Hospital Home Health articles from September 2002

Hospital Home Health archives from September 2002

Tumbles cause more than just a few bruises: spot patients at risk for falls: reduce falls with thorough assessment for risk.
September 1, 2002... The statistics are alarming: * One out of every three people over the age of 65 falls each year. (1) * Among people age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of death due to injury and serious injury. (2) * Of people older...

Audio conferences tackle critical compliance issues for sharps safety, pain management; don't run the risk of fees or losing your accreditation.(upcoming conferences)
September 1, 2002... Health care organizations today are challenged by more than just providing quality patient care. Compliance issues can create headaches for facilities that aren't prepared. How well does your facility meet certain regulations? Are your staff...

CE questions.
September 1, 2002... This concludes the September-April 2002 semester. A Scantron sheet is in this issue, as well as a survey form. Fill out and return in the enclosed envelope. 21. According to Linda J. Coccia, BS, OT, occupational therapist at Adventist Home...

You worked how long? tracking hourly wages: tips for verifying overtime.
September 1, 2002... With all of the paperwork and record keeping handled in a home health agency, none is more important to employees and more frustrating to managers than keeping track of time worked for hourly employees. The January 2002 decision by the U.S....

Coding education makes MD relationship stronger: physicians don't always file for oversight.
September 1, 2002... As your agency struggles to develop and maintain strong, lasting relationships with referring physicians, don't forget that your expertise and experience in dealing with Medicare claims might be just what the doctor needs. "Physicians are...

Specific activities qualify for care plan oversight.(billing documentation for certification or re-certification of home health patients and for care plan oversight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Medicare regulations enable physicians to bill for activities related to certification or re-certification of home health patients and for care plan oversight, but physicians must document carefully for care plan oversight claims, according to...

Admission agreements establish relationships. (LegalEase: understanding laws, rules, regulations).
September 1, 2002... Legal liability comes with every relationship between agencies and patients. Unfortunately, the home health model of care precludes the use of criteria such as a patient's entry into a health care institution to determine when the...

A look at home health usage state by state: how does your state compare?(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... According to data recently released by the General Accounting Office in Washington, DC, Louisiana leads all other states with the greatest number of home health users per 1,000 beneficiaries at 61, and with the greatest number of visits per...

CMS plans to reduce OASIS paperwork.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Outcome and Assessment Information Set assessments)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... In a proposal submitted to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to reduce the paperwork burden on home health agencies by...

More bureaucracy via competitive bidding?(Medicare competitive bidding program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Implementing a national Medicare competitive bidding program for medical equipment, services, and technology will require a 35% increase in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) work force, according to a report from Multinational...

Clinical trials harmed by lack of informed consent.
September 1, 2002... The mention of clinical trials often triggers a silence between physician and patient, usually because neither one knows much about the subject. Nearly 80% of physicians admit they would like to know more about clinical trials so they can help...

Medicare home health utilizattion, January-June 2001.
September 1, 2002... Medicare Home Health Utilization, January-June 2001 Medicare Home Health Users by State State Users per 1,000 Visits per visits [beneficiaries.sup.a,b] [user.sup.a] per ...