The Rundown | Week of 4.24.2017

Healthcare is a rapidly evolving industry – it’s difficult to read up on everything that matters to you. But the success of your practice can depend on how knowledgeable you are about changes in the healthcare landscape. Privia has compiled a weekly list of important articles we are reading on healthcare industry trends, clinical best practices and legislative updates for your convenience. Here are some of the important articles and blogs on health care that stood out this week:

• 5 ways the healthcare industry can improve end-of-life care, Fierce Healthcare

Interesting clip: “Sebelius said she has personally seen end-of-life care at both its best and worst, as have many of the strategy group’s other members. And that was much of what drove their year-long discussions on how to improve end-of-life care, the results of which were published recently. Clinicians must have frank conversations with patients; for instance, they must encourage patients to outline and regularly update an advance directive to ensure that they receive the care they want when they become seriously ill, the strategy group concluded in its report. Many physicians may feel uncomfortable talking about death with patients, but these conversations are important to ensure that patients don’t suffer unnecessarily at the end of life.”

• Connecting your EHR to Others in an ACO, Diagnostic Imaging

Interesting clip: “When faced with the challenge of sharing information between EHRs, the most common approach for practices of this size is e-faxing. In terms of pros and cons, this method of sharing information among different providers does free up physicians’ time, but it also adds a manual and administrative burden for staff members. Another negative: It’s a method of inputting information that can leave the practice open to human error if the medical assistant enters information incorrectly.”

• [Infographic] Data Points: Comparison-shopping still a challenge in healthcare, Modern Healthcare

Interesting clip: “59. Percentage of healthcare consumers surveyed in 2014 who chose a less-expensive care option when they compared prices.” Public Agenda and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

• How Adding Physician Assistants Improves Hospital Revenue Cycle RevCycle Intelligence

Interesting clip: “Additional physician assistants may also help hospitals successfully manage administrative tasks that overwhelm physician workflows. A recent American Medical Association survey found that administrative burdens topped the list of provider challenges in 2017.”

• Hard-Line Republican Caucus Backs Revised Bill to Repeal Obamacare, New York Times

Interesting clip: “The latest proposal, drafted by Representative Tom MacArthur, a moderate Republican of New Jersey, would allow states to obtain waivers from federal mandates that insurers cover certain “essential health benefits,” like emergency services, maternity care, and mental health and substance abuse services, which many Republicans argue have driven up premiums.”