(Reuters)—The U.S. and Canada on Thursday issued a rare joint cyber alert, warning against a recent surge in extortion attacks that infect computers with viruses known as “ransomware,” which encrypt data and demand payments for it to be unlocked. The warning follows reports from several private security firms that they expect the crisis to worsen,…
How Rural Rheumatologists Are Coping with Passage of Affordable Care Act, Changes in Reimbursement, Payment Systems
Four years ago, a series of articles in The Rheumatologist talked about the practice of rheumatology in rural settings. Since then, changes have occurred, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), differences in reimbursement and the trek toward value-based payment systems. One major concern expressed in the original article was the fact that…
Doctor Quality Ratings May Be Influenced By Setting
(Reuters Health)—Patients give the same doctors different ratings depending on where their visit took place, according to a small U.S. study. Although doctors might act differently in an emergency department compared with a calmer office setting, researchers say the results also suggest that ratings are not a completely reliable measure of the quality of care…
Parents Often Catch Hospital Errors Doctors Missed
(Reuters Health)—Parents often catch medical errors that their child’s doctor missed, according to a U.S. study that suggests families may be an untapped resource for improving hospital safety and preventing mistakes. Roughly one in 10 parents spotted mistakes that physicians did not, according to the study of safety incidents observed on two pediatrics units at…
Hospital Acquisitions of Physician Practices Likely to Decrease
On Nov. 2, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (the Act) into law. This critical piece of legislation raises the federal debt ceiling and provides the framework for the federal budget through 2017. Of particular importance, the Act significantly changes the way Medicare will reimburse hospitals for outpatient services furnished…
U.S. Appeals Court: Hospitals Can Be ‘Urban’ & ‘Rural’ at Same Time
NEW YORK (Reuters)—The federal appeals court in New York struck down a U.S. regulation that made it harder for hospitals to provide better medical care at lower cost by claiming they were “rural” for some purposes and “urban” for others. Thursday’s decision by the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a victory for hospitals…
The Future of Rural Rheumatology: A Discussion with Dr. Robert Jackson
Rheumatologists practicing in rural and urban areas face different challenges. Robert Jackson, DO, discusses how technology, healthcare reform and hospital closures affect rheumatology practice in rural areas and its future…
Drug Shortages in U.S. Emergency Departments on the Rise
(Reuters Health)—U.S. emergency rooms are increasingly running short on medications, including many that are needed for life-threatening conditions, a recent study documents. Since 2008, the number of shortages has risen by more than 400%, researchers found. Half of all emergency room shortages were for life-saving drugs, and for one in 10 there were no available…
New Venture Aims to Fill Customer-Service Void in Healthcare
(Reuters)—Three large U.S. venture capital firms are betting that hospitals will buy into a new service designed to help healthcare providers treat their patients more like upscale hotels treat their customers. The new company, called Docent Health, is creating software and mobile applications that will help organize and monitor every aspect of an individual’s hospital…
Patients Leaving Hospitals Often Don’t Understand Care Plans
(Reuters Health)—Many patients leaving the hospital don’t understand follow-up care plans because the instructions are tailored to people with higher reading levels and more education, a recent U.S. study suggests. The American Medical Association already recommends that written health information be targeted to a sixth grade audience because nearly half of the U.S. population is…