02/12/13

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Reminder - CMS National Training Program Learning Series Webinar on Medigap Today at 1:00 pm ET


Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

 

CMS National Training Program Learning Series Webinar

on Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) Policies

 

Join us today at 1:00 pm ET for the February Learning Series webinar that will review Medigap policies, when and how to purchase one, and Medigap rights and protections.

 

Please join us by calling 1- 877-267-1577, meeting ID: 1051, and visiting the webinar page at https://webinar.cms.hhs.gov/ntplearningseriesfeb2013/

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.

 

What's New at HCUP User Support


New HCUP Statistical Brief #149

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) has posted a new statistical brief on the following:   Most Frequent Procedures Performed in U.S. Hospitals, 2010
 
The brief can be found at:
http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/statbriefs.jsp

The HCUP family of health care databases and related software tools and products is made possible by a Federal-State-Industry partnership sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). 

Visit the HCUP User Support Website at:  http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov

 

Press Release: Hospitals report reductions in some types of health care-associated infections


CDC report highlights areas for improvement in an effort to protect patients

Hospitals in the U.S. continue to make progress in the fight against central line-associated bloodstream infections and some surgical site infections, according to a report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Catheter-associated urinary tract infections remained unchanged between 2010 and 2011. 

"Reductions in some of the deadliest health care-associated infections are encouraging, especially when you consider the costs to both patients and the health care system," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "This report also suggests that hospitals need to increase their efforts to track these infections and implement control strategies that we know work."

NEW: Broadcast quality clips featuring CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. on this topic are available here: http://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/audioVideo.htm

 

Updated Guide to Clinical Preventive Services Now Available


AHRQ Prevention and Chronic Care Program logo

AHRQ has announced the release of the updated 2012 Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, an authoritative source on clinical preventive services centered on the evidence-based recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

 

The 2012 Guide includes the USPSTF's recommendations on clinical preventive services such as screening, counseling, and preventive medications from 2002 through March 2012, topics in development, background about the USPSTF, and additional resources. This edition also includes at-a-glance clinical summary tables for ease of use.

 

In addition to the Guide, the Task Force provides other resources for primary care clinicians, including:

  • An up-to-date list of Task Force recommendations available through the A-Z Topic Index on the Task Force Web site.
  • The electronic Preventive Services Selector (ePSS), an application designed to help primary care clinicians identify clinical preventive services that are appropriate for their patients, which can be downloaded to their mobile devices.

 

Click here to view, download, or order a free print copy of the Guide.

 

The USPSTF is an independent group of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screening, counseling, and preventive medications. More information on the Task Force is available at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

 

 

AHRQ's Prevention and Chronic Care Portfolio provides ongoing administrative, research, technical, and dissemination support to the USPSTF. More information is available at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/prevenix.htm.