Ohio KePRO: Ohio's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Logo
QIO HHQI Weekly Update :: September 10, 2007   

TIP OF THE WEEK

Immunization Best Practice Intervention Package

The National Home Health Quality Initiative Campaign has released the September Best Practice Intervention Package on Immunizations. See below for the packet contents. Due to the file size of the “Full Contents,” you may want to right-click on the link and select "Save Target As" to save a copy of the file to your desktop.

ASSOCIATED RESOURCES

PODCASTS/AUDIO RECORDINGS

Right-click on the audio file link below to select "Save Target As..." This will allow you to save the audio recording to your hard drive. You may then listen to the podcast from your computer or burn it to a CD.

EDUCATIONAL WEBEX

The Immunization WebEx provides a quick overview of this Best Practice Intervention Package. The presentation introduces clinician education resources and many national key tools are highlighted. The WebEx purpose is for a general overview for leadership of the package and/or for clinicians to learn more about the Best Practice Intervention Packages, specifically Immunization.

Please read the instructions for downloading the WebEx software. Even if you have previously installed WebEx, you will need to download the software. Once you have installed the software, right-click on the WebEx file link below to select "Save Target As..." This will allow you to save the WebEx recording to your hard drive. You may then view the WebEx.

Introduction to the Best Practice Intervention Package - Immunization

Dr. Zimmerman's Influenza and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccinations WebEx

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Free 1.3 CNE contact hours available for Registered Nurses and a Certificate of Participation for LPNs/LVNs for completing the Nursing Track for the Best Practice Intervention Package: Immunization. An online evaluation/post-test is required after completing the Nursing Track. Registered Nurses and LPNs/LVNs click here.

Therapists (PT, OT & ST) may apply for a certificate of participation – 1.0 continuing education hours. An online evaluation/post-test is required after completing the Therapy Track. PTs, OTs & STs follow this link.

VOLUNTARY SURVEY

Participate in the Voluntary Survey on the September Best Practice Intervention Package -Immunization for a chance to become the October Agency of the Month! Complete the survey by September 12 to become eligible.

SET TARGETS

Home Health Agencies: It’s time to re-set your targets for quality measures. Please visit www.hhqi-star.org.

 

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Immunization Toolkit 2007-2008
The Immunization Toolkit 2007-2008 has been updated with new information on influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. The Toolkit contains valuable sample policies, forms, educational materials, posters and references. Additional information provided in this Toolkit are sections related to avian influenza vaccine and pandemic influenza.

 

IN THE NEWS

PROGRAM COULD PROLONG SENIORS’ ABILITY TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY

August 23, 2007 -- Newswire -- As the baby boomer generation faces retirement, there is heightened interest in the best ways to care for older adults and prolong their abilities to live independently. A new study looks at seniors’ abilities to perform essential daily functions after entering the PACE program, a large-scale managed care initiative with 15,000 current U.S. participants. Read more >>

MEDICARE QUALITY INCENTIVES COULD TRANSFORM U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, OPINION PIECE STATES

September 4, 2007 -- Kaiser Network -- The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, under which Medicare will begin to pay physicians a 1.5 percent bonus incentive for reporting quality measures, "represents a significant step toward public reporting and pay for performance," infectious disease physician Manoj Jain, a medical director for Medicare's quality improvement organizations in Tennessee and Georgia, writes in a New York Times opinion piece. According to Jain, "Soon doctors will be paid according to quality and value," and performance will be publicly reported to allow patients to "choose the best doctors." Jain adds, "With doctors' reputations at stake, they will have an incentive to improve." Read more >>

RULING MAY UNLOCK KEY DATA ON DOCTORS

August 30, 2007 -- LA Times -- In a little-noticed decision last week, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of a consumer group that sued the Health and Human Services Department to allow disclosure of specific data about doctors from the Medicare claims database. Read more >>

CALL TO SCREEN ELDERLY FOR ABUSE

September 5, 2007 -- Australia News Network -- Screening elderly adults for signs of abuse may catch many more cases than otherwise would be, a new study suggests. Israeli researchers found that while six per cent of older adults in their study admitted to being abused by a family caregiver when asked directly, many more had evident signs of abuse or were at high risk of abuse.

The findings suggest that older adults should be routinely screened for signs of abuse, or risk factors for it, when they enter a hospital or a community service, the study's lead author told Reuters Health. Read more >>

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Together We Make a Difference: Solutions for Senior Care 2007
October 5-7, 2007, Columbus Ohio.
The conference features plenary sessions and didactic sessions on medical direction, physician- nurse practitioner collaboration, urinary incontinence, atrial fibrillation, appropriate medication prescribing, and the latest diabetic medications (Registration ends Sept 28, 2007). Contact Catherine Austin at (216) 778-8087, Executive Assistant of OMDA, for more details.

National Association for Home Care (NAHC)
NAHC is presenting a teleconference on September 5, 2007 on the overview of the HHPPS Reform elements and on 9/12/07 on billing and IT issues. Download registration flyer >>

Ohio Home Care Organization (OHCO) Coding Teleconference

OHCO has scheduled a coding teleconference for September 12, 2007 to guide providers on the huge increase of case mix diagnosis changes. Contact Karen Lowe at 614.763.0036, Ext. 206 for more information.

Ohio Council for Home Care (OCHC) Fall Conference
September 18 & 19, 2007, Columbus, Ohio. OCHC will offer a breakout session on September 19, 2007 during the OCHC Annual Conference to provide an overview of this final rule. Download flyer >>

OCHC Home Health Reform PPS Workshop
A full day in-depth program is scheduled for October 24, 2007 to provide detailed instruction on how to implement the changes at your agency. Download flyer >>

OHCO: Connecting OASIS and Clinical Decisions in the post-PPS Reform Environment

October 30, 2007
Contact Karen Lowe at (614)763-0036, Ext. 206 for more information.

 

The Tip of the Week Archive is available on the Ohio KePRO Web Site.