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Cardiovascular Quality and Research News

ACC CV Quality SmartBrief

The ACC CV Quality SmartBrief eNewsletter is a free, twice-weekly briefing for health care stakeholders interested in quality care. Learn more about the ACC CV Quality SmartBrief and subscribe.

  • Most VA hospitals achieve high marks in federal quality review

    More than three-fourths of Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers earned four- or five-star ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for quality, with none receiving a one-star rating for the second year. Forty-five percent of VA facilities received five stars, and 33% earned four stars, showing significant improvement since the ratings began in 2023. Military Times (tiered subscription model) (5/19) Learn More

  • Pharmacist-led antibiotic program reduces costs, stays

    A pharmacist-led program encouraging earlier conversion from IV to oral antibiotics was associated with shorter hospital stays and reduced IV antibiotic use, particularly in patients with diabetes and sepsis. Year-to-date cost savings increased from $12,000 to $15,000 before the protocol to roughly $45,000 to $50,000 after implementation, with substantially greater savings observed in patients with sepsis. Pharmacy Practice News (5/16) Learn More

  • Pediatric flu-related hemorrhagic issues mild, rare

    A study in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal found that influenza-associated hemorrhagic manifestations in pediatric emergency department patients were generally infrequent and mild. The study, which involved 3,363 children, found that only 3.8% experienced hemorrhagic symptoms, with most cases involving petechiae, purpura or epistaxis. Some children with hemorrhagic manifestations showed higher platelet counts, but no other significant laboratory differences were noted. Infectious Disease Advisor (5/20) Learn More

  • Health systems turning focus to patient collections

    Twenty-two percent of healthcare revenue leaders prioritize patient balances, up from 11% last year, according to a survey by PayZen and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Patient billings accounted for 12% of net patient revenue, but only 31% of billings were collected on average. Commercial revenue and government program revenue were a priority for 62% and 16% of respondents, respectively. Fierce Healthcare (5/18) Learn More

  • Hospitals brace for costly HIPAA overhaul amid cyberthreats

    Hospitals are preparing for a major update to HIPAA spurred by the 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack. The proposed rules would require measures such as multifactor authentication, encryption and threat scanning. The update gives hospitals about eight months to comply, which some say is impractical. Axios (5/18) Learn More

  • Telemedicine program helps patients heal at home

    The Community Tele-Paramedicine program at Weill Cornell Medicine enables patients who can be discharged from the hospital but still need care to receive it at home. Paramedics conduct assessments in patients' homes along with the home care team and livestream the visit with an emergency department physician. The program has resulted in high patient satisfaction, improved home care and reduced readmissions, writes Dr. Fred Pelzman, who proposes expanding the program to include primary care physicians. MedPage Today (5/18) Learn More

  • Healthcare credential theft surges, exposing patient data

    Healthcare credential theft rose 33% year over year, and the US accounted for 48% of all healthcare-exposed logs worldwide, according to a report from Flare. The analysis of 154,000 malware logs found nearly 74% of compromised devices had credentials for EHR and EMR systems. HIT Consultant (5/19) Learn More

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