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The Buck Stops Here:
Chronic Wound Care from a Clinical & Payment Perspective
1 Day Wound Care Seminar
For all physicians, nurses, administrators, podiatrists, pharmacists, dietitians, and physical therapists.
More Information, Dates & Locations |
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ECPN Online Poll
Which of the following topics are not being sufficiently covered at long-term care meetings?
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Need to Know News:
Medicare Enhances QIO Program Oversight
To more effectively promote high-quality, efficient, and person-centered care for beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlines actions the agency is taking to enhance oversight and evaluation of the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program. Its “Report to Congress” was developed as a result of intensive CMS review and a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report.
“The QIO program is a cornerstone in our efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries,” says CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD. “QIOs have had a positive impact on the quality of healthcare in America, and with enhanced oversight and accountability and new initiatives to improve transparency and care, they will do more to support better care and lower costs.”
QIOs are organizations with state-level responsibilities under contract with CMS that, by statute, are responsible for a range of key tasks in support of the Medicare program. They work to improve quality of care, measure and reduce the incidence of improper Medicare fee-for-service inpatient payments, address beneficiary complaints and patterns of potentially substandard care, and offer mediation services to help address poor communication issues between healthcare providers and patients.
One key issue in the report responds to recommendations on reforming the oversight and governance of the QIO program. Under CMS’s existing authority in the current contracting cycle, CMS is strengthening its financial oversight by requiring each contractor to have a more independent advisory board charged with review of compliance, conflict of interest, ethics, and program integrity. Boards will be required to evaluate the structure of each state-based QIO contractor and its relationship with providers and stakeholders within the state. In addition, CMS is taking steps to improve beneficiary awareness of the complaint and appeals process available through QIOs to make sure that beneficiaries are familiar with this important resource and can use it when they need it.
To view the report, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/QualityImprovementOrgs.
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In the Current Issue of ECPN:
A Team Approach to Pain Management
Rebecca Lea, LNFA, Melody Malone, PT, and Stephanie Svoboda
A nontraditional team approach fostered by strong leaders was the common link between two facilities’ extraordinary success in managing pain.
Read Article
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Product News:
Smith & Nephew Launches Modular Hip System
 Smith & Nephew’s Orthopaedic Reconstruction division announces the launch of the EMPERION™ Modular Hip System for primary and revision total hip arthroplasty. This system will be available in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Canada.
A modular hip system offers optimal sizing of the joint implants and allows for greater flexibility to more accurately match the implant to a patient’s anatomy as compared to other systems. The EMPERION implant uses a titanium press-fit stem. It is the only modular hip system that can be used with Smith & Nephew’s proprietary OXINIUM™ femoral heads.
The EMPERION system builds on the clinical success of older implant designs while providing surgeons with enhanced performance during surgery. Easy-to-use instrumentation and color coding improves efficiency during the procedure. Innovative features of the implant, such as the Smith & Nephew circulotrapezoidal neck design, allow for a greater range of motion, and the bullet-tip shape of the stem reduces thigh pain and makes insertion of the device easier.
“The EMPERION system provides me the versatility to reconstruct the hip joint in a simple, straightforward manner, while still employing less invasive or tissue-preserving surgical techniques,” says Dr. Bertrand Kaper of the Yavapai Medical Center in Prescott, Arizona. “It takes the evolution of hip replacement surgery to the next level of clinical success.”
For more information, visit www.smith-nephew.com. |
Topical Anesthetic Spray Reduces the Risk of Benzocaine Overdosing
 A 2006 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory about the dangers associated with possible overdosing and erroneous administration of benzocaine products highlights the value of a product that may be a safer dosing alternative for physicians and their patients—HEALTHPOINT’s EXACTACAIN™ (benzocaine 14%, butamben 2%, tetracaine hydrocholoride 2%) Spray Topical Anesthetic.
According to HEALTHPOINT Surgical, a subsidiary of DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which distributes EXACTACAIN, the spray controls pain and suppresses the gag reflex during endoscopy via a precise, metered-dose application. It is indicated for the production of anesthesia of all accessible mucous membranes except the eyes.
The product’s proprietary, patent-pending delivery system can reduce risks mentioned in the FDA advisory, including a potentially fatal side effect known as methemoglobinemia—a condition whereby critical amounts of hemoglobin in red blood cells can no longer bind and carry oxygen to living tissues.
Unlike other benzocaine products, EXACTACAIN’s dosage and administration are both metered and clear. This patent-pending delivery system can help ensure accurate dosing via a precise spray that provides effective anesthesia, controls pain, and suppresses the gag reflex.
For more information, visit www.exactacain.com. |
Coming up in the October 2006 issue of ECPN:
- The Customer Service Puzzle
- Antipsychotic Medication and Dementia
- Aging and Vision Loss: a Handbook for Families
- Balancing the Mobility and Safety of the Residents
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