03/27/13

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

EHC Program Update: Technology Assessment Program to Post Draft Report; New Final Report


Draft Technology Assessment Announcement

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Technology Assessment Program will be posting a draft technology assessment for review on April 3, 2013. This draft is entitled "Update on Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use in Common Cancers."  If you are interested in reviewing this document, please visit: http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/ta/call-for-public-review.html. The document will be available for review from 9:00 am April 3, 2013 to 5 pm on April 17. If you have any questions, please contact ahrqtap@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Final Report

Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis and/or Asthma: Comparative Effectiveness Review. To access this report, visit: http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1427&ECem=130327.

Effective Health Care Program
http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov

NIAMS welcomes four new advisory council members


NIAMS welcomes four new advisory council members

03/27/2013 08:12 AM EDT

 

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has appointed four new members to its advisory council. The council comprises scientific and lay members who have expertise in the mission areas of the institute. Council members provide advice to the institute on broad policy issues, and make recommendations on research proposals. NIAMS is part of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Health Care Innovations Exchange: School-Based Health Programs for At-Risk Youth


New Issue Focuses on

School-Based Health Programs for At-Risk Youth

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announces the March 27 issue of the Health Care Innovations Exchange (http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov).

  • The featured Innovations describe three school-based programs that enhanced access, particularly among at-risk minority youth, to health information, preventive care, and clinical services.
  • The featured QualityTools include resources to support HIV and STD prevention programs in schools and tools to facilitate preventive, mental health, nutrition, and oral health services.
  • Read more innovation profiles and tools related to school-based health programs for at-risk youth (http://go.usa.gov/2pjF) on the Innovations Exchange Web site, which contains more than 750 searchable innovations and 1,500 QualityTools.

Spotlight:

  • New Expert Commentary
    School-Based Reproductive Health Services as Innovation (http://go.usa.gov/27dT)
    By Melissa Akers, Program Manager at the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care

Events and Podcasts:

  • April 9 Web Event
    Join the Innovations Exchange on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, from 1 to 2 pm EST for a free Web event titled Promoting the Spread of Health Care Innovations. For more information about this event and to register, visit the Event page: http://go.usa.gov/2pDb.
  • Upcoming Web Event Series
    The Innovations Exchange announces a new Web event series (http://go.usa.gov/27vB) designed to share experiences and lessons learned in putting accountable care organization and patient-centered medical home principles into practice.

    Join us on Thursday, April 25, from 1 to 2 pm ET for the first event in the series, titled Payment Models that Support Medical Home and Accountable Care Organization Principles: Maryland's Experience. For more information and to register, visit the Event page: http://go.usa.gov/27ve   

Use the My Innovations feature http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/accounts/createAccount.aspx to save your favorite subjects and receive e-mail alerts when new content is published within your areas of interest.

New issues of the Innovations Exchange are published biweekly on Wednesdays. Please contact us at info@innovations.ahrq.gov with any questions or comments.

Follow the Innovations Exchange (AHRQIX) on Twitter with this hyperlink: http://www.twitter.com/ahrqix.

Draft Technology Assessment: Call for Public Review:


Update on Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use in Common Cancers

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Technology Assessment Program will be posting a draft technology assessment for review on April 3, 2013. This draft is entitled "Update on Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use in Common Cancers."

If you are interested in reviewing this document, please visit: http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/ta/call-for-public-review.html. The document will be available for review from 9:00 am April 3, 2013, to 5 pm on April 17.

If you have any questions, please contact ahrqtap@ahrq.hhs.gov.

 

Stressful life events may increase stillbirth risk, NIH network study finds


Stressful life events may increase stillbirth risk, NIH network study finds

03/27/2013 12:57 PM EDT

 

Pregnant women who experienced financial, emotional, or other personal stress in the year before their delivery had an increased chance of having a stillbirth, say researchers who conducteda National Institutes of Health network study.

 

Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forums Update


Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/ODF_hhhdme.html

 

NQF #0209 Deadline for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program is Monday, April 1, 2013

 

Deadline quickly approaching to avoid 2 percentage point reduction to APU for FY 2014

 

Hospice providers must enter and attest to their NQF #0209 data on the data entry website no later than 11:59pm ET on April 1, 2013 in order to comply with Payment Year 2014 NQF #0209 requirements. Providers that have not already begun entering their NQF #0209 data for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) Payment Year 2014 cycle should begin doing so immediately. In order to avoid a 2 percentage point reduction in Annual Payment Update (APU) for FY 2014, providers must have submitted data for both the structural measure and the NQF #0209 measure by the specified deadlines: January 31, 2013 for the structural measure and April 1, 2013 for the NQF #0209 measure. Providers that may have missed the structural measure deadline can still visit the data entry website, create an account, and enter their NQF #0209 data. The link to the data entry site, along with a Technical User Guide giving step-by-step instructions on the data entry process, can be found on the Data Submission portion of the CMS HQRP website.

 

It is highly recommend that hospice providers confirm attestation and submission of their NQF #0209 data, as compliance with NQF #0209 reporting requirements for FY 2014 is based on the attestation and submission step. Providers are encouraged to print for their records the "NQF #0209 Pain Measure Submitted" page that displays immediately following submission of data. This page confirms the successful submission of data to CMS. Providers may also verify attestation and submission of their NQF #0209 data by logging into the data entry website and viewing the "Measure Data Entry Links and Submission Status" page. If you have submitted and attested to your NQF #0209 data, the NQF #0209 Pain Measure Submission Status will show: "Data Attested and Submitted," along with the date and time-stamp of attestation. Providers may wish to print or save a copy of the "Measure Data Entry Links and Submission Status Page" for their records.

 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this Cms.hhs.gov- Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forums Update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.