Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Cost and Benefits of Health Information Technology
Congressional Budget Office
"This paper examines the evidence on the costs and benefits of health information technology, possible barriers to a broader distribution and use of it in hospitals and clinicians' offices, and possible options for the federal government to promote use of health IT."
Labels: health information technology
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Nursing Homes: Federal Monitoring Surveys Demonstrate Continued Understatement of Care Problems
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08517.pdf
Government Accountability Office
"From fiscal year 2002 through 2007, about 15 percent of federal comparative surveys nationwide identified state surveys that failed to cite at least one deficiency at the most serious levels of noncompliance - the actual harm and immediate jeopardy levels. Overall, in nine states federal surveyors identified missed serious deficiencies on 25 percent or more of comparative surveys, but in seven states they identified no missed serious deficiencies. During the same period, missed deficiencies at the potential for more than minimal harm level were more widespread: nationwide, approximately 70 percent of federal comparative surveys identified state surveys missing at least one deficiency at the potential for more than minimal harm level, and in all but five states the number of state surveys with such missed deficiencies was greater than 40 percent. Such undetected care problems are of concern because they could become more serious over time if nursing homes are not required to take corrective actions."
Labels: nursing homes
