Hospital Home Health Archives – September 1, 2008
September 1, 2008
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How do you respond to a request to upload info to a PHR?
Home health nurses are accustomed to point-of-care technology for completing charts and assessments. A growing number of agency staff members are also comfortable with the use of and interpretation of results from telemonitoring equipment. But, is your agency prepared for access to, or uploads to, your patients' personal health record? -
Tips to keep in mind for personal health records
Although the benefit of having access to a thorough medical history is obvious, there are issues that online personal health records raise that go beyond just reviewing information. -
New NPSG addresses central line infection risks
The importance of reducing deadly drug-resistant, healthcare-acquired infections is the basis for The Joint Commission's 2009 National Patient Safety Goal new requirement to reduce the risk of infection associated with central lines. -
Interim deadlines keep you on track to compliance
The newest requirement for compliance with Goal 7 of the 2009 Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals is "Implement best practices or evidence-based guidelines to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections." -
Specialized care improves outcomes for diabetics
Reducing emergency department visits for all home health patients is a key factor in improving outcomes and ensuring good reimbursement under a pay for performance system. -
Hospice Conditions of Participation focus on quality
For the first time since the Medicare Conditions of Participation (COPs) were created for hospice in 1983, significant revisions that affect the way hospice care is delivered have been developed. The revisions focus on patient rights, improvement in outcomes, and strengthened quality improvement programs. -
Medicare's proposal equals rate cut
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doesn't call it a rate cut. However, the net result of the proposed hospice wage index elimination over the next three years is a reduction in reimbursement. -
Average reductions will vary from state to state
Although the proposed wage index reductions by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will vary from county to county and state to state, hospice experts agree that all hospices will be affected. -
CMS rule doesn't address factors such as salary
Hospice managers and staff members have become accustomed to looking for ways to streamline services and lower costs, but the proposed three-year reductions in the wage index planned by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will add an extra challenge for managers. -
What if your laptops quit talking to your server?
The 22 laptops were working fine. Data were being entered, nurses were visiting patients, and everyone was thrilled with the newly installed electronic health record system. At least that's what everyone believed until nurses started to report that data they transmitted the night before weren't showing up in the records. -
News Brief: CMS issues report on Medicare demonstration
According to the recently report on the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) 3-year demonstration program, RACs recouped $992.7 million in overpayments to providers, while $37.8 million in underpayments were repaid to providers as of March 27.