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.

Top 15 health systems by reputation

Patients are taking more power into their hands when it comes to rating healthcare systems. And those reputation scores can have a big impact on health systems.

Nurse working in a COVID care unit at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. A new study shows the metal health of nurses under the pandemic can directly impact the level of care their patients receive.

New COVID-19 study links nurses’ mental health to quality of care

Stories of stress and burnout among healthcare workers, particularly nurses, continue to make news during the COVID-19 pandemic and new research shows these mental health problems can decreased quality of patient care provided to patients.

Brain MRI for early stage, non-small cell lung cancer likely unnecessary, study asserts

Guidelines recommend routine brain MRI for advanced NSCLC, but there is no consensus around doing so during early stages, experts wrote in Radiology.

Sarcoma-suspected incidental imaging findings often irrelevant while posing significant financial burden

“Because these incidentalomas can be considered clinically irrelevant, we believe that there is no benefit in detecting them," experts wrote in Clinical Imaging.

Prior authorization burdens are increasing

Healthcare leaders agree prior authorization burdens are increasing.

CMS reopens Merit-based Incentive Payment System application period following omicron surge

The American Medical Association praised the move, noting that physicians need flexibility given ongoing demands stemming from the pandemic.

33 U.S. hospitals are among the best in the world

The United States has some of the best hospitals in the entire world, but only 25 made Newsweek’s 2022 list of the Best Hospitals in the World.

The FDA tracks mammography systems and the number of exams performed in the U.S. through its Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) program. This is an example of the GE Senobright HD imaging system.

3D mammography approaching 50% of breast imaging systems in the U.S.

The latest U.S. Food and Drug Administration data on mammography systems installed nationwide shows DBT systems are rapidly replacing traditional 2D full field digital mammography units.

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