Quality and Safety
Stoltenberg Consulting has found a way to put more health IT experts in the field with a new junior consultant program.
David Blumenthal, MD, who was the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology from 2009 to 2011, has been appointed president of the Commonwealth Fund. He will succeed Karen Davis, effective Jan. 1, 2013.
Life is one constant assessment. Analyzing one’s performance in a given category, these assessments can offer quantifiable feedback as to what one can improve upon. A “C” in math? Hold the video games; take the tutor. Four divorces? Perhaps it really is “it’s not you; it’s me.”
A new accountable care network (ACN) is in town. Putting health information technology to work, the network – organized by the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI) – aims to reduce hospital readmissions and improve quality of care for chronically ill patients.
The rewards, the point systems, the streamlined functionality… don’t be misled by the game-like structure of the “EveryBODY Get Healthy” care system. The platform is a lifestyle changer – specifically, one that’s expected to improve more than 120,000 lives in the greater Philadelphia area.
The University of Chicago, in collaboration with the Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Center (CHITREC) and the Alliance for Chicago Community Health Services plans to close the loop among doctors, patients and health resources in the South Side community of Chicago with a new system called “CommunityRx.”
Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the substance of the Affordable Care Act, it's time to refocus attention toward the essentially bipartisan support for health IT. At the same time, it's worth reconsidering some closely-held beliefs about technology's role in care delivery.
The NQF Board of Directors has voted to stick to its decision to endorse a new all-cause hospital-wide readmissions measure developed by Yale University and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- a measure challenged by seven hospital systems.
The Supreme Court ruling -- finally -- has been handed down and the verdict is out: Chief Justice Roberts' hand pulled the ACA to shore. For the most part, industry insiders view the outcome as positive -- though many officials emphasize it's just the first step on a long road to reform.
It is the kind of grade that students are afraid to show their parents – the dreaded D-minus. Barely a notch above flunking, the grade is emblematic of poor performance.