5 Stories You Need But May Have Missed This Week

We know you’re busy, but we don’t want you to miss important healthcare quality and patient safety news. Below is a roundup of stories you may have missed but need to take a look at before calling it a week. (Sign up on the right if you’d like these news alerts delivered to you.)

1. MU Stage 2 Requirements ‘Overly Burdensome’ Say AHA, AMA
   With Stage 2 implementation deadlines fast approaching, the nation’s two largest provider associations are asking the Federal government for flexibility in meeting strict Meaningful Use requirements in order to facilitate a more safe and orderly transition to electronic health records. Read more about what factors have health leaders concerned.
2. ICD-10 Transition Should be Major Focus Now
   After delaying the compliance date for ICD-10 to October 1. 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is warning that practitioners have no time to waste in preparing to make this monumental shift from 14,000 to more than 69,000 codes. Find out how more thorough documentation and proper training could set the stage for a smoother transition.
3. 13 Papers Reveal Successes, Challenges of Using EHR Data
   The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced the release of a second special supplement with the journal Medical Care titled The Electronic Data Methods Forum 2013: Advancing the National Dialogue on Use of Electronic Clinical Data to Improve Patient Care and Outcomes.
4. Studies: Tired Surgeons a Risk to Patient Safety
   Prompted by the more than 260 medical malpractice lawsuits pending decision in state Supreme Court against one New York orthopedic surgeon, the Poughkeepsie Journal did some digging to discover evidence that it may be time for hospitals to start protecting patients by limiting the number of operations that any given surgeon can perform in a day.
5. Hospitals May Soon Be Reaching for the Stars
   Consider the pros and cons of using visual cues, like a star rating system, on the CMS Hospital Compare website. As the agency searches for ways to better display information on the site, adversaries say such an oversimplified system would actually make available data less meaningful or helpful for patients.