Hospital Case Management articles from July 2009

Hospital Case Management archives from July 2009

Preparation is the key to staying ahead of the curve during RAC reviews.
July 1, 2009... Preparation is the key to staying ahead of the curve during RAC reviews CMs can have major role in assuring records are accurate, complete The more your hospital does up front to prepare for Medicare's Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC)...

Early days of RAC reviews are the easiest.
July 1, 2009... Early days of RAC reviews are the easiest Proactive approach helps hospitals succeed Don't get a false sense of security if the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) process seems easy at first, warns Brian Flood, CHC, CIG, Esq., advisory...

RACs focus on details, admission orders.(recovery audit contractor )
July 1, 2009... RACs focus on details, admission orders Focus on level-of-care orders During the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) demonstration project, the auditors were extremely focused on the level-of-care orders to the point of denying admissions...

CMs' role in a pandemic is to keep patients educated.
July 1, 2009... CMs' role in a pandemic is to keep patients educated Help them stay healthy and avoid exposure Case managers can play a vital role in the event of a pandemic by educating their patients on how to stay healthy and avoid exposure to...

Critical Path Network: Create an appropriate discharge plan to avoid lawsuit.
July 1, 2009... Critical Path Network Create an appropriate discharge plan to avoid lawsuit Case managers may have liability for negligent, premature discharges Case managers are under pressure to discharge patients as quickly as possible from...

Critical Path Network: Hospital discharge process can be more efficient.
July 1, 2009... Critical Path Network Hospital discharge process can be more efficient Nursing satisfaction rises, turnover drops While hospital discharge planners make certain each patient's discharge and transition in care are handled with...

Critical Path Network: Discharge support may prevent, delay readmission.
July 1, 2009... Critical Path Network Discharge support may prevent, delay readmission Study offers predictors Researchers who reviewed thousands of studies have found that enhanced hospital discharge support might prevent or delay hospital...

CMS proposes few coding, reporting changes in IPPS.
July 1, 2009... CMS proposes few coding, reporting changes in IPPS Proposed rule may slash hospital reimbursement The 2010 proposed rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) includes only minimal changes to the MS-DRG system from a...

Nurses share document improvement ideas.
July 1, 2009... Nurses share document improvement ideas Meetings rotate among hospitals in Northern Illinois When the RN clinical documentation improvement specialists at Central DuPage Hospital set up a networking meeting with their peers from other...

Launching new organization takes time and effort.(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Launching new organization takes time and effort It took Nancy Sikorski, RN, BA, nearly four months of research, telephone calls, and e-mails to bring together some of the RN clinical documentation improvement specialists in northern...

ED/hospitalist plan improves throughput.
July 1, 2009... ED/hospitalist plan improves throughput A new plan for admitting patients from the ED at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore jointly developed by an ED physician and a hospitalist, decreased ED throughput for admitted patients...

CNE objectives/questions.(ertified nurse educator )(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... CNE objectives After reading each issue of Hospital Case Management, the nurse will be able to do the following: *identify particular clinical, administrative, or regulatory issues related to the profession of case management; ...