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California safety group saves $63 million
Forty hospitals report 3,500 deaths avoided and improvements in four significant measures, including early elective deliveries
Anthem Blue Cross and several other industry stakeholders collaborating in California’s Patient Safety First initiative have saved more than $63 million in three years. According to participants, more than 3,500 deaths were also avoided.
The group specifically targeted hospital-acquired infections and early elective deliveries at for-profit and not-for-profit facilities. A data sharing aspect and peer-to-peer learning system helped the clinical teams deliver improved care.
Results indicate:
- 74% reduction in early elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestational age;
- 57% reduction in cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia;
- 43% reduction in cases of central line blood stream infections; and
- 26% reduction in sepsis mortality.
To encourage results, Anthem aligned its quality incentive program criteria for providers with the measures for the safety initiative. Standardized measures were tracked and reported on a quarterly basis.
While 180 hospitals participate, 40 were able to report data consistently throughout the program measurement period.
Improving inpatient care is critical today as hospitals create methods to reduce readmissions for Medicare patients. Last week, Medicare indicated that it will penalize 2,225 hospitals based on insufficient improvement in readmission rates. Total penalties amount to $227 million-often less than a 1% pay reduction for the hospitals involved.
Bridging the Diversity Gap in Rare Disease Clinical Trials with Harsha Rajasimha of IndoUSrare
November 8th 2023Briana Contreras, an editor with Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Harsha Rajasimha, MD, founder and executive chairman of IndoUSrare, in this month's episode of Tuning in to the C-Suite podcast. The conversation was about how the disparity in diversity and ethnicity in rare disease clinical trials in the U.S. has led to gaps in understanding diseases and conditions, jeopardizing universal health, and increasing the economic burden of healthcare.
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35th World AIDS Day Marks 20 Years of PEPFAR: Challenges and Strategies to Combat HIV/AIDS
November 29th 2023PEPFAR, having invested $100 billion and saved 25 million lives in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, faces Congressional hurdles in its reauthorization due to abortion debates. Despite widespread support and no evidence of abortion-related activities, the legislative process is at a standstill. Members of PEPFAR and authors of a recent editorial stress the significance of PEPFAR and advocate for integrating behavioral and social science into healthcare programs to achieve UNAIDS targets and address barriers in HIV/AIDS testing and treatment.
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Managing Editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein, had a discussion with William Shrank, M.D., a venture partner with Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm in Menlo Park, California, about how artificial intelligence's role is improving healthcare, where we are today with value-based care and the ongoing efforts of reducing waste in the healthcare space for this episode of the "What's on Your Mind" podcast series.
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Study Raises Concerns Over Insurance Barriers to HIV Prevention Medications
November 29th 2023Despite its efficacy, PrEP remains underutilized compared to the need for it. High costs are among the barriers to PrEP use, along with limited knowledge among clinicians, lack of health insurance, stigma, and underestimation of personal HIV risk.
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