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.

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Johnson & Johnson rushed baby powder testing after asbestos scare

Pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer goods company Johnson & Johnson rushed the testing of its baby powder after the FDA found asbestos in the product, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Diagnosis criteria for COPD should be expanded to include CT scan, other factors

Doing so could potentially add millions of new diagnoses of the condition each year, but also help clinicians to catch its progression earlier in the disease process.

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Medicare FFS improper payment rate falls

The improper payment rate in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) fell to its lowest rate since 2010, according to CMS. However, there were still an estimated $28.9 billion in improper payments made in 2019, down $7 billion from 2017.

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Radiologists have helped significantly decrease patients’ radiation dosages over the past decade, new report finds

During the decade that ended in 2016, interventional and diagnostic medical radiation dose use has plummeted 15% to 20%, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements reported on Nov. 18.

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Antibiotic-resistant infections, deaths are up

The threat of antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, with more than 2.8 million occurring in the U.S. each year and more than 35,000 deaths, according to the CDC.

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Nurses face more pressures than ever

Nurses aren’t able to spend the time needed with patients and more often are faced with workplace challenges including violence, according to a new survey from AMN Healthcare.

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34M Americans know someone who died because they couldn’t afford healthcare

A shocking number of Americans know someone, either a friend or family member, in the past five years who died because they couldn’t afford to receive necessary medical treatment, according to a new Gallup and West Health study.

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Researchers urge nonradiologists to stay in their lane when interpreting advanced imaging studies

Nonradiologists are still interpreting thousands of tests, presenting the quandary of whether policy changes are needed to help preserve patient safety and continuity of care, experts note.