Resident hospital transfer forms: The 5 most useful pieces of information
By
Alicia Lasek
May 12, 2021
The creators of a new automated hospital transfer form say they have identified the five must-have pieces of information needed to reduce clinical complications when nursing home residents are brought...
Feds ramp up nursing home sanctions for poor care performance
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 24, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will more aggressively enforce accountability in its Special Focus Facilities (SFF) Program, the Biden Administration said Friday.
Clinical briefs for Wednesday, March 9
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 09, 2022
AHCA requests sit-down with Biden and top officials on nursing home reform plans … CDC director says COVID-19 will ‘probably’ become seasonal … Despite FDA efforts, fewer than 20% of drugs have...
CMS to begin audits for schizophrenia coding, says citations will affect quality ratings
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 19, 2023
The agency will start auditing nursing homes this month to determine whether residents’ schizophrenia diagnoses are accurate and appropriately coded. A pattern of inaccurate coding may result in a quality...
FDA greenlights first home COVID test with traditional premarket review
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 07, 2023
The Cue COVID-19 Molecular Test is the first at-home COVID-19 test to be granted marketing authorization outside of emergency use authorities, representing a new era of consumer access to diagnostic tests,...
AMDA calls for public list of nursing home industry’s ‘underutilized’ and ‘invisible’ medical...
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 07, 2022
President Biden’s call for nursing home reform must extend to the industry’s clinical leadership as well, a top clinician advocate contends. A public directory would be a step toward transparency...
Clinical briefs for Tuesday, Oct. 18
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 18, 2022
Immigration reform means staffing opportunities for long-term care, despite roadblocks … CDC: In-hospital COVID mortality fell from 15% to 5% between delta and omicron … Low-priced OTC hearing aids...
Diagnostic stewardship may reduce unnecessary antibiotics use, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 26, 2022
Diagnostic stewardship — making sure patients receive the right tests at the right time — appears to work even better than antibiotic stewardship to halt unnecessary treatment for asymptomatic UTIs,...
Industry advocates have launched an online platform and forum open to all LTC staff who perform infection prevention and control duties.
Having a good listener in one’s life may help slow cognitive decline: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 18, 2021
Older adults who have regular interactions with active listeners are more likely to have cognitive functioning that contradicts evidence of dementia-related brain changes, a new study finds.