Friday, July 29, 2005

40th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid Turn 40
Barbara Jordan Conference Center, Washington, D.C.

The Kaiser Family Foundation and Commonwealth Fund co-sponsor this event, which gathers former Medicare and Medicaid and other health policy experts to mark the 40th anniversary of these two health care programs.

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Health Affairs web exclusive

Health Affairs is commemorating the event by publishing perspectives from seven former administrators of these publicly-funded health programs.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

JAMA - Administrative Data Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment

AFFECT, A Cluster Randomized Trial
Christine A. Beck; Hugues Richard; Jack V. Tu; Louise Pilote
JAMA. 2005;294:309-317.
ABSTRACT FULL TEXT PDF

Editorial:

Optimizing the Science of Quality Improvement
Eric David Peterson
JAMA. 2005;294:369-371.
EXTRACT FULL TEXT PDF

Health Affairs - Hospital Performance Reports

Impact On Quality, Market Share, And Reputation
Judith H. Hibbard, Jean Stockard, and Martin Tusler

Health Aff (Millwood). 2005 Jul-Aug;24(4):1150-60

[Abstract] [Full Text] [Figures Only] [PDF] [Supplemental Exhibit]

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

NEJM - Infection-Control Report Cards

Securing Patient Safety

R. A. Weinstein, J. D. Siegel, and P.J. Brennan

N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 21;353(3):225-7

Extract Full Text PDF

PHC4 - Hospital-acquired Infections in Pennsylvania

The first state report on hospital-acquired infections was released by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).

Pennsylvania is the first state in US to begin collecting and reporting information about hospital-acquired infections.

News Release
Research Brief

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

WHO - World Health Report

http://www.who.int/whr/en/

The World Health Report, first published in 1995, is WHO's leading publication. Each year the report combines an expert assessment of global health, including statistics relating to all countries, with a focus on a specific subject.

The main purpose of the report is to provide countries, donor agencies, international organizations and others with the information they need to help them make policy and funding decisions.

Current report

Previous reports

The world health report 2000 - health systems: improving performance

MJA - National data elements for the clinical management of acute coronary syndromes

Derek P B Chew, Roger M Allan, Constantine N Aroney and Noella J Sheerin
MJA 2005; 182 (9): S1-S16
HTML
PDF

Monday, July 25, 2005

NEJM - Special articles on Hospital Performance

Improving the Quality of Hospital Care in America
P. S. Romano
N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 21;353(3):302-4
Extract Full Text PDF

Quality of Care in U.S. Hospitals as Reflected by Standardized Measures, 2002–2004
S. C. Williams and Others
N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 21;353(3):255-64
Abstract Full Text PDF

Care in U.S. Hospitals — The Hospital Quality Alliance Program
A. K. Jha, Z. Li, E. J. Orav, and A. M. Epstein
N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 21;353(3):265-74
Abstract Full Text PDF

Friday, July 22, 2005

FDA - Patient Safety News

A Video News Show for Health Professionals
http:...psn/index.cfm
FDA Patient Safety News is a televised series for health care personnel featuring information on new drugs, biologics and medical devices, on FDA safety notifications and product recalls, and on ways to protect patients when using medical products.

The free RealPlayer or the free Windows Media Player is required for viewing the webcasts.
View complete video list:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/....cfm

J Gen Intern Med.

Adverse drug events occurring following hospital discharge.

Forster AJ, Murff HJ, Peterson JF, Gandhi TK, Bates DW.

J Gen Intern Med. 2005 Apr;20(4):317-23

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...

Thursday, July 21, 2005

AMA - Pay-for-Performance Principles and Guidelines

The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted a new policy on pay-for-performance (P4P), The policy defines five principles of a “fair and ethical” P4P program:

1. Ensure quality of care
2. Foster the patient/physician relationship
3. Offer voluntary physician participation
4. Use accurate data and fair reporting
5. Provide fair and equitable program incentives

Principles and Guidelines are available in the download below.

