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ACC CV Quality SmartBrief

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  • GAO report: Consolidation accelerating, raising costs

    A Government Accountability Office report finds that consolidation often leads to higher spending and prices, especially when hospitals acquire practices, and that there is little improvement in care quality after consolidation. Physician consolidation has accelerated, with nearly half of physicians employed by or affiliated with hospitals in 2024, up from less than 30% in 2012, according to the report. HealthLeaders Media (10/3) Learn More

  • Virtual clinic helps to reduce hospital readmissions

    A virtual clinic launched by UC San Diego Health in 2021 has significantly reduced hospital readmissions among high-risk patients, according to a study published in JMIR Medical Informatics. The virtual transition of care clinic saw a readmission rate of 14.9%, compared to 20.1% for those receiving traditional care. The program, initiated during the pandemic to address barriers to in-person visits, has also reported a no-show rate of less than 5%. KPBS-TV/KPBS-FM (San Diego) (10/3) Learn More

  • Meta-analysis links prenatal antibiotics to infection risks

    A meta-analysis of data on nearly 5 million children found a 33% higher risk of childhood infections with prenatal antibiotic exposure, particularly ear, nose and throat infections. The study, published in the journal Thorax, found no increased risk of respiratory infections. Medscape (10/1) Learn More

  • How health care can stop passing down burnout

    A culture of overwork and silence in health care can create "generational trauma" that is passed along through training and professional norms, writes Tiffiny Black, a health care consultant. "Trauma disguised as toughness is being handed down like a family heirloom no one wants but everyone carries," Black writes. KevinMD (10/4) Learn More

  • Mass. General gets $100M for cardiovascular care tower

    Massachusetts General Hospital has received a $100 million donation from the New Balance Foundation to fund construction of the New Balance Foundation Tower, a cardiovascular care facility set to open in 2030. The tower will feature 190 acute-care beds, 32 cardiac ICU beds and environmentally sustainable design, and it will serve as a training site for medical residents and interns. Chief Healthcare Executive (10/3) Learn More

  • Rural hospitals use technology to improve care access

    Rural hospitals are expanding virtual care services to improve access for remote communities. By offering a wide range of virtual services including telepsychiatry, telestroke care and virtual hospitalists, hospitals are reducing the need for long-distance travel to specialists. "It not only saves the patient time and money," says Dr. Laura Sehnert, chief medical officer of UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, "it often makes them more willing to receive the care." Becker's Hospital Review (10/3) Learn More

  • Social factors tied to early HF in people of color

    Social factors such as access to health care, insurance and neighborhood resources significantly influence the early onset of heart failure in Black and Hispanic populations, researchers noted in JACC. Black patients face diagnosis nearly 14 years earlier than white patients, while Hispanic patients are diagnosed over eight years earlier, according to the study. WTOP-FM (Washington, D.C.) (10/6) Learn More

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