Authors: Robertson CS et al., JAMA 2014 Jul 2; 312:36 Neither the administration of erythropoietin nor the transfusion threshold has shown improvement of neurologic outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury. Head trauma occurs in 1.5 million Americans annually, at a cost of more than $56 billion. Erythropoietin (EPO) has potential as a neuroprotective agent […]
Read MoreCataract surgery may reduce the rate of cognitive decline and improve vision, cognition, and quality of life in dementia patients, new research suggests. Preliminary results from an ongoing prospective study conducted by investigators at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, showed that in a cohort of patients with dementia and clinically significant cataracts, immediate cataract […]
Read MoreA new study confirms that people with fibromyalgia (FM) can experience objective impairments in cognitive and executive function independent of depression. FM patients “often complain about the so-called ‘Fibro-fog’, a cluster of cognitive disorders not always reflected in poor test-based performance, but which strongly interferes with work and daily life,” lead author Valentina Tesio, PhD, […]
Read MoreAmerican Cervical Arterial Dissections and Association With Cervical Manipulative Therapy Stroke. published online August 7, 2014; Author: Long, Lori D. et Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association After a neck adjustment — also known as cervical manipulative therapy and typically employed by chiropractors and other healthcare providers — people are at increased […]
Read MoreCMS has released a proposed rule that would update the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2015. Here are eleven things to know about the PFS and the proposed rule. 1. Medicare uses the PFS to reimburse providers for covered physicians’ services provided to Medicare Part B beneficiaries. The PFS assigns relative values to […]
Read MoreIn Massachusetts, rates of discretionary surgical procedures rose, while rates of non-discretionary or emergency procedures declined in the years following the state’s insurance expansion, researchers found. As the insured population grows, hospital surgery centers should expect to perform more elective and discretionary surgical procedures, but fewer non-discretionary operations performed on an emergency basis. That’s what […]
Read MoreI thought this was interesting so I wanted to share it with our readers. UnitedHealth Group, based in Minneapolis, is one of the nation’s largest companies based on revenue and has introduced health insurance innovations including drug formularies, hospital admission pre-certification processes and physician office software to manage and control costs. Here are 10 things […]
Read MoreAuthors: Borer JS., J Am Coll Cardiol 2014 Jun 10; 63:2408 A Korean registry study provides valuable long-term outcomes data in a large cohort, although important limitations constrain its impact on clinical practice. Management of severe primary (degenerative) mitral regurgitation (MR) in asymptomatic patients with preserved left ventricular function is controversial. Current U.S. and European […]
Read MoreAuthors: Park K-H et al., J Clin Microbiol 2014 Jul 52:2566 Differential time to positivity appeared useful in predicting catheter-related infection. Differential time to positivity (DTP) — the difference in time to positivity between blood cultures drawn simultaneously from a central venous catheter (CVC) and a peripheral vein — has been useful in identifying patients […]
Read More1. Correct all denials within five days. If a bill is returned to a practice because it was submitted incorrectly to an insurance company, the bill should be corrected and resubmitted to the payer within five days. The way to do this is to create a strong workflow process. Part of the process is implementing […]
Read More