Click Here to Read (pdf version) New Measurements for HEDIS Resource use and quality: A disconnect The ingredients of health plan ratings Patient outcomes more important than ever PUBLISHER’S LETTER An Optimistic Tone Lynn Medical Celebrates 50 Years Contracting Executive Profile Nate Mickish, Senior Director, Texas Health Supply Chain Services, … [Read more...]
Windshield Times
Winterize your car It’s no surprise the winter months can be hard on vehicles. Cold temperatures, dirt and road-salt residue all can cause problems. Consumer Reports offers some simple checks and maintenance items that drivers can do to help their vehicle stay in top condition: Good visibility is vital. If your wipers are leaving streaks of water on the windshield, or … [Read more...]
Quick Bytes
Health and Fitness Apps It’s never too early – or too late – to set healthy goals. If 2017 is the year you resolve to lose weight, walk more steps in a day and stick to a morning workout routine, fitness apps can help. Maintaining fitness requires daily habits and lifestyle changes, and a few little nudges in the right direction from your mobile phone might make all the … [Read more...]
Healthy reps: Playing it Safe
Prescription opioid abuse is a serious problem in the United States, but patients can take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones. More people died from drug overdoses in 2014 than in any year on record, and over 60 percent of those deaths involved an opioid, according to a 2016 report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The report … [Read more...]
HIDA’s Insights for the 2016 Flu Season
By Linda Rouse O’Neill, Vice President, Government Affairs This year’s flu season is already shaping up to be markedly different from last year’s in a few key ways. Notably, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended against nasal spray vaccines. Changes like these will likely be top-of-mind for … [Read more...]
Complicated Is Overrated
By Elizabeth Hilla, Senior Vice President, Health Industry Distributors Association Salespeople like to make customers feel special, so we cut special deals. We write agreements that include exceptions, volume incentives, scaled pricing, freebies – you name it. So what’s wrong with being complicated? Quite a bit, actually. Even if your company has great systems for … [Read more...]
New Solutions to a Familiar Problem
By David Thill In the office, doctors are trying new approaches to mitigate obesity Despite recent declines, the overall prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States is a serious problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-aged children and young adults have higher rates of obesity than preschool-aged children, and children in … [Read more...]
Antibiotic Stewardship Begins in the Doctor’s Office
Outpatient settings remain a crucial component of antibiotic stewardship in the United States. Improving antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings is critical to combating the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. That’s because approximately 60 percent of U.S. antibiotic expenditures for humans are related to care received in outpatient settings. Educating … [Read more...]
Tomorrow’s PA
A look at one member of the healthcare team with whom Repertoire readers can expect to interact more frequently in the future At the end of 2015, the American Academy of PAs (physician assistants) released a white paper that documented four trends influencing healthcare delivery in general, and the PA profession specifically, including: Medicine is not what it used to … [Read more...]
Locking in Change
A new “Health Systems Science” textbook focuses on the changing dynamics of healthcare delivery Editor’s note: Sensing a gap between how physicians are educated and the future needs of the U.S. healthcare system, the American Medical Association in 2013 launched its “Accelerating Change in Medical Education” initiative. The association awarded grants to 11 medical schools to … [Read more...]