Word Download PDF Download

Aust Health Rev

Performance monitoring in the Victorian health care systeman exploratory study.

Leggat SG, Bartram T, Stanton P.

Aust Health Rev. 2005 Feb;29(1):17-24

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Focus on: Manitoba Centre For Health Policy (MCHP)

http://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/

MCHP is a research unit in the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Medicine.

MCHP does research on the health of Manitobans. MCHP examine patterns of illness in the population, and study how people use health care services.

MCHP primary focus is on the question "What makes people healthy?" Many factors affect one's health, such as income, education, employment and social circumstances. MCHP sort out the contribution of each of these factors.

Concept Dictionary

Publications - Report Summaries

Education And Training Resources

The Population Health Research Data Repository - POPULIS

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

BMJ - Can poorly performing doctors blame their assessment tools?

Richard Baker
BMJ 2005;330:1254 (28 May)
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/...

Ministero Salute - Progetto ECCE

Clinical Evidence, il volume tradotto in Italia dal Ministero della Salute e dall'Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco che raccoglie le prove di efficacia su migliaia di interventi, si trasforma in uno strumento di formazione a distanza, il «Progetto ECCE», sperimentale e del tutto gratuito.
http://aifa.ecce.minsa.it/

Monday, July 18, 2005

WHO - European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

www.euro.who.int/observatory

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe.

HiT country profiles

Publications - free full-text books

Country information

Research topics

BMJ - Patients, professionalism, and revalidation

Donald Irvine

BMJ 2005;330:1265-1268 (28 May)

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/...

Friday, July 15, 2005

Medical Care - Does the Collaborative Model Improve Care for Chronic Heart Failure?

Asch, Steven M.; Baker, David W; Keesey, Joan W.; Broder, Michael; Schonlau, Matthias; Rosen, Mayde; Wallace, Peggy L., MA; Keeler, Emmett B.
Medical Care. 43(7):667-675, July 2005.
Abstract HTML PDF

BMJ - Creative use of existing clinical and health outcomes data to assess NHS performance in England: Part 2

more challenging aspects of monitoring
Azim Lakhani, James Coles, Daniel Eayres, Craig Spence, Colin Sanderson
BMJ 2005:1486-1492, doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7506.1486
[Full text] [PDF] [extra: Additional technical materials]

Thursday, July 14, 2005

BMJ - Programme budgeting and marginal analysis

bridging the divide between doctors and managers
Danny Ruta, Craig Mitton, Angela Bate, Cam Donaldson
BMJ 2005:1501-1503, doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7506.1501
[Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

Public Health - Public health indicators

Flowers J, Hall P, Pencheon D.

Public Health. 2005 Apr;119(4):239-45

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...

Medical Care - The Added Value of Claims for Cancer Surveillance

Results of Varying Case Definitions
Penberthy, Lynne MD, McClish, Donna Manning, Claudine Retchin, Sheldon ; Smith, Tom
Medical Care. 43(7):705-712, July 2005.
Abstract HTML PDF

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Am. J. Surg -Hospitals collaborate to decrease surgical site infections

E. Patchen Dellinger, Susan M. Hausmann, Dale W. Bratzler, Rosa M. Johnson, Donna M. Daniel, Kathryn M. Bunt, Greg A. Baumgardner and Jonathan R. Sugarman
The American Journal of Surgery Volume 190, Issue 1 , July 2005, Pages 9-15
Abstract Full Text PDF

Quality Improvement Organizations are working with hospitals in every state to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections.
The Surgical Infection Prevention (SIP) project is sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Results of the National Surgical Infection Prevention Collaborative were reported in an article published in the American Journal of Surgery.

AHQA’s press release on the study is at
http://www.ahqa.org/pub/media/159_678_5198.CFM

Med Care Res Rev - It Isn't Just about Choice

The Potential of a Public Performance Report to Affect the Public Image of Hospitals.

