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New Coronavirus Exploding Out of China Poses Threat to Healthcare Workers
Given the deadly precedents of SARS and MERS coronaviruses, a rapidly emerging similar virus out of Wuhan, China, could pose a grave threat to healthcare workers in the United States. As of Jan. 21, the World Health Organization reported that 16 healthcare workers had been infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019- nCoV), and none have died. However, those numbers were considered conservative amid a dramatically accelerating situation as this report was filed.
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Digital Chatbot Helps Guide Patients Through Hospital Care
Chatbot interacts about eight times with each patient during their ED visit. Conversations include the opportunity for the patient to provide feedback, which is used to monitor patient satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement.
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Program Tailored to Reducing Senior Patient Readmissions
A program in the Chicago area is demonstrating the value of tailoring discharge plans to the particular needs of elderly patients with little support outside the hospital. These “solo seniors” often face complex medical challenges after discharge and can experience high rates of readmission without help from family and friends. With hospitals facing significant penalties from 30-day readmissions, the program could be a model for hospitals to emulate.
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Tips for Introducing a New Data System With the Fewest Problems
Any data system can affect a wide range of hospital operations, interacting with and possibly hindering the operation of other systems, as well as clinical and business operations. Those far-reaching effects can be underestimated, giving hospital leaders a false sense of the scope of the project they are undertaking. Successful implementation begins with hospital leaders identifying an accurate perspective on the work ahead.
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Pre-Op Kits Improve Health, Reduce HAIs and Readmissions
Indiana University Health is reducing hospital stays by providing patients with a bag of items before surgery that help them “tune up” their health and position them better to ward off hospital-acquired infections.
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Wrong Person Receives Bill, OCR Secures $2.175 Million Fine
As new privacy laws and regulations are put forth on both the state and federal levels, every covered entity should work with competent counsel to develop policies and procedures for breach preparedness, avoidance, and response that is compliant with applicable laws and regulations.
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HIPAA Settlements Hold Lessons on Right of Access, Breach Reporting
It is worthwhile for risk managers and compliance officers to revisit the requirements on which recent fines were based, specifically regarding time frames and file formats.
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Expect More High-Tech Breaches, Attorney General Audits This Year
Most HIPAA breaches in the past were of a low-tech nature. But that is changing now, partly because the digital revolution has completely changed how healthcare organizations handle data.
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Peer-to-Peers Not Always Successful; Patient Access Can Increase the Odds
Patient access does its part by obtaining authorizations for scheduled cases. Thorough documentation in the medical record gives the payer no reason to ask for the peer-to-peer in the first place.
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A Little Coding Knowledge Goes a Long Way Toward Preventing Denials
Patient access staff need far more limited knowledge of coding to perform their jobs. However, it is vital that they learn some basic skills.