Background: Although point-of-care ultrasound can improve patient care and reduce unnecessary downstream costs, few economic models exist on hospitalist use and whether remuneration for imaging could offset equipment costs.  As the heart and lungs are commonly examined during admission, we observed the frequency of use and projected fiscal outcomes of point-of-care cardiac ultrasound by an [...]

Background: Although point-of-care ultrasound can improve patient care and reduce unnecessary downstream costs, few economic models exist on hospitalist use and whether remuneration for imaging could offset equipment costs.  As the heart and lungs are commonly examined during admission, we observed the frequency of use and projected fiscal outcomes of point-of-care cardiac ultrasound by an [...]

Background: Guiding health care delivery towards patient-centered value can be accelerated by reforming physician reimbursement. Recent legislation including the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and the Affordable Care Act have created frameworks for value-based health care payments. By the end of 2018, the United States Department of Health and Human Services aims to have [...]

Background: By 2022 health care spending is expected to climb to 19.9% of the US GDP and is forecasted to continue rising with no end in sight[1]. The patient (or consumer) is completely detached from the reimbursement system and thus unaware of the distribution of health care dollars. The purpose of this study is to [...]

Background: Patients’ satisfaction has been shown to be associated with improved health outcomes and reduced health care utilization. The Center for Medicare Services (CMS) has linked patient satisfaction to financial incentives as part of the value-based purchasing program. Patient satisfaction in the inpatient setting is measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and [...]

Background: Risk adjustment indices are frequently used for hospital billing and reimbursements in the United States. Severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM) are two risk adjustment indices used in determining the APR-DRG, a classification system commonly used by insurers to determine hospital reimbursements. Recently, many health systems implemented AI-powered clinical documentation assistants [...]