quality
New action guide on Community Health Workers
ICER has published an action guide, Community Health Workers: Applying the Evidence to Policy and Practice, to effectively incorporating Community Health Workers into the health system for the CHW workforce, insurers, and providers and organizations that employ CHWs. The guide, based on CPAC’s CHW effectiveness report, gives evidence-based action steps tailored to the needs of…
Read MoreCT moves up to 13th worst in hospital Medicare readmission penalties
Twenty four CT hospitals will face Medicare penalties because of readmission rates averaging 0.43% of Medicare revenues. In an important move to link payment to quality of care, Medicare began last year providing individual hospitals with penalties and rewards based on the number of discharged patients who are readmitted within a month. While CT…
Read MoreCEPAC meeting focused on effectiveness of Community Health Workers
Friday’s CEPACmeeting centered on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of community health workers. The meeting was very well-attended with dozens of stakeholders represented both in the audience, the policymaker panel and in public comment. Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted members of a community who assist patients in accessing appropriate care and in keeping themselves…
Read MoreChoosing Wisely grand rounds
Tuesday’s John Boden Symposium at Middlesex Hospital featured Michael LeFevre, MD, from UMissori-Columbia and Vice-Chair of the US Preventive Services Task Force, speaking on Choosing Wisely: How Doing Less Results in Better Care. The symposium was over-subscribed with 100 clinical staff eager to hear how they can provide better quality care by avoiding unnecessary treatments…
Read MoreCT hospitals among worst in Medicare performance payments
CT’s hospitals are the lowest among all 50 states in earning Medicare quality payments starting this month – only hospitals in DC performed worse. Medicare’s value-based purchasing program will tie a portion of hospitals’ payments to the quality of care they deliver. Only 4 of CT’s 29 acute care hospitals will receive a quality bonus;…
Read MoreCEPAC meeting in CT – effective sleep apnea treatment
Yesterday’s New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC) meeting centered on sleep apnea. Too many new (and expensive) treatments and technologies are adopted and gain wide use without a careful analysis of their effectiveness in treating the condition and/or cost effectiveness compared to other options. CEPAC’s mission is to produce actionable information to aid…
Read MoreNo CT hospitals make top quality list
The national experts who are responsible for accrediting US hospitals, the Joint Commission, has just released their list of 620 hospitals, Top Performers on Key Quality Measures. The 620 hospitals were recognized for providing “evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to be the best treatments for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical…
Read MoreCEPAC coming to CT December 6th
The New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC) will hold our next meeting here in CT — December 6th from 10am to 4pm at the Legislative Office Building. Too many new (and expensive) treatments and technologies are adopted and gain wide use before a careful analysis of their effectiveness in treating the condition and/or…
Read MoreFour CT hospitals earn highest Medicare readmission penalty
Starting in October, Medicare will begin reducing reimbursements to Griffin Hospital, St. Raphael’s, Masonic Home and Hospital, and Midstate Medical Center by 1% because of high patient readmission rates. Eight CT hospitals – Hartford, Hebrew Home and Hospital, Manchester, Middlesex, Rockville, Sharon, Backus and Windham hospitals – will have no deductions to their Medicare payments…
Read MoreTwelve CT hospitals rate just a “C” on patient safety
Over 400 people die every day in a US hospital due to a preventable error, according to the Hospital Safety Score website. The site gives twelve CT hospitals a “C” or average rating on patient safety including Waterbury, Stamford, Bridgeport, Charlotte Hungerford, New Milford, St. Mary’s, Milford, Yale-New Haven, Backus, Manchester Memorial, and John Dempsey…
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