News From Around the Web
> With the ICD-10 transition on the horizon, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a Washington, D.C.-based accreditation firm, is looking for the public to comment on proposed changes to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) performance measures on providers and payers, Health Data Management reported. The ICD-10 codes will be part of the HEDIS 2015 measures, which NCQA is scheduled to unveil a year from now. Article
> The Shenzhen People's Hospital in China and the Methodist Hospital in Houston are collaborating on an effort in which U.S.-based doctors will able to conduct surgical operations on patients in China by remotely controlling robots, Nextgov reported. While training will begin this year, no start date for the actual surgeries has been set. Post
Provider News
> Social work intervention can help hospitals lower readmissions by more than half, according to a two-year study of 100 patients at high risk of readmission. Researchers from Binghamton University's College of Community and Public Affairs and SUNY Upstate Medical University studied an interdisciplinary training program in which social workers assess patients' home environments, check on medication adherence and ensure patients follow up with their primary care physicians, according to the research announcement. Article
> Participants in accountable care organizations (ACO) may face a legitimate threat of increased malpractice liability, but there are steps physicians can take to reduce their risk, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Article
Health Insurance News
> Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield won't be participating for at least the first year of Iowa's health insurance exchange, citing the unpredictability of the online marketplace's quality and customer service. Wellmark, which is Iowa's dominant insurer with 86 percent of individual policies and 64 percent of small business policies, instead will wait to participate for at least one year. Overall, Wellmark is concerned about the exchange's rollout and lack of available information. Article
And Finally… Dream big, buddy. Article