heart failure news from FierceHealthcare
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Hospital report cards may not generate quality improvement
It's a common assumption among health planners--nay, an article of faith--that publishing hospital report cards can prompt lagging facilities to improve their quality of care. However, a new study... Read more...
25 percent of heart failure patients readmitted
Avoiding readmissions is part and parcel of hospital care these days, if for no other reason that health plans and CMS frown upon paying for them. In the case of heart failure, it's particularly... Read more...
CMS adds readmission rates to hospital performance measures
In another sign that they are emerging as a focal point for quality ratings, CMS has added readmission rates as one of the hospital performance measurements listed on its Hospital Compare website.... Read more...
Study: Higher spending for end-of-life care doesn't offer higher care quality
A new study published in Health Affairs underscores a principle that has been shown to apply to the entire U.S. healthcare system--that greater spending doesn't equal better care. The study, which... Read more...
Study: Hospitals spent $30B on avoidable admissions in '06
A new federal report suggests that in 2006, hospitals spent $30.8 billion on 4.4 million hospital admissions that might have been avoidable. The report, which was compiled by the Agency for... Read more...
Study: Heart failure more common in younger blacks
According to a study published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, younger black men and women are significantly more at risk than their white counterparts to develop heart failure before... Read more...
Study: Heart pumps frequently used incorrectly
A new study of heart pumps, or ventricular assist devices (VADs), has found that while they can save lives, they are sometimes not used appropriately or on the correct patients. The devices, which... Read more...
Joint Commission says hospital quality improving
A new study from The Joint Commission has concluded that U.S. hospitals have steadily improved the quality of patient care over the past six years. The study, which analyzed National Patient Safety... Read more...
CMS awards $7M to top performers in P4P program
CMS has announced that it will award a collective $7 million this year to the 112 top performing hospitals in its ongoing pay-for-performance project with Premier. The best performer, Sacred Heart... Read more...
$300M grant from RWJF intended to reduce health disparities
Today the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is expected to announce a $300 million initiative designed to reduce significant regional and ethnic care disparities across the U.S.--and ultimately, if... Read more...
