Many states protect medical staff peer review information from discovery, meaning that a plaintiff's attorney cannot use it against individuals who participate in peer review. The purpose of the protection is to allow medical staffs to discuss peer review issues candidly and...
In an effort to improve the accuracy of the data contained within the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has...
Starting with the next edition of The Joint Commission's Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals to be published this spring, The Joint Commission will change the term "disruptive behavior" to "behaviors that undermine a culture of safety." The accrediting agency...
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is taking a stand to protect the identities of healthcare organizations, physicians, and other healthcare practitioners. In September 2011, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) shut down its public-use data file after...
Physicians and healthcare organizations that were on the fence about participating in an accountable care organization (ACO) may want to take a second look. In October 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule on ACOs, which has fewer...
In an effort to cut $33 million from its budget, Washington state has recently passed a law that limits Medicaid patients to three non-emergent ED visits per year. It will not cover visits beyond the initial three, even if the visit constitutes a true emergency. To determine...
