To say readmissions are a big deal in medicine is a massive understatement. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was enacted in 2010 specifically to take on this problem and has imposed nearly $1 billion in penalties. An estimated $17 billion in Medicare spending is spent annually...
Christina Thielst, FACHE says that CMS can reduce variation and increase transparency for consumers while avoiding unintended consequences using its existing transparency policy.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 7
Over the course of one weekend in May, more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries were held hostage by a ransomware virus called “WannaCry.” The virus locked down computer systems and forced hospitals, corporations, universities, and individuals to pay $300 apiece in Bitcoin to regain access...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 7
This is the first year that all 50 states have adopted some form of telemedicine coverage. Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients using an audiovisual platform—a doctor’s appointment over Skype, remotely monitoring a patient’s vitals, messaging pictures of rashes and...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 7
Editor’s note: The following is an edited Q&A from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation’s (AAMI) webinar, “Clarifying the Changes to Joint Commission and CMS Standards.” The webinar talked about the changes to The Joint Commission’s maintenance...
In a bid to make it easier for healthcare organizations to keep themselves in line with all the requirements that accreditation entails, The Joint Commission has updated its Evidence of Standards Compliance (ESC) form.
Facilities often have questions when surveyors come to visit. Some of the most frequently asked questions involve security and confidentiality, how to make sure surveyors see what they need to without violating hospital safety. In the July issue of Perspectives, The Joint Commission answered...