Hibbard JH, Stockard J, Tusler M.
Med Care Res Rev. 2005 Sep;62(3):358-71.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/....=1

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

bmjupdates

http://bmjupdates.mcmaster.ca/index.asp

BMJ Publishing Group and McMaster University's Health Information Research Unit are collaborating to provide access to current best evidence from researchto support evidence-based clinical decisions.

All citations (from over 110 premier clinical journals) are pre-rated for quality by research staff, then rated for clinical relevance and interest by at least 3 members of worldwide panel of practicing physicians.

This service is provided free.

BMJ - No cure, no pay

Claus Møldrup

BMJ 2005;330:1262-1264 (28 May)

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7502/1262

Monday, July 11, 2005

WHO - Health Promoting Hospitals

http://www.euro.who.int/healthpromohosp
http://www.hph-hc.cc/

More than a decade ago the WHO Health Promoting Hospitals project
was initiated in order to support hospitals towards placing greater
emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, rather than on
diagnostic and curative services alone.

Since then, the International Network of Health Promoting
Hospitals has steadily expanded and now covers 25 Member States, 36
national or regional networks and more than 700 partner hospitals.

Publications

Tools

hph conferences
hph newsletter
hph concepts
hph-hc projects

BMJ - The quest for quality in the NHS

still searching?
John Appleby
BMJ 2005:63-64, doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7508.63

[Extract] [Full text] [PDF]

Friday, July 08, 2005

VIPC&S - Enhancing Health Care Delivery: A Patient-Centered Paradigm

Virginians Improving Patient Care and Safety (VIPC&S) 5th Annual Conference on Patient Care & Safety
Richmond, VA - May 25, 2005

presentations now online

The Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project

http://healthcaredisclosure.org/

The Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project is a group of leading employer, consumer, and labor organizations working toward a common goal to ensure that all Americans have access to publicly reported health care performance information by January 1, 2007.

Principles for Making Medicare Payments Performance-Sensitive
June 30, 2005

Thursday, July 07, 2005

10th European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care

Wednesday 13 April - Friday 15 April 2005
London, UK - IHI and the BMJ Publishing Group

The Forum is aimed at physicians, nurses, managers, other health professionals, health care leaders, policy makers, researchers, patients, and patients' representatives.

Themes of the Forum:

  • Improving patient safety
  • Partnership with patients
  • Strengthening improvement in education and training
  • Leadership, culture change, and change management
  • Achieving radical improvement by redesigning care
  • Health policy for lasting improvement in health care systems
  • Measurement for improvement, learning, and accountability
  • People and improvement: Individual professional quality

    PRESENTATIONS NOW ONLINE

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Ann Intern Med - High and Rising Health Care Costs. Part 4

Can Costs Be Controlled While Preserving Quality?
Thomas Bodenheimer and Alicia Fernandez
Ann Intern Med 2005;143 26-31
Abstract Full Text PDF

Editorial
Health Care Expenditures Reexamined
Victor R. Fuchs
Ann Intern Med 2005;143 76-78
Full Text PDF

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

AHQA Contests JAMA Article on QIOs

The American Health Quality Association (AHQA) represents the national network of Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) that work with hospitals, medical practices, health plans, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and employers to encourage the spread of best clinical practices and improve systems of care delivery.

AHQA released a statement to contest the methodology and relevance of findings presented in a JAMA article, “Do QIOs Improve the Quality of Hospital Care for Medicare Beneficiaries,” written by Claire Snyder and Gerard Anderson of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

JAMA Study: Additional Assessment of QIO Work Needed

Statement by AHQA Executive Vice President David Schulke

http://www.ahqa.org/pub/media/159_678_5197.CFM

Friday, July 01, 2005

AHRQ - Making the Health Care System Safer Through Implementation and Innovation

The 2005 Annual Patient Safety and Health IT Conference offers opportunities to learn how AHRQ research is being used to support health information exchange and reduce medical errors.

You'll also get a "first look" at longer-term work in progress to develop the evidence base for widespread HIT adoption.

View Conference Presentations

Kaiser Family Foundation HealthCast