News From Around the Web
> Scientists described key advances toward "practical uses of a new genre of tiny, biocompatible electronic devices that could be implanted into the body to relieve pain or battle infection for a specific period of time, and then dissolve harmlessly," in research presented this week at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. Announcement
> The American Hospital Association now is offering free hospital profile reports on its website, AHAdataviewer.com. According to AHA, the complimentary PDF report downloads contain the AHA identification number, street and website addresses, phone number and details on the hospital's ownership type, total number of beds and admissions, outpatient visits, birth counts, teaching and system affiliations, total expenses and personnel counts. Website
Provider News
> Consumers increasingly are considering user-generated reviews of doctors, hospitals and even insurers in deciding where they spend their healthcare dollars, a new survey from PwC's Health Research Institute found. The report showed nearly half of respondents had read online customer reviews of providers. Of those, 68 percent said the reviews influenced their choice of doctors, hospitals and to a lesser extent, health plans, pharmacies and drugs or medical devices. Article
Health Finance News
> A new study by the Urban Institute examines projected state-by-state spending burdens under the planned Medicaid expansion in 2014 and shows a wide variation in who pays what. The findings also demonstrate which states have the largest populations likely to benefit from participating in Medicaid expansion. Article
> A review of Europe's diagnosis-related group payment codes suggests the U.S. could cut down on healthcare costs by refocusing its own DRGs, according to a new study in Health Affairs. "We believe that numerous features and innovations of European hospital payment systems can serve as models of better ways of paying for hospital care in the United States," states the article, written by researchers at the Berlin University of Technology in Germany. Article
And Finally... That's a lot of Nutella. Article