factfile
Data Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HCUP Facts and Figures, 2009, exhibit 1.4a
Health Information Technology and Home Health Care
As the population ages and medical practices change, more people are taking care of themselves at home. A study funded by AHRQ looked at ways health information technology could be used to help people “age in place.” For the podcast or transcript, go to: Healthcare 411 on Home-based Technology.
A Rand analysis published in the latest edition of Health Affairs found that consumer-directed health plans, which aim to encourage prudent health care spending through high deductibles, have the potential slow the growth of health care spending. But those savings may come at the expense of needed care, the group concluded .
So what they are likely saying is more study is needed AND it is going to take some time for us to have a definitive answer… hmmm.
Report: Providers plan to buy or replace BI solutions
More than half of medical care providers are interested in purchasing a business intelligence platform or having their BI solution replaced in the next three years, according to a report by KLAS. The report also indicated providers are seeking solutions that provide functionalities including data modeling, trending and predictive analytics that they can use to satisfy regulatory requirements and prepare their groups for joining accountable care organizations and health information exchanges. HealthSystemCIO.com (5/4)
ONC releases privacy, security guidelines for clinical practice
An instructional guide released by the Office of the National Coordinator’s Office of the Chief Privacy Officer is designed to help incorporate security and privacy into medical practice. The guide discusses the importance of data security and privacy to EHR meaningful use and offers security risk assessment and management recommendations. Health Data Management