Ahead of the unveiling Tuesday of the latest United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings, Reed Tuckson, a foundation board member, had a scary message for the nation: We’re facing “a tsunami of preventable illness,” Tuckson said. “We aren’t prepared for the consequences of that.”
In an interview with KHN in advance of the release of the rankings, Tuckson characterized the state-by-state report card of health stats as a grim call to arms. After improving an average of 1.6 percent a year since the 1990s, the annual index remained flat this year for the first time in its 22 years of existence. And, as Tuckson bluntly asserts, a sicker nation means a more expensive nation at a time when health costs are already stretching consumers and employers beyond their limits. He warned: “You’re going broke!”
For the full article please go here.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
4 debatable points on the delay of ICD-10 from HealthIT.com
Fighting words were heard from both sides of the ICD-10 debate after the AMA called for a delay of the Oct. 1, 2013 deadline for conversion. LinkedIn and Twitter were bustling with yea or nay responses, which is why we asked Steve Sisko, IT consultant and avid ICD-10 blogger, and Rob Tennant, senior policy advisor at the MGMA, to weigh in.
1. The effect ICD-10 implementation will have on physician practices.
Sisko:
It won’t be as bad as they think. According to Sisko, some practices will be burdened more than others with the switch to ICD-10. “But specialists only need to learn a subset [of codes],” he added. “They say ’70,000 ICD codes we’ll have to know,’ well, that’s BS because if you’re an orthopedic surgeon, there are subsets you don’t need to know; you don’t need to learn about other specialties’ codes.” He added, though, facilities will be impacted to a greater extent than professionals, due to the fact institutions have to collect, “Present on Admission and discharge diagnosis that professionals do not have to collect. They’ll have to lean on existing resources or hire external assistance.”
For the full article please go here.
1. The effect ICD-10 implementation will have on physician practices.
Sisko:
It won’t be as bad as they think. According to Sisko, some practices will be burdened more than others with the switch to ICD-10. “But specialists only need to learn a subset [of codes],” he added. “They say ’70,000 ICD codes we’ll have to know,’ well, that’s BS because if you’re an orthopedic surgeon, there are subsets you don’t need to know; you don’t need to learn about other specialties’ codes.” He added, though, facilities will be impacted to a greater extent than professionals, due to the fact institutions have to collect, “Present on Admission and discharge diagnosis that professionals do not have to collect. They’ll have to lean on existing resources or hire external assistance.”
For the full article please go here.
Monday, December 5, 2011
High Level Of Waste In Health Spending, Says Medicare And Medicaid Boss from Medical News Today
Dr. Donald M. Berwick, head of Medicare and Medicaid until last Thursday, stated that up to 30% of spending on health is wasted with absolutely no benefit to beneficiaries (patients). He added that his agency's cumbersome and archaic regulations are partly to blame. He claims too many resources and too much time is dedicated to things that do not help patients one bit; something doctors are fully aware of too.
In an interview last Thursday, Dr. Berwick said:
"Much is done that does not help patients at all,
and many physicians know it."
During the interview, Berwick talked about the previous 17 months, while he was at the helm as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, his failures, successes and frustrations, and dealing with criticisms from Republican lawmakers.
For the full article please go here.
In an interview last Thursday, Dr. Berwick said:
"Much is done that does not help patients at all,
and many physicians know it."
During the interview, Berwick talked about the previous 17 months, while he was at the helm as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, his failures, successes and frustrations, and dealing with criticisms from Republican lawmakers.
For the full article please go here.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Physicians must learn how to put patients in the center from HealthIT.com
WHITE OAK, MD – Physicians need to learn "patient-centeredness" as one of their core medical skills so they can incorporate it into their daily practice. But many clinicians are unfamiliar with what is involved in practicing with the patient at the center of his or her care, despite it being a foundation for improved quality and new delivery models.
Some physician professional organizations are stepping up to offer teaching aids about patient-centered care.
Patient-centeredness should be a part of education in medical schools, training for residency and included within competencies for certification and re-certification, according to physician executives of professional organizations.
[See also: Patient-centered healthcare is essential healthcare.]
To be certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), physicians must demonstrate medical knowledge, patient care and procedural skills, interpersonal communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice and practice-based quality improvement, said Eric Holmboe, MD, chief medical officer for the ABIM. Patient-centeredness fits into all these competencies.
For the full article please go here.
Some physician professional organizations are stepping up to offer teaching aids about patient-centered care.
Patient-centeredness should be a part of education in medical schools, training for residency and included within competencies for certification and re-certification, according to physician executives of professional organizations.
[See also: Patient-centered healthcare is essential healthcare.]
To be certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), physicians must demonstrate medical knowledge, patient care and procedural skills, interpersonal communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice and practice-based quality improvement, said Eric Holmboe, MD, chief medical officer for the ABIM. Patient-centeredness fits into all these competencies.
For the full article please go here.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Medicare Offers Expanded Coverage To Battle Expanding Waistlines from Kaiser Health News
Keeping off the pounds is tough at any age. Now seniors are getting a helping hand from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which has announced that it will cover screening and counseling for obesity as a free preventive service for Medicare beneficiaries.
Coverage is effective immediately.
Advocates hope that CMS’ decision may encourage private insurers and Medicaid to begin covering obesity screening and counseling as well.
“I think it’s fantastic,” says Dr. Marijane Hynes, a primary care physician at George Washington Medical Faculty Associates Weight Loss Clinic.
For the full article please go here.
Coverage is effective immediately.
Advocates hope that CMS’ decision may encourage private insurers and Medicaid to begin covering obesity screening and counseling as well.
“I think it’s fantastic,” says Dr. Marijane Hynes, a primary care physician at George Washington Medical Faculty Associates Weight Loss Clinic.
For the full article please go here.
Cholesterol-Lowering Lipitor: FDA Okays First Generic Version from Medical News Today
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Wednesday that it has approved the first generic version of the world's top-selling medicine, the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin), currently marketed by Pfizer Inc.
Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest pharmaceutical company, has gained FDA approval to make generic atorvastatin calcium tablets in 10 milligram, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg strengths. The tablets will be made by Ohm Laboratories in New Brunswick, New Jersey, says the FDA.
A statement from Raxbaxy says Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, will be marketing the generic atorvastatin in the US.
Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told the press the agency was "working very hard" to ensure patients get generic drugs as fast as the law will permit:
For the full article please go here.
Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest pharmaceutical company, has gained FDA approval to make generic atorvastatin calcium tablets in 10 milligram, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg strengths. The tablets will be made by Ohm Laboratories in New Brunswick, New Jersey, says the FDA.
A statement from Raxbaxy says Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, will be marketing the generic atorvastatin in the US.
Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told the press the agency was "working very hard" to ensure patients get generic drugs as fast as the law will permit:
For the full article please go here.
Researchers Examine Role of Inflammatory Mechanisms in a Healing Heart from ScienceDaily
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that an inflammatory mechanism known as inflammasome may lead to more damage in the heart following injury such as a heart attack, pointing researchers toward developing more targeted strategies to block the inflammatory mechanisms involved.
Following a heart attack, an inflammatory process occurs in the heart due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. This process helps the heart to heal, but may also promote further damage to the heart. The mechanisms by which the heart responds to injury are not fully understood, so researchers have been examining the cellular pathways involved to gain further insight.
For the full article please go here.
Following a heart attack, an inflammatory process occurs in the heart due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. This process helps the heart to heal, but may also promote further damage to the heart. The mechanisms by which the heart responds to injury are not fully understood, so researchers have been examining the cellular pathways involved to gain further insight.
For the full article please go here.
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