Hospice Management Advisor articles from January 2008

Hospice Management Advisor archives from January 2008

New study shows costs of hospice care is less for most end-of-life patients.
January 1, 2008... New study shows costs of hospice care is less for most end-of-life patients Quality care and cost savings coincide Hospice managers have long suspected that their care both improves quality and saves payers money. Now there's a major...

Become more vigilant about Medicare cost reports.
January 1, 2008... Become more vigilant about Medicare cost reports Bad data could lead to poor reimbursement Some hospices pay too little attention to how they complete Medicare cost reports. The result? Bad data at a time when good information is...

Patients are suicidal more often than expected.
January 1, 2008... Patients are suicidal more often than expected Poor quality of life often is factor It's an unpleasant reality that hospice professionals sometimes encounter a patient or family members who ask them to assist in hastening the patient's...

Rising rate of MRSA boosts need for education.(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
January 1, 2008... Rising rate of MRSA boosts need for education ID of infection, proper isolation techniques key Antibiotic-resistant infections are not new to the hospice setting, but headlines throughout the country have increased public awareness of...

CDC answers questions related to MRSA.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(Disease/Disorder overview)
January 1, 2008... CDC answers questions related to MRSA Awareness and identification of risks important Although the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not as high in hospice care as it is in hospitals, the Centers for...

Hospice rotation proves beneficial to med students.
January 1, 2008... Hospice rotation proves beneficial to med students Residents learn surprising things about dying A third-year medical student sits with an end-stage lung cancer patient who is in hospice. The patient wants to talk, but not about pain...

Prescribing changes during palliative care.
January 1, 2008... Prescribing changes during palliative care A study intended to determine how prescribing for comorbid illnesses and symptom control changes during the palliative phase of a terminal illness found older people take more medications and says...