Value-based pay is doomed to fail. Here ’s why.
One of the popular critiques of the American health care system is that it is high-volume, low-quality, and that this is a direct result of the traditional fee-for-service approach to paying doctors for medical care. In the past, doctors and hospitals have been paid much the same way that we pay for other goods and services. When they provide a service, such as an appointment or a procedure, they are paid for the work they performed. In other industries, this is viewed favorably. The more, the merrier. In health care, however, because we are spending too much as individuals and as a nation, it is the opposite. We are looki...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 6, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/matthew-hahn" rel="tag" > Matthew Hahn, MD < /a > Tags: Policy Medicare Source Type: blogs
Physicians must stop losing their own
In the past few weeks, we have lost two female physician colleagues tragically to suicide, a pediatrician and psychiatrist. In the general population, males take their lives at four times the rate of females. However, for physicians specifically, the suicide rate is evenly distributed between genders; making our occupation the one with the highest relative risk for women to die by suicide. This is what I wish would change about being a female physician; we must stop losing our own. We need to support each other, love one another, and face our challenges together.
Fifteen years ago, a surgeon called me in to evaluate ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 5, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/niran-s-al-agba" rel="tag" > Niran S. Al-Agba, MD < /a > Tags: Physician Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
The top 3 questions hospital administrators ask
A few years ago, I was in a position where I was quickly going down the route of hospital administration. I thought it was interesting at first, but realized it wasn’t quite my cup of tea, at least in the circumstances that I was exposed to. What I didn’t like about it was the feeling that I was losing touch with the front lines. And wherever my career takes me, that’s something I never want to do. It’s a shame that for so many hospital administrators across the country, it’s an “us versus them” mentality. It doesn’t have to be that way. A totally different attitude is needed.
Here are three questions that ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 3, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/suneel-dhand" rel="tag" > Suneel Dhand, MD < /a > Tags: Physician Hospital Source Type: blogs
The Alzheimer's Action Plan
When someone asks me which book they should buy for Alzheimer's I always say the same thing --The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems.I keep the book right here on my desk. I used it so many times it is almost worn out.I received my first copy directly from the publisher.I benefit from the book over and over. My best story is about how my mother didn't laugh for years.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaBy Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:I benefit from the book over and over.My best story ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - March 3, 2017 Category: Neurology Tags: advice alzheimer's action plan alzheimer's care alzheimer's questions and answers alzheimer's symptoms dementia care health help with dementia care lifestyle Source Type: blogs
Local support for people with a learning disability
National Audit Office (NAO) - This report examines how the NHS in England and local authorities seek to improve the lives of the 129,000 people aged 18 to 64 who use local authority learning disability support services. It finds that good progress has been made by the Department of Health and NHS England in setting up a programme to close hospital beds for people with a learning disability, but the programme is not yet on track to achieve value for money.ReportSummaryPress release (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - March 2, 2017 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Changing configuration of health services Developments in primary and community care Source Type: blogs
Here ’s why everyone is mum after ransomware attacks
Did you see the news yesterday about the ransomware attack against Emory Healthcare in Atlanta?
According to Health Data Management, a hacker breached the appointment scheduling system at the Emory Clinic’s Orthopedics and Spine Center and the Brain Health Center, and demanded an unspecified ransom. The breach affected 79,930 patients.
Emory Healthcare said it learned of the hack on Jan. 3, and the organization submitted a breach report to the HHS Office for Civil Rights on Feb. 21.
But that’s all the organization said, and for good reason. It’s the same reason why MedStar Health in the Washington-Baltim...
Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog - March 2, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: Neil Versel Tags: security FBI HIMSS17 ransomware Source Type: blogs
How religion influences the doctor-patient relationship
It was my turn to be on call during Christmas. I held the long list of patients signed out to me, and began my rounds early that morning in the hopes that I could be home in time to open presents with my family that evening.
I went from room to room on the surgical floor, talking to patients. I knocked on one door and pushed it open. A white male in his sixties lay in bed, with a younger, twenty-something man at his side. The patient was grimacing and seemed to be in pain. I introduced myself to the two men. The younger gentleman proceeded to introduce himself as the man’s son.
I had already read through the patient’s ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 2, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/sarita-khemani" rel="tag" > Sarita Khemani, MD < /a > Tags: Physician Hospital Source Type: blogs
Joint Replacement Q & A with Dr. Theodore Manson
Theodore Manson, MD is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Manson specializes in hip and knee replacements and orthopaedic trauma. Below he answers the most common questions about joint replacement.
Q. What advances have there been in joint replacements including new technologies, changes in patient-management and rehabilitation?
