The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on May 22 published a final rule on oversight of national accrediting organizations (AOs). The rule revises the procedures for how AOs apply for and maintain accreditation programs in accordance with the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The rule…
Patients with preexisting cognitive impairment have an increased incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction and cognitive decline after hip replacement, finds a study. The study included 300 total hip patients and 51 nonsurgical controls. Preoperative cognitive impairment was identified in 32% of patients. It was found to be a good predictor…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ 2006 certification requirement that bariatric surgery be performed only in hospitals designated as Centers of Excellence did not prove to be a barrier to patients’ access to bariatric surgical care, a study finds. Some individuals believed the 2006 certification requirement impeded access to…
The Colorado Supreme Court on June 1 ruled on the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists lawsuit challenging a 2010 decision by then-Governor Bill Ritter exempting Colorado’s rural hospitals from the federal regulation requiring a physician to supervise a nurse anesthetist administering anesthesia during surgical procedures. The Colorado Medical Society and Colorado…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on June 1 released 2013 data on average charges and payments for hospitals, physicians, and other suppliers. The annual update includes hospital-specific data for the 100 most common inpatient Diagnosis-Related Groups, 30 outpatient Ambulatory Payment Classifications, and physician/supplier-specific data for services and products…
A new article by Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, and J. Matthew Austin, PhD, from Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, highlights how findings from adverse events, serious reportable events, sentinel events, and patient safety events can help play a role in reducing patient harm. The authors discuss the evolution and data…
