<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--Generated by Squarespace V5 Site Server v5.13.158 (http://www.squarespace.com) on Wed, 22 May 2013 03:11:58 GMT--><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><title>Healthcare Quality News</title><subtitle>Healthcare Quality News</subtitle><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/</id><link rel="alternate" type="application/xhtml+xml" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/"/><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/atom.xml"/><updated>2013-02-07T14:54:30Z</updated><generator uri="http://five.squarespace.com/" version="Squarespace V5 Site Server v5.13.158 (http://www.squarespace.com)">Squarespace</generator><entry><title>Heart failure, heart attack and pneumonia patients not usually readmitted for original condition</title><category term="JAMA"/><category term="Rehospitalizations and readmissions"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/heart-failure-heart-attack-and-pneumonia-patients-not-usuall.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/heart-failure-heart-attack-and-pneumonia-patients-not-usuall.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2013-02-07T14:53:25Z</published><updated>2013-02-07T14:53:25Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Medicare patients who are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of being treated for heart failure, pneumonia, or heart attack are usually readmitted for a different reason than they were treated for, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Teams less likely to miss life-saving steps when using a checklist during an OR crisis</title><category term="Atul Gawande"/><category term="IOM Aim: Safe"/><category term="NEJM"/><category term="Serious Reportable Events (SRE)"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/teams-less-likely-to-miss-life-saving-steps-when-using-a-che.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/teams-less-likely-to-miss-life-saving-steps-when-using-a-che.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2013-02-07T14:51:25Z</published><updated>2013-02-07T14:51:25Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Medical teams that used checklists during a crisis in the operating room were 74 percent less likely to skip a potentially life-saving step, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Reducing length of stay improves 30 day readmission rates for some conditions</title><category term="Annals of Internal Medicine"/><category term="Rehospitalizations and readmissions"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/reducing-length-of-stay-improves-30-day-readmission-rates-fo.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/reducing-length-of-stay-improves-30-day-readmission-rates-fo.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2013-02-07T14:49:35Z</published><updated>2013-02-07T14:49:35Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Reducing length of stay by one day improves 30 day readmission rates, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Hospital programs to reduce waste can help achieve savings</title><category term="IOM Aim: Efficient"/><category term="The Commonwealth Fund"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/hospital-programs-to-reduce-waste-can-help-achieve-savings.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/hospital-programs-to-reduce-waste-can-help-achieve-savings.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2013-02-07T14:46:57Z</published><updated>2013-02-07T14:46:57Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[A study by the Commonwealth Fund has found that programs to reduce energy use and waste and achieve operating room supply efficiencies could achieve savings exceeding $5.4 billion over five years and $15 billion over 10 years.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Health insurance premiums continue to climb</title><category term="Cost of Care"/><category term="Health Care Facts, Trends"/><category term="The Commonwealth Fund"/><category term="Underinsured and Uninsured"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/health-insurance-premiums-continue-to-climb.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/health-insurance-premiums-continue-to-climb.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2013-02-07T14:45:19Z</published><updated>2013-02-07T14:45:19Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Rapidly rising health insurance premiums and higher cost-sharing continue to strain the budgets of U.S. working families and employers, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Almost one third of Americans put off medical care due to cost</title><category term="Cost of Care"/><category term="Underinsured and Uninsured"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/almost-one-third-of-americans-put-off-medical-care-due-to-co.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2013/2/7/almost-one-third-of-americans-put-off-medical-care-due-to-co.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2013-02-07T14:41:56Z</published><updated>2013-02-07T14:41:56Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Thirty-two percent of Americans put off medical care due to cost, according to a Gallup poll.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Medical Center reduces 30 day readmissions for heart failure by 46 percent</title><category term="Commonwealth Fund"/><category term="Rehospitalizations and readmissions"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/11/28/medical-center-reduces-30-day-readmissions-for-heart-failure.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/11/28/medical-center-reduces-30-day-readmissions-for-heart-failure.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-11-28T13:31:04Z</published><updated>2012-11-28T13:31:04Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center was able to reduce 30 day readmission rates for elderly patients with heart failure by 46 percent, according to the Commonwealth Fund.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Patients with online access to medical records use more clinical services</title><category term="Electronic Medical Records"/><category term="JAMA"/><category term="Kaiser Permanente"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/11/28/patients-with-online-access-to-medical-records-use-more-clin.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/11/28/patients-with-online-access-to-medical-records-use-more-clin.