In an effort to shift power to consumers in healthcare, both Google and Microsoft are seeking ways to combine online personal health records, vast Internet resources, and the power of search engines. Recent reports show that a venture in healthcare could pay off for the companies. A Harris poll published last month reported 52% of adults go to the Web for health information, up from 29% in 2001. After researching, 58% of those people discussed what they found...  Read More »

This week’s tip, an ask the expert, is provided by June Stark, RN, BSN, MEd. Q: What are some strategies to improve physician documentation of present-on-admission (POA) conditions? A: The strategic plan for capture of POA and accurate documentation can comprise one or more of the following interventions: Physician educational sessions to teach about POA diagnosis and documentation requirements. Physician query sheets left in the chart by the case...  Read More »

While hospitals, healthcare professionals, and politicians are all desperately looking forward for a solution to improve the quality and financial aspects of healthcare in the United States, some health insurers and providers are looking back to the flat-fee reimbursement days of the 1980s and 90s. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, along with the state’s second-largest hospital network, Caritas Christi Health Care, believes it can provide better...  Read More »

When a hospital’s emergency department is overflowing and ambulances just keep coming, it has become a common practice to divert some of those ambulances to other area hospitals. However, turning ambulances away is no longer an option for facilities in Massachusetts. The state government has ordered a halt to the practice by January 1. State officials say that while diverting may help some hospitals with overcrowding, the costs usually outweigh the benefits. ...  Read More »

Last week’s tip brought in some extra feedback from our readers who wanted to share ways they make the work day a little better for their colleagues and themselves … Debby Downs, LVN, a nurse case manager at Longview (TX) Regional Medical Center, said, “When I pick up the phone I always try to have a smile on my face. The person on the other end will notice.” Sheryl O’Neal, the marketing director for Care for Life in Charleston,...  Read More »

Each year, 90,000 patients die from infections they acquire in hospitals, according to The Wall Street Journal. This statistic, along with the fact that Medicare will stop reimbursing for certain hospital-acquired infections on October 1, gives many facilities the motivation to seriously monitor the use and effectiveness of antibiotics. Some hospitals, such as the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, have created antimicrobial stewardship...  Read More »

Victims affected by Hurricane Gustav will turn to case managers to help them recover from the storm. Case managers will aid victims in obtaining health services, emergency food and shelter, mental healthcare and counseling, transportation, financial assistance, and even employment. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the implementation of the Disaster Case Management demonstration program last week. The...  Read More »

This week’s tip comes from Sandra Ibach, RN, MS, CCM, a community-based case manager at Methodist Health Systems in Dallas. When I answer a call on my desk phone from a physician, a patient, or whomever, I give my usual name and title and then say, "How may I help you?" This sets the scene with a positive tone, and I find the mood of the call remains one where joint problem solving is nurtured—even if the solution is not what the caller...  Read More »

Hawaii Medical Center, LLC (HMC) had been working hard to increase its number of patients and to decrease the length of stay at its two facilities, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy its creditor, Siemens Finance. Siemens refused to extend an existing loan agreement for HMC, forcing it to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. HMC says seeking bankruptcy protection was necessary in order to continue providing uninterrupted care to its patients. HMC...  Read More »

This week’s tip, an “Ask the Expert,” is provided by Karen Zander, RN, MS, CMAC, FAAN. Q: How can we change the culture to make case management easier to do day after day? A: Culture is actually the sum total “collection” of the behaviors that have been rewarded and otherwise tolerated. Behaviors stem from many sources, including knowledge (one would hope!), beliefs, past experiences, and incentives. Culture will change when...  Read More »