Health junction

Methods for Improving Health Care in the Hospital The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have required hospitals to start reporting on quality criteria for reimbursement consideration as early as 2012, based on 2010 health care reforms. Major changes that clinicians and hospitals must conform to include: Value-based Purchasing- This provides greater reimbursement with an emphasis on better clinical outcomes, starting in 2013. Risk-Adjusted Reimbursement- This accounts for higher risk patients with multiple conditions and gives the doctor a higher fee to manage their care than previously, effective in 2014. Reduced Payments for Hospitals with Excessive Re-admission Rates- This is a penalty for poorer performance and is effective in 2013 for hospitals who do not perform within certain guidelines for specific diagnoses. This article reviews a report commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund to analyze some of the things the top performing hospitals, who submitted to quality surveys by the inde...

Discerning Hospital Quality The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) now requires health quality measures for specific clinical services, in order to recognize and encourage the best patient outcomes. Recognition will include greater financial reimbursement for those medical practices which conform to the CMS standards for clinical outcomes. This is yet another step in the right direction toward patient-centered-care as identified by the International Order of Medicine. This article highlights the primary hospital quality watchdogs in the United States and consumer tips on how to assess your hospital. Organizations Measuring Hospital Quality There are a number of ways to gauge your hospital�s quality, including accessing information from public sites, such as the Center for Disease Control, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Health & Human Services Agency. There are also nonprofit organizations devoted to measuring hospital quality including; the Joint ...