Healthcare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement Archives – May 1, 2008
May 1, 2008
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'Stunning' CPOE study spurs immediate action in Massachusetts
The implementation of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) by hospitals in Massachusetts could save each facility an estimated $2.7 million a year by reducing error rates, shortening length of hospital stays, and curtailing unnecessary drug tests and laboratory use, according to a study co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) and the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI). -
Hospital/physician alliance creating new care model
A unique partnership between SSM St. Joseph Hospital of Kirkwood, MO, and six physician groups has created a separate new company to manage a pilot nursing unit designed to develop and test new patient care processes for the future SSM St. Clare Health Center. -
Patient navigators improve care of cancer patients
Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver has launched a Patient Navigator Program, becoming the fifth site in the state to participate in a nationwide effort to extend the reach of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) initiative, designed to assist individual cancer patients in negotiating the health care system. -
Radiology lab speeds throughput with Six Sigma
The radiology lab at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in the Boston area has nearly cut the wait time for patients in half through the implementation of a Six Sigma process improvement initiative. What's more, the program has also saved the department more than $700,000 with increased efficiency. -
AHRQ reports a slowdown in overall quality gains
The latest edition of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) National Healthcare Quality Report contained some disappointing news for quality professionals: The quality of health care improved by an average 2.3% a year between 1994 and 2005, compared with the 3.1% average annual improvement rate published in the 2006 reports. -
News Briefs
HealthGrades partners with Google for consumers, PHCQA launches new quality web site