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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.

  • Patient safety improves as hospitals cut infections

    Hospitals have made significant strides in patient safety, surpassing prepandemic levels in many areas, according to The Leapfrog Group's Fall 2024 Hospital Safety Grades. The report highlights a more than 30% reduction in common infections and increased adoption of systems to prevent medication errors. "Overall, the outlook remains hopeful, but we're certainly not where we need to be as a country," says Katie Stewart of The Leapfrog Group. "Too many lives are lost to preventable errors." Chief Healthcare Executive (11/16) Learn More

  • Electronic hand hygiene system cuts C. diff infections

    A study evaluating electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems at 10 short-term acute care hospitals shows a significant reduction in Clostridioides difficile infections with use of the technology. The systems, which remind staff to wash hands with soap and water, led to an average 53.15% decrease in C. difficile cases, with one hospital seeing a reduction as high as 82.35%. Infection Control Today (11/18) Learn More

  • Study: Surgical complications, errors remain prevalent

    A study by Harvard University researchers published in BMJ found that a third of surgical patients experience adverse events due to medical errors, with 10% of these being deemed potentially preventable. The persistence of medical errors highlights ongoing challenges in patient safety, despite measures like EMR notifications and pre-surgery checklists. CNN (11/15) Learn More

  • Medicare Part D costs to rise in 2025

    Medicare Part D costs are set to increase in 2025 due to rising premiums, medications being reclassified into higher tiers and income-related surcharges for higher earners. Beneficiaries are advised to review their plans during the open enrollment period, which ends Dec. 7, to potentially find more cost-effective options. USA Today (11/17) Learn More

  • Technology can help level claims playing field

    Insufficient data, staffing shortages, complex manual processes and other factors contribute to a rising claim denial rate, which a study in the Journal of AHIMA found costs hospitals 5% of net patient revenue every year. Artificial intelligence and automation technology designed specifically for claims management could improve operational efficiency and reduce denial rates, writes Jason Considine, chief commercial officer at Experian Health. Medical Economics (11/18) Learn More

  • AI can enhance speed, quality of echocardiography

    Artificial intelligence technology is improving echocardiography by producing better quality images more efficiently and with less operator fatigue, according to research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. A Japanese study using Us2.ai showed that AI-assisted echocardiography returned values within the range of physician reports in 85% to 99% of cases. Another study on PanEcho demonstrated high accuracy in detecting abnormalities. Medscape (11/17) Learn More

  • SOGI data collection can inform patient-centered care

    Collecting data on patients' sexual orientation and gender identity supports patient-centered care and is a step toward mitigating health disparities, says Kellan Baker, executive director of the Whitman-Walker Institute, but the majority of EHRs lack SOGI data. The National Committee for Quality Assurance has added the US Core Data for Interoperability "Sex (Assigned at Birth)" data element to the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, and Baker says that health care staff should be trained to ask about patients' SOGI in a culturally sensitive way. TechTarget (11/18) Learn More

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