Dr. Allen Weiss Discusses the Future of Healthcare and What Systems Must Do to Survive

Becker’s Healthcare recently bestowed Dr. Allen Weiss, CEO of NCH Health System in Naples FL, with its 2013 Leadership Award in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the healthcare industry. This year’s award recipients demonstrated valuable traits the healthcare industry needs in times of change and uncertainty, whether it be for their financial acumen, transparent leadership style or bright ideas for care delivery and payment reform. Radisphere would like to congratulate Dr. Weiss for his continued achievements. We are honored to work together in establishing and providing standards-based radiology services across the NCH Health System.

Misdiagnosis is Pervasive in Healthcare and Radiology is Part of the Problem

An article in this week’s Washington Post speaks to the massive problem of misdiagnosis in healthcare. Interestingly, there is no mention of the role of radiology in the misdiagnosis problem. Imaging touches nearly every patient and disease category at hospitals today and is a big part of the diagnostic process. And despite its critical role in the patient care continuum, radiology lags substantially behind other healthcare practices in terms of quality standards.

Recent Study Identifies Most Costly and Dangerous Medical Mistakes: Diagnostic Errors Account for Nearly 29% of Mistakes

A recent study, based on 25 years of malpractice data that was examined by Johns Hopkins University researchers, found that diagnostic errors – defined as missed, wrong, or delayed diagnoses – were the most common, most costly, and most dangerous of medical mistakes. It revealed that diagnostic errors accounted for the largest percentage (nearly 29%) of medical mistakes; made up 35% of total malpractice payments at nearly $39 billion; and resulted in wrongful death 40% of the time.

Radiology Should Lead Healthcare Delivery Reform Efforts According to a Hospital CEO

In a recent article in this month’s Journal of American College of Radiology, Michael Franklin, CEO of the Atlantic General Hospital/Health System of Berlin, MD, contends that imaging is well positioned to help health systems transform under reform due to the number of patients it touches and the specialty’s advanced telemedicine-enabled technologies that are already capturing actionable patient data.

8 Ways to Maintain a Good Relationship with Hospitals and Referring Physicians

While communication tops the list, being an advocate for quality is a close second and rightfully so. Radiology, perhaps more than any other service line at hospitals and systems today, is integral to the overall cost and quality of patient care because it touches nearly every major disease category and patient of the hospital.

The Importance of Performance Standards

There is a great editorial in today’s ModernHealthcare.com calling for Medicare to move to a performance-based standard that penalizes or rewards hospitals for their overall readmission rate rather than taking a silo approach to penalizing hospitals for specific rates of excess readmissions. This would put the onus on hospitals and systems to establish accountability of care and encourage collaboration with local physicians and the local community.

Radisphere at IHI: Helping Define Quality in Healthcare

In early December, Radisphere was pleased to be the only national radiology group that attended the 24th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare, held by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Orlando, FL.

A Long Way from the “Bone and Barium” of the 1970s: Rapid Change in Radiology from All Sides Requires a New Standard

"I’ve been practicing radiology for more than 36 years. In all that time, I’ve never seen as much change as there has been in the last two years ... The field of radiology will never be the same, and I expect the next five years to bring change that is even more significant."

Hospital Client Recognized for Dedication to Patient Safety and Quality Care

Radisphere congratulates NCH Health System, a Radisphere client in Naples, Florida, for recognition from U.S. News & World Report and other leading healthcare publications.
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Commentary on The Supreme Court's Decision on the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Last week’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the individual mandate and the ACA represents continued movement toward transforming our health care system and spurring innovation. In addition to an increase in volumes through changes in coverage and utilization...
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