Comparison of Hospital Mortality and Readmission Rates by Physician and Patient Sex
CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that patients have lower mortality and readmission rates when treated by female physicians, and the benefit of receiving treatments from female physicians is larger for female patients than for male patients.PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg.PMID:38648639 | DOI:10.7326/M23-3163 (Source: Annals of Internal Medicine)
Source: Annals of Internal Medicine - April 22, 2024 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Atsushi Miyawaki Anupam B Jena Lisa S Rotenstein Yusuke Tsugawa Source Type: research
Audiometry Interpretation for Hearing Loss in Adults
Am Fam Physician. 2024 Apr;109(4):316-323.ABSTRACTHearing loss is a prevalent, chronic condition in the United States; it is often gradual and progressive and is underreported by patients and undertreated by physicians. The impaired ability to effectively hear and communicate may result in negative emotional, cognitive, economic, and social consequences for individuals and may pose a safety risk. Questionnaires and smartphone apps are available to help identify and evaluate self-perceived hearing loss. Physicians should assess for objective hearing impairment when the patient or family member raises a concern or if cogniti...
Source: American Family Physician - April 22, 2024 Category: Primary Care Authors: Mandi Sehgal Alexandra Sellers Wendy S Biggs Source Type: research
Measuring Equity in Readmission as an Assessment of Hospital Performance
To the Editor A recent study that used Medicare administrative data reported disparities in readmission rates for Black compared with White beneficiaries and notable segregation in the care of Black and White patients among hospitals. These findings necessitate attention to additional structural factors contributing to the observed disparities, extending beyond between-hospital –level segregation to the community and other health system levels. (Source: JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association)
Source: JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association - April 22, 2024 Category: General Medicine Source Type: research
Advocate from Home for Medicare Payment Reform on Capitol Hill
As ACR leaders and volunteers visit Capitol Hill to advocate for stabilizing Medicare physician payment rates, you can join the effort from anywhere. Send your lawmakers a message today through the Legislative Action Center. (Source: The Rheumatologist)
Source: The Rheumatologist - April 21, 2024 Category: Rheumatology Authors: From the College Tags: Legislation & Advocacy Advocacy Leadership Conference Source Type: research
Interhospital Variability in Cardiac Rehabilitation Use After Cardiac Surgery Among Medicare Beneficiaries
This study evaluated determinants of interhospital variability in CR use and outcomes. (Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery)
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - April 20, 2024 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Maximilian A. Fliegner, Hechuan Hou, Tyler M. Bauer, Temilolaoluwa Daramola, Jeffrey S. McCullough, Francis D. Pagani, Devraj Sukul, Donald S. Likosky, Steven J. Keteyian, Michael P. Thompson Source Type: research
Intersection of Race, Rurality, and Income in Defining Access to Minimally Invasive Lung Surgery
CONCLUSIONS: Rural white populations living close to the federal poverty line may suffer a burden of disparity traditionally observed among poor Black people. This suggests a need for health policies that extend services to impoverished, rural areas to mitigate social determinants of health.PMID:38641193 | DOI:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2024.03.040 (Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery)
Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery - April 19, 2024 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: J W Awori Hayanga Xun Luo Islam Hasasna Paul Rothenberg Shalini Reddy J Hunter Mehaffey Jason Lamb Vinay Badhwar Alper Toker Source Type: research
Hospice at Home: Historical Perspectives and Their Implications for End-of-Life Care Today
1. Describe critical influences in the development of the Medicare hospice benefit.2. Apply a historical approach to reflect on reasons for socioeconomic disparities in end-of-life care today. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Helen P. Knight, Richard E. Leiter Source Type: research
Accuracy of Medicare Local Coverage Determination Guidelines for Chronic Renal Failure
1. Participants will self-report the ability to name LCD criteria for chronic renal failure.2. Participants will be able to evaluate the prognostic utility of LCD guidelines compared to receiving an expected six months of hospice care. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Abigail Lewis, Nathan Moore, Katherine Ast, Randi Foraker, Patrick H. White Source Type: research
How a Medicare Advantage Home Visiting Supportive Care Program Identifies Patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities (RP315)
1. Design a care delivery process to identify hospice/supportive care appropriate patients in a skilled nursing facility setting.2. Identify other options for referral sources to hospice/supportive care programs. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Amy Turner, Julianne S. Glover Source Type: research
Carved-in or Carved-out? The Perspective of Medicare Advantage Leaders on the Hospice Benefit (RP300)
1. To understand the basic structures of the MA-hospice carve out and VBID models2. To identify the potential challenges and opportunities of VBID and gaps in evidence around VBID. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Claire K. Ankuda, Jacob Sherman, Allison Silvers, Emily Gadbois Source Type: research
Impacts of Per Diem Payment Rate Rebasing on the Medicare Hospice Benefit
1. Understand the purpose and intent of CMS's adjustment of payment rates to increase non-RHC service in the Medicare Hospice Benefit2. Describe trends in hospice service after the payment rate adjustment as well as the time period that coincided with the COVID-10 public health emergency. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Thomas Christian, Michael Plotzke Source Type: research
Hospice Use Patterns of Medicare Beneficiaries with Parkinson Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies
1. Understand the differences in hospice use patterns for people with Parkinson's disease or Lewy body dementia compared to Alzheimer's disease.2. Understand the differences in hospice characteristics for agencies caring for people with Parkinson's disease or Lewy body dementia compared to those caring for people with Alzheimer's disease. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Meredith Bock, Siqi Gan, Melissa Aldridge, Krista L. Harrison, Kristine Yaffe, Alexander Smith, John Boscardin, Lauren Hunt Source Type: research
Concurrent Use of Dialysis and Hospice Under Fee-for-Service Medicare
1. Understand Medicare policy regarding concurrent hospice and dialysis use.2. Be able to explain to others how hospice and dialysis use at the end of life differs based on whether the patient's diagnosis is or isn't related to a need for dialysis. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - April 19, 2024 Category: Palliative Care Authors: Michael Plotzke, Thomas Christian Source Type: research
Predicting Peak Productivity in Urologic Medicare Practice via Work-Relative Value Units
To explore factors associated with productivity in urologic practice. Work-relative value units (wRVUs), the basis for Center for Medicare& Medicaid Services (CMS) and private payer reimbursements, commonly serve to estimate physician productivity. Limited data describes which practice factors predict increased wRVU productivity. (Source: Urology)
Source: Urology - April 19, 2024 Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Logan Briggs, Muhieddine Labban, Jamie Ye, Peter Herzog, Alyssa N Jones, David-Dan Nguyen, Christopher J.D. Wallis, Christopher Wolter, Sima Porten, Quoc-Dien Trinh Source Type: research
Prior authorization must make patient care the priority!
Prior authorization (PA) was designed and promoted as a cost-containment measure to ensure appropriate and cost-effective medical services. Sadly, it has become a tedious and time-consuming bureaucratic process that delays or impedes health care delivery. Although Medicare has relatively few PA requirements, Medicare Advantage (MA) programs and private carriers have their own process, and with more of our patients enrolling into these programs, we must be cognizant of this impact. (Source: Journal of Vascular Surgery)
Source: Journal of Vascular Surgery - April 18, 2024 Category: Surgery Authors: Francesco Aiello Tags: Invited commentary Source Type: research
