Managed Care Organizations and Data Based Management

Managing With Data in Managed Care Organizations In the increasingly complex world of healthcare, data based management is becoming increasingly important.  This is especially true for Managed Care Organizations, those organizations which oversee the healthcare needs of increasingly large segments of patient populations across the country.  But, knowing which data is critical to measure, and […]

Good Medicine Is More Than an HCAHPS Score

Improving patient satisfaction is a laudable and necessary goal for any hospital, particularly when revenue is at risk based on patients’ opinions regarding quality of care. But patient satisfaction measures should not be confused with good medicine – a nobler objective that delivers richer results.

Scores on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) can bring bonuses to hospitals that do well on the survey. Those that don’t may risk losing some Medicare funding under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program. So it’s understandable that hospitals care a great deal about HCAHPS. But the survey scores should not be seen as a proxy for good medicine.

Millennials: Obamacare Costs Less Than Your Cell Phone Bill

Americans were a little wary of the healthcare marketplace when it debuted this past year, but now, some are beginning to see the benefits – of the benefits.
New data released this week from the Department of Health and Human Services reports that new Obamacare customers are paying, on average, about $82 in monthly premiums for their coverage. For many, that’s less than many of their utility bills, such as internet, cable and smartphones.

Healthcare Offshore BPO Companies May Benefit U.S. Economy

U.S. based healthcare BPO companies in the Philippines and other countries are contributing to economic growth and prosperity around the globe. The financial benefit offshore BPO companies create extends beyond the host country. U.S. based employees benefit because there is a need to manage the services delivered through offshore locations in the U.S. The American worker is not the only one who benefits from a growing global strategy. U.S. Healthcare providers who use cost-effective offshore strategies benefit in several ways:

– Delivery of services, such as medical coding can keep up with healthcare’s growing demand, even though there aren’t enough qualified U.S. employees to fill those highly skilled jobs

– Providers benefit by reducing operating costs so existing services can be delivered at the same level without resorting to employee layoffs

– U.S. citizens benefit by receiving better care because providers can leverage operating costs savings and invest in advanced technologies and the best and brightest care providers

The Penalty Box | CMS’ 3 Ways to Ding Hospitals

Are you one of many hospitals being dinged with CMS penalties? Are you ready to be dinged for Hospital Acquired Conditions, in addition to readmissions and value-based purchasing? How can a hospital remain profitable?

In terms of hockey, the penalty box is where players are sent when they have committed an act which is against the regulations of the game. The player is forced to sit in the penalty box for a period of time, causing the team to play with less players, until the penalty time has lapsed.

The Top 5 Mistakes Hospitals With High Readmission Rates Are Making

While there are plenty of complex reasons for high rates of readmission, there are plenty that are preventable. Here are the Top 5 Mistakes made by hospitals who top this list.

The Quest for Healthcare Quality Part III: Providers & HCAHPS

When it comes to assessing healthcare quality, we’ve already talked about the trouble with defining ‘quality’, the patient’s perspective and touched on the value of HCAHPS data. The final piece of the puzzle is how do healthcare organizations, hospitals and providers use the HCAHPS data to improve their outcomes?

The Quest for Healthcare Quality Part II: Patient Perspectives

When it comes to defining healthcare quality, the opinion of the patients might be the most important of all. They are, after all, the ones on the receiving end of care. When you strip away the financial concerns, the administrative politics and all the other things that make healthcare a business, we remember that the end is that we will provide care to patients in need. Their experience of that care, when quantified, can give providers and hospitals a baseline evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses as a healthcare organization.

8 Healthcare Provider Pain Points | What Are Your Pain Points?

What are your healthcare provider pain points? What are you doing to overcome them? What advice can you offer your colleagues?

From a provider perspective, healthcare, as we know it, is changing rapidly. At times your head might be spinning when you think about the impacts of the Affordable Care Act as well as other healthcare legislation. How can you be sure the priorities you have established will help you comply and meet all established deadlines? What do you feel are the most critical pain points you are facing? You may be a physician’s office, you may be a hospital or healthcare system, you may be a rehab facility. All of these providers are experiencing similar issues, which vary from one degree to another. Let’s delve into a few of these.

6 Healthcare IT Pain Points | What Are Your Pain Points?

Healthcare technology is changing faster than most organizations can keep up. What are you doing to comply?

Healthcare technology is a rapidly changing field. Some of the changes are required to comply with current regulations while others are to gain a competitive advantage. Lets’ delve into a few of these areas.