Healthcare is ever changing, so it’s important to stay up to date on advancements and issues that may impact the development, operation, maintenance, and growth of your services. Here are some important developments:
Myocardial perfusion imaging in women for the evaluation of stable ischemic heart disease
This document from the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology represents an updated consensus statement on the evidence base of stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), emphasizing new developments in single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) in the clinical evaluation of women presenting with symptoms of stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD). The clinical evaluation of symptomatic women is challenging due to their varying clinical presentation, clinical risk factor burden, high degree of comorbidity, and increased risk of major ischemic heart disease events. Continue reading…
10 things to know about CMS’ new 2018 MACRA proposed rule
CMS released its proposed 2018 regulatory updates for MACRA’s Quality Payment Program. Officially titled, “CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment Program,” the rule includes several key policy updates that would impact providers’ participation in MACRA starting in 2018. And at 1,058 pages in length, for those who have other items atop their summer reading list, here are 10 Things to Know about CMS’ New 2018 MACRA Proposed Rule. Continue reading…
Human enzyme may be key to unraveling Alzheimer’s disease
Neurodegenerative diseases already affect millions of people in the United States and by some estimates, in 30 years, there will be 12 million people in the U.S. living with a neurodegenerative condition. These diseases include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Protein aggregates are the hallmark of a number of these neurodegenerative diseases. New research, published in the journal PLOS Biology, examines a human enzyme that unravels these disruptive plaques. Continue reading…
Study: Physicians miss early signs of heart disease more often than they should
New research points to evidence that general practitioners could be putting patients at a higher risk for severe cardiovascular outcomes by missing initial signs and symptoms for heart disease that could lead to an early diagnosis. The research, published online in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, was conducted by CRICO Strategies, a research and analysis organization, and the Doctors Company, a medical malpractice insurance company. The study included more than 250 closed medical malpractice cases in which patients alleged that a general medical practitioner in an outpatient setting failed to identify cardiovascular disease. Continue reading…
Novel PET tracer detects small blood clots
Blood clots in veins and arteries can lead to heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism, which are major causes of mortality. In the featured article of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine‘s (JNM) July 2017 issue, German researchers show that targeting GPIIb/IIIa receptors, the key receptor involved in platelet clumping, with a fluorine-18 (18F) labeled ligand is a promising approach for diagnostic imaging. Current imaging modalities rely on structural characteristics, such as vascular flow impairment, and do not address the critical molecular components. Continue reading…
Hospital impact—Providers beware: Performance under MIPS can influence overall patient volume
The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is an attempt by the federal government to characterize in a single score the value of a provider’s care relative to other providers. Though the program is not without its challenges and limitations, it does begin to give consumers some information they need to make informed choices and benefit from competition. The healthcare industry is in the position of having this transparency imposed upon it via federal action because the providers themselves have been slow to tackle true accountability. Continue reading…