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Payments to home health agencies (HHAs) are estimated to decrease by approximately 2.31% or $430 million in calendar year (CY) 2012, the net effect of a 1.4% payment update, the wage index update, and the case-mix coding adjustment, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS).
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Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series that looks at effective media relations. This month, we look at tips and strategies for handling media relations during a crisis. Last month, proven strategies that result in media coverage of hospice events, services, and announcements were described.
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Most (83%) patients/surrogates stated they preferred full code status but only 4% could identify the components of CPR; 16% stated preferences that differed with the medical record.
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Patients and their caregivers sometimes have difficulty recalling details of their discharge instructions, a new study finds.
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A hospice can have encryption on all devices that include patient information as well as a full set of policies and procedures regarding the protection of patient information, but staff education is critical to ensure safety of data, says Brian Payne, chief executive officer at Winston-Salem Hospice and Palliative CareCenter in North Carolina.
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According to newly published research, a program created to communicate the treatment preferences of those with advanced illness or frailty ensures those preferences are honored 94% of the time. The Program, called Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), was launched in Oregon almost 20 years ago.
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In April 2010, the laptop computer of a hospice nurse in the Chicago area was stolen. The theft of a mobile device is not that unusual.
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This is the first of a two-part series that looks at effective media relations. This month, we look at proven strategies that result in media coverage of hospice events, services, and announcements. Next month, tips and strategies for handling media relations during a crisis are described.
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Discussing and documenting patients' preferences for care at the end of life does not cause them any harm, contrary to recent claims. A new study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine found that patients who talk with their physicians about end-of-life care and have an advance directive in their medical record have similar survival rates as patients who do not have these discussions and documents.
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Successful partnerships in health care occur when both organizations have the same high standards of care and philosophy. It is also important to stay in touch with your community and understand what information they want and need to make good decisions about care, points out Flint Besecker, chief executive officer of the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Cheektowaga, NY.
