Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence
The 55-year-old patient woke up experiencing chest pain one morning and an ambulance was called. He was dead just a few hours later. His family's lawsuit argued that delays in care, communication errors and other issues were directly responsible for his death.
How to score accreditation for a radiotherapy theranostics program
Wes Folds, a PET specialist with the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, discusses a new nuclear offering from IAC.
Referrers want more structured radiology reports
Ordering physicians believe templated reporting more clearly communicates impressions regarding neuro patients, which often require more complex workups and management.
Quality of care for heart patients does not improve in first year of ACO participation
Researchers tracked patient outcomes through the use of 15 performance measures related to hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
American Heart Association program leads to substantial improvements in stroke care
Cardiologist Gregg Fonarow, MD, reviewed decades of data and discussed the long-term impact of the AHA's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program.

Female Medical Research Scientist Working with Brain Scans

Neuroradiologists make more mistakes when facing these 3 scenarios

“These findings should be considered when designing workflow-related and other interventions seeking to reduce errors," experts wrote in AJR.

MRI protocol tweak nets big savings for hospital system while opening up additional exam slots

An inordinate number of patients with metallic hardware were receiving inappropriate MRIs without a key sequence to reduce related artifacts.

AI aids nonphysicians in obtaining diagnostic-quality ultrasound images in the ED

Registered nurses, NPs and EMTs bolstered the quality of their scans with the help of deep learning-based guidance.

How one radiology department increased use of its alert system for critical imaging findings

Almost 10% of radiology reports contain such an alert and communication of them is crucial to keeping patients safe and avoiding malpractice lawsuits.

The 10 best and 10 worst states for physicians

WalletHub ranked which states are the best for doctors, looking at 19 key metrics, including wages, number of hospitals, population rate, competition and more.

Should hospitals withdraw from US News & World Report rankings?

In an op-ed in Health Affairs, two physicians are pushing for the end of ranking U.S. hospitals by calling on hospitals to pull out.

Pfizer recalls 4 million units of migraine medicine

The recalled products are not child resistant, posing a poison risk if the contents are swallowed by young children.

Physicians sound off on prior authorization burdens on patients

Recent survey findings underscore that the vast majority of physicians believe prior authorization has a negative impact on patient care. In fact, some specialists think it leads to worse outcomes.

Quality

Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence

How to score accreditation for a radiotherapy theranostics program

Referrers want more structured radiology reports

Quality of care for heart patients does not improve in first year of ACO participation

American Heart Association program leads to substantial improvements in stroke care