NEWSWIRE
ability of certain telemedicine services after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends giving edicare beneficiaries more convenient ways to access healthcare, particularly in rural areas.
•Increased the wage index for low-wage index hospitals, includ- ing many rural hospitals. The wage index is an adjustment to Medicare payments for local labor costs. This should support low-wage index hospitals’ efforts to improve quality, attract more talent, and improve patient access. •Reduced the minimum required level of supervision for hospital outpatient therapeutic services furnished by all Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) from direct supervision to general supervi- sion. General supervision means that the procedure is furnished under the physician's overall direction and control, but the physician's presence is not required during the performance of the procedure. This provides more eibility to rural hospitals particularly CAHs, in providing care for their patients.
Vizient announces PPE contract for 40 million isolation gowns annually
Vizient, Inc. announced a new agreement with Encompass Group, LLC for its Novaplus Enhanced Supply Program that will increase the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), enabling access to 40 million AAMI level 3 disposable isolation gowns annually to its member hospitals. The agreement also includes disposable bouffant caps and shoe covers for healthcare workers.
As a result of this agreement, Encompass expects to begin manufacturing in the U.S. in 2021. In the interim, they will con- tinue to utilize manufacturing lines created in Mexico earlier this year in partnership with Vizient.
The Novaplus Enhanced Supply Program is part of Vizient’s larger strategy to outmaneuver uncertainty by creating a more resilient supply chain, built on transparency and trust between manufacturers and providers. The strategy includes increased visibility of raw materials and product origin, expanded domestic capacity and additional onshore inventory for member hospitals. Novaplus Enhanced Supply delivers additional inventory of essential products and medications that, if not available, could threaten a hospital’s ability to provide immediate and high- quality care.
AMA, Pew research shows barriers to combating antibiotic resistance
As antibiotic resistance poses a growing threat to public health across the globe, new research published from the American Medical Association (AMA) and The Pew Charitable Trusts high- lights the need for improved antibiotic stewardship in outpatient settings to combat antibiotic resistance.
The organizations commissioned a joint study of 1,550 primary
care physicians in the nited States that identified barriers to reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings and emphasized the need for physician and patient education to prevent the acceleration of antibiotic resistant infections. Published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases, the study revealed that while 94 percent of primary care physicians agree antibiotic resistance is a problem in the U.S., 55 percent do not find it to be an area of concern in their own practices ranking it as less important than other public health issues like obesity, diabetes, opioids, smoking, and vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, 91 percent of respondents indicated they believe stewardship programs are appropriate for office-based practices but many said patients and families should be the primary focus of stewardship efforts. Approximately half of participants felt
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that tracking appropriate antibiotic use would be difficult to do in an accurate and fair manner and that antibiotic use reporting would be a significant burden for their practice. “Antibiotic resistance is an impending public health crisis. We are seeing today, as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, what our health system looks like with no or limited treatments available to tackle an outbreak. To stem the rise of antibiotic resistant infections, we must all remain vigilant in combatting the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria and be prudent when prescribing antibiotics,” said AMA President Susan R. Bailey, M.D. “The AMA encourages physicians to prioritize antibiotic stewardship programs in their practices to ensure the appro- priate use of antibiotics and improve patient and public health outcomes.”
The AMA and Pew also conducted focus groups with pri-
mary care physicians in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Birmingham, Alabama to gauge physician perceptions about antibiotic resistance, outpatient antibiotic stewardship approaches and inappropriate prescribing to better understand the barriers to effective stewardship. A study highlighting the findings from the focus groups was published in the peer- reviewed journal BMJ Open in July. While findings suggest support for education-focused stewardship activities, respon- dents expressed skepticism around the utility of antibiotic use tracking and reporting as a stewardship strategy. The study findings provide important insights on physician percep- tions about antibiotic stewardship that should be considered by stakeholders when implementing interventions aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing habits.
The AMA has long supported efforts to prevent the spread of drug-resistant organisms in healