HCPro.com: Quality Improvement Report

This informative newsletter is a 12-page monthly resource that provides you with the hands-on advice, tools (including data collection forms), and best practices that you need to ensure your hospital scores high on its quality measures and receives all of the Medicare reimbursement it deserves!

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May 2008 (Volume 3, Issue 5)	view entire issue

CMS proposal would add 43 new quality measures
A new CMS proposal would add nine hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) to the list of conditions it will no longer pay for and require organizations to report on 43 more quality measures to receive their full Medicare reimbursement. The proposal, which applies to all facilities paid under the inpatient prospective payment system, was unveiled April 14. Hospitals have until June 13 to comment on the proposal, and CMS will issue a final rule on or before August 1.

CMS proposal would add 43 new quality measures
A new CMS proposal would add nine hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) to the list of conditions it will no longer pay for and require organizations to report on 43 more quality measures to receive their full Medicare reimbursement. The proposal, which applies to all facilities paid under the inpatient prospective payment system, was unveiled April 14. Hospitals have until June 13 to comment on the proposal, and CMS will issue a final rule on or before August 1.

Experts: HCAHPS release will improve patient care
The release of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores may have caused angst among some hospitals, but experts say the heightened focus on patient satisfaction will ultimately improve patient safety, advance patient-centered care, and lead to better clinical outcomes. "They're very much aligned," says James Conway, MS, senior vice president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. "I don't think you're going to see an organization that is delivering an exceptional patient experience and providing clinically poor care. And you're not going to find an organization that has very aggravated staffs delivering an exceptional patient experience."

Experts: HCAHPS release will improve patient care
The release of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores may have caused angst among some hospitals, but experts say the heightened focus on patient satisfaction will ultimately improve patient safety, advance patient-centered care, and lead to better clinical outcomes. "They're very much aligned," says James Conway, MS, senior vice president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. "I don't think you're going to see an organization that is delivering an exceptional patient experience and providing clinically poor care. And you're not going to find an organization that has very aggravated staffs delivering an exceptional patient experience."

Prevention, not punishment, key to patient safety
There's good news for hospitals scrambling to meet The Joint Commission's (formerly JCAHO) new culture of safety standard, which goes into effect in January 2009: The government is here to help-and the tools and guidance are free. Standard LD.3.10 calls on organizations to assess and set up a culture of safety and quality. But if hospitals just stop at assessment and don't make meaningful changes, they may be doing more harm than good.

Prevention, not punishment, key to patient safety
There's good news for hospitals scrambling to meet The Joint Commission's (formerly JCAHO) new culture of safety standard, which goes into effect in January 2009: The government is here to help-and the tools and guidance are free. Standard LD.3.10 calls on organizations to assess and set up a culture of safety and quality. But if hospitals just stop at assessment and don't make meaningful changes, they may be doing more harm than good.

Top hospitals' leadership focuses on quality improvement
Fifteen years of research on hospital performance has given Thomson Healthcare's senior vice president an idea of what it takes to be one of the nation's 100 top-performing hospitals: more bedside nurses, less outsourcing, and, above all, a focus on quality from top leadership. "We found that boards [of top hospitals] are more engaged, that there are more physicians on the board, and the boards do not have a lot of committees," says Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president of performance improvement and 100 Top Programs at Thomson Healthcare. "They don't have time for nonsense . They spend more time in board meetings on quality, and they inform the CEO and the senior team on quality and finance performance."

Top hospitals' leadership focuses on quality improvement
Fifteen years of research on hospital performance has given Thomson Healthcare's senior vice president an idea of what it takes to be one of the nation's 100 top-performing hospitals: more bedside nurses, less outsourcing, and, above all, a focus on quality from top leadership. "We found that boards [of top hospitals] are more engaged, that there are more physicians on the board, and the boards do not have a lot of committees," says Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president of performance improvement and 100 Top Programs at Thomson Healthcare.

How to get your staff to comply with SCIP
Implementing Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) procedures can be a challenge for hospitals. Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, uses a process that reduces SCIP noncompliance among physicians and staff members. Jan Fitzgerald, MS, RN, director of quality medical management at Baystate, which ranks second in the country for SCIP compliance, has implemented a process that makes it more difficult for physicians to not follow their SCIP procedures than to follow them.

How to get your staff to comply with SCIP
Implementing Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) procedures can be a challenge for hospitals. Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, uses a process that reduces SCIP noncompliance among physicians and staff members. Jan Fitzgerald, MS, RN, director of quality medical management at Baystate, which ranks second in the country for SCIP compliance, has implemented a process that makes it more difficult for physicians to not follow their SCIP procedures than to follow them.

Other recently-published articles from Quality Improvement Report:

How to set up an effective rapid response system

Protect apnea patients from perioperative risk

Rounding cuts number of call lights by 3,000

Express care improves patient flow in the ED

Hourly rounding boosts satisfaction, cuts patient falls

Prevent your ER from becoming a hotbed of infections

Assess all patients to prevent pressure ulcers

Baldrige award winners share experiences

How to comply with critical test result reporting requirements

How to get your staff to comply with SCIP

Top hospitals’ leadership focuses on quality improvement

Prevention, not punishment, key to patient safety

Experts: HCAHPS release will improve patient care

CMS proposal would add 43 new quality measures

How to get your staff to comply with SCIP

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