5 ways IT helps costs make sense; CMS proposed physician fee schedule includes changes to MU incentives;

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> FAIR Health, a nonprofit organization formed in 2009 as part of a legal settlement between New York and the insurance industry, outlines five ways IT helps healthcare costs make sense, in an interview with Healthcare IT News. "It's one thing to show a mountain of data," Robin Gelburd, president, explained. "But if that mountain isn't making sense to the consumer it's of no use." Interview

EMR News

> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed 2014 physician fee schedule, unofficially released July 8, includes several suggested changes to the Meaningful Use incentive program. CMS proposes two additional options to align Meaningful Use reporting of clinical quality measures (CQMs) with other reporting obligations to reduce reporting burdens on physicians. Article

Healthcare News

> Hospital informed consent processes need a major overhaul, according to a new study published online in JAMA Surgery, which noted missing consent forms lead to delayed cases, burdensome and inadequate consent by residents, and extra work for nursing staff. The study looked at the scope and magnitude of missing informed consent forms at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Article

> Duty hour restrictions on first-year general surgery residents have been linked to a 25.8 percent reduction in operating case load, according to a study published yesterday online in JAMA Surgery. In commentary for the study, Julie Ann Freischlag, M.D., of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine noted surgical resident duty has been closely monitored since 2003, when an 80-hour work week was instituted. Article

And Finally... Strumming all the way through surgery. Article