Low Cost, Lifesaving Services Missing From Most Older Patients' Health Care: National Poll
Large majorities of older Americans experience significant and troubling gaps in their primary care, according to a new national survey, "How Does It Feel? The Older Adult Health Care Experience, " released by the John A. Hartford Foundation, a champion for improved geriatric care and longtime partner of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University's College of Nursing. The poll focuses exclusively on Americans age 65 and older and assesses whether, in the past 12 months, patients received seven important medical services to support healthy aging, including: an annual medication review, a falls risk assessment and history, depression screening, referral to community-based health resources, and discussion of their ability to perform routine daily tasks and activities without help.
5 Key Practices That Lead To Successful Hospital-To-Home Transitions
Community health plans are improving how patients transition from hospital to home by breaking down silos of care, coordinating among providers, and directly engaging with patients, according to a new report entitled Transitions of Care from Hospital to Home. In the report, prepared by Avalere Health for the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), Avalere researchers examined ACHP community health plans and found five practices that the plans identified as facilitating the success of their care transitions programs: Using data to tailor care transition programs to patients' needs.
'Reforming Medicare In The Age Of Deficit Reduction' - Internal Medicine Physician Specialists Release Policy Paper
American College of Physicians says stakeholders across health care spectrum must work together to protect Medicare for future generations. A dozen recommendations to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to high-quality, coordinated care were provided today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The new policy paper, 'Reforming Medicare in the Age of Deficit Reduction' *[PDF], was released at Internal Medicine 2012, ACP's annual scientific meeting. "This position paper considers the potential advantages and disadvantages of proposals to reform Medicare in an attempt to quell rising Medicare/health care costs.