Hospital Home Health Archives – September 1, 2010
September 1, 2010
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First-year results are here: P4P demonstration shows savings
More than $15 million in savings was shared with 166 home health agencies throughout the country as a result of performance in the first year of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Home Health Pay for Performance (P4P) demonstration. -
P4P project looks at quality and savings
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Home Health Pay for Performance (P4P) demonstration started in January 2008 and concluded December 2009. -
Treatment vs. control groups in P4P
A survey of 219 home health agencies participating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Home Health Pay for Performance (P4P) demonstration doesn't show dramatic differences between treatment group agencies and control group agencies in the approaches taken to improve quality of care, but it does give a good picture of the range of strategies used by HHAs. -
Bulky laptops give way to smart phones
Increased efficiency is the name of the game for home health agencies as regulatory and financial changes occur in the next few years as part of health care reform. One way to improve efficiency is to make sure your field staff members have the tools they need to perform their job in a cost-effective manner. -
Oncology CMs guide patients through treatment
Capital BlueCross members who have been diagnosed with cancer are getting support during all phases of treatment through a new oncology case management program launched in the spring of 2010 by the Harrisburg, PA-based health plan. -
Initiatives reduce readmission rates
After two successful pilot projects aimed at reducing readmission rates, Capital District Physicians' Health Plan Inc. (CDPHP) has implemented a program aimed at ensuring that its Medicare Advantage members get the care they need after discharge to avoid a return trip to the hospital. -
Depression increases risk of dementia
People who experience depression have more than a 50% increased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. -
Payment changes proposed for 2011
Payment changes proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) represent a 4.75% decrease in Medicare payments to home health agencies (HHAs) for calendar year (CY) 2011. -
Practices evaluated for pain assessment
A study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management finds gaps in the use of evidence-based pain assessment and treatment practices for older adults with cancer in community-based hospice settings. -
TJC counsel underscores privacy commitment
The Joint Commission (TJC) is underscoring its commitment to keep accreditation records confidential and its willingness to resist prosecutors' requests as far as the law will allow.