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-11-28T13:28:54Z</published><updated>2012-11-28T13:28:54Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Patients who have online access to their medical records use clinical services more than those without online access, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>International survey finds that EMR use is rising in the U.S. but other issues remain</title><category term="Commonwealth Fund"/><category term="Condition: Primary Care"/><category term="Cost of Care"/><category term="Electronic Medical Records"/><category term="Primary Care"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/11/28/international-survey-finds-that-emr-use-is-rising-in-the-us.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/11/28/international-survey-finds-that-emr-use-is-rising-in-the-us.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-11-28T13:26:43Z</published><updated>2012-11-28T13:26:43Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[An international survey of primary care physicians shows that while electronic health record adoption is quickly rising in the United States, other issues remain, including patients’ ability to pay for care, according to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>HealthGrades releases 2012 hospital quality ratings</title><category term="HealthGrades"/><category term="Mortality"/><category term="Quality Ratings"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/23/healthgrades-releases-2012-hospital-quality-ratings.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/23/healthgrades-releases-2012-hospital-quality-ratings.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-10-23T18:10:56Z</published><updated>2012-10-23T18:10:56Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[HealthGrades has released its annual hospital quality ratings report, and has found that mortality and complication rates have significantly improved since 2005.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Health costs of hospital employees are nine percent higher than other U.S. adults</title><category term="Cost of Care"/><category term="Truven Health Analytics"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/health-costs-of-hospital-employees-are-nine-percent-higher-t.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/health-costs-of-hospital-employees-are-nine-percent-higher-t.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-10-17T20:35:47Z</published><updated>2012-10-17T20:35:47Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Hospital employees and their families spend 9% more on healthcare then other U.S. adults, according to an analysis by Truven Health Analytics.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Some hospitals question tying money to patient experience surveys</title><category term="Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS)"/><category term="IOM Aim: Patient-Centered"/><category term="Patient Satisfaction"/><category term="Payment Reform"/><category term="The Wall Street Journal"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/some-hospitals-question-tying-money-to-patient-experience-su.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/some-hospitals-question-tying-money-to-patient-experience-su.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-10-17T20:33:30Z</published><updated>2012-10-17T20:33:30Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Some hospitals question whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid should be tying patient satisfaction surveys to financial incentives, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Walmart employees will have access to heart and spinal surgery through bundled payment program</title><category term="Payment Reform"/><category term="Walmart"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/walmart-employees-will-have-access-to-heart-and-spinal-surge.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/walmart-employees-will-have-access-to-heart-and-spinal-surge.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-10-17T20:30:17Z</published><updated>2012-10-17T20:30:17Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Walmart has announced that beginning in January 2013, employees will have access to certain spinal and heart surgeries at reputable hospitals around the country, travel and lodging included, at no cost to employees, according to Reuters.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>High-intensity primary care may help lower costs and improve quality</title><category term="Chronic Care"/><category term="Cost of Care"/><category term="IOM Aim: Effective"/><category term="IOM Aim: Efficient"/><category term="National Institutes for Health Care Reform"/><category term="Population Health"/><category term="Primary Care"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/high-intensity-primary-care-may-help-lower-costs-and-improve.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/17/high-intensity-primary-care-may-help-lower-costs-and-improve.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-10-17T20:27:11Z</published><updated>2012-10-17T20:27:11Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[“High-intensity” primary care, a model of care similar to the Patient-Centered Medical Home specifically for patients with chronic and multiple conditions, shows promise in lowering costs and improving quality, according to a press release by the National Institute for Healthcare Reform.]]></summary></entry><entry><title>AMI patients are less likely to receive PCI in states that publicly report PCI outcomes</title><category term="Condition: AMI"/><category term="IOM Aim: Effective"/><category term="IOM Aim: Efficient"/><category term="JAMA"/><category term="Mortality"/><id>http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/11/ami-patients-are-less-likely-to-receive-pci-in-states-that-p.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://hcqualitynews.org/home/2012/10/11/ami-patients-are-less-likely-to-receive-pci-in-states-that-p.html"/><author><name>Jeanne Henson</name></author><published>2012-10-11T16:12:26Z</published><updated>2012-10-11T16:12:26Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[Patients with acute myocardial infarction are less likely to receive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) if they live in a state where public reporting of PCI outcomes is required, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.]]></summary></entry></feed>