Hospitals taking steps to reduce mistakes after Medicare won't pay
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By EVAN WHITE
Story Created:
Feb 21, 2008 at 12:02 PM EST
Story Updated:
Feb 25, 2008 at 2:56 PM EST
Beginning in October, Medicare will stop paying for what they are calling "preventable injuries," or illnesses that occur during a hospital stay.
Medicare officials say its list of errors are things hospitals should have been able to reduce dramatically by themselves.
Hospitals are working to comply with the medicare provision under Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, a piece of legislation aimed improving patient care.
"We are in support of the general philosophy that it's just a question of how that system is implemented," said Dr. Albert D'Accurzio of St. Elizabeth Medical Center
Medicare released a list of conditions they say are all preventable through observation.
*Object left in patient during surgery.
*Air embolism
*Blood incompatibility
*Catheter associated urinary tract infections
*Pressure ulcers
*Vascular catheter associated infections
*Surgical site infection
*Falls
Dr. D'Accurzio says St. Elizabeth Medical Center has been working on improving many areas outlined in the list
"The catheter associated urinary infections, pressures, the falls, these are areas we have ongoing projects as we speak," he said.
D'Accurzio went on to say he's anxious to see how things shake out once this is fully implemented in October. Some of the items on the list he says may be unavoidable, but is not concerned that hospitals and medicare won't be able to work things out.
Medicare is working on hospitals in order to improve their care under these guidelines.
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