A. One significant advancement in the last 10 years has been around pain management and early recovery protocols. The goal is to minimize the amount of narcotics...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 2, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Hannah Braun Tags: Doctors Health Tips Orthopaedics Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Health Affairs Briefing: Delivery System Innovation
In a constantly changing political and policy environment, innovative efforts to improve the quality and value of health care are proliferating. The impetus comes from many sources: leading health care systems seeking to improve their own performance; public and private payers increasingly relying upon value-based payment methods; and clinical leaders and patients demanding change.
The March 2017 edition of Health Affairs contains a broad look at what we have learned about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to delivery system innovation. Please join us on March 7 at a forum at the National Press Club in Washington...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - March 2, 2017 Category: Health Management Authors: Health Affairs Tags: Elsewhere@ Health Affairs events Source Type: blogs
Top Healthcare Companies in Robotics
Robotics has the power to completely reshape the landscape of healthcare both in its structure and its operation. Here, you find my own list about the most relevant companies and start-ups on the healthcare robotics market.
With robotics for the sustainability of healthcare
As I outlined in my open letter to regulators, the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems could be solved by automation powered by digital health technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 3D-printing or robotics. The latter could take over monotonous work from healthcare workers, which would allow them to focus more on patients and to have ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 2, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Future of Medicine Medical Robotics GC1 google Health Healthcare Innovation pharma robot companion surgical robot Source Type: blogs
What ’s the fix for the care disparity in corporate-owned health care?
“We must not allow a mineshaft gap!” famously spoken by George C. Scott as General Turgidson in Dr. Strangelove as the post-nuclear holocaust planning begins in earnest. For some reason, this quote goes through my mind as I sit through meetings, assemblages and retreats that talk about the future state of medicine in a large gobble-gobble network that has aspirations to provide population health as an Accountable Care Organization to millions of “lives” at higher quality and lower cost. What is the medical equivalent of a mineshaft gap?
The “mother ship” of any health care unit is run by a very powerful adminis...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 2, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/jaan-peter-naktin" rel="tag" > Jaan Peter Naktin, MD < /a > Tags: Physician Hospital Source Type: blogs
Poll: Support for Obamacare ’s Most Popular Provisions Plummet if Quality of Care Threatened
Support for the ACA ’s community-rating provisions flips from 63%-33% support to 60%-31% opposed if it harms the quality of health care. 55% say more free-market competition not government management would best deliver high-quality affordable health care. FULL RESULTS (PDF)Most polling of the Affordable Care Act finds popular support for many of its benefits when no costs are mentioned. However, a newCato Institute/YouGov survey finds that support plummets, even among Democrats, if its popular provisions harm the quality of health care. The poll finds that risks of higher premiums, higher taxes, or subsidies to insurers...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 2, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Emily Ekins Source Type: blogs
Rockpointe and Potomac Center for Medical Education Author an Article in the Alliance Almanac
Teams from Rockpointe and Potomac Center for Medical Education worked together to draft an article recently published in the Alliance Almanac, walking readers through the outcomes-based activity design. Throughout the article, readers learn how they structured their ground rounds courses and the modifications needed to address different audiences. They also illustrate how relying upon expert opinions during a needs assessment could create a disconnect between the content and learners’ true needs.
The article focused on “Type 2 Diabetes Management: A Team Approach to Managing Hypoglycemia, Comorbidities, and Patient Ch...
Source: Policy and Medicine - March 1, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs
The state of care in NHS acute hospitals: 2014 to 2016
This report outlines the findings from CQC's first round of acute and specialist hospital trust inspects. It shows variation in the quality of hospital services but also highlights those hospital trusts that have been able to make practical changes to the way they deliver care and are seeing improvements to patient care as a result. The analysis shows variation both in the quality of care between hospitals and between individual core services within the same hospital. While the majority of hospital services are delivering good quality care and looking after patients well, inspections have also uncovered pockets of poor...
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - March 1, 2017 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: NHS measurement and performance Source Type: blogs
CME Outcomes Increase with Local Participation in Content
Teams from Rockpointe and Potomac Center for Medical Education worked together to draft an article recently published in the Alliance Almanac, walking readers through the outcomes-based activity design. Throughout the article, readers learn how they structured their ground rounds courses and the modifications needed to address different audiences. They also illustrate how relying upon expert opinions during a needs assessment could create a disconnect between the content and learners’ true needs.
The article focused on “Type 2 Diabetes Management: A Team Approach to Managing Hypoglycemia, Comorbidities, and Patient Ch...
Source: Policy and Medicine - March 1, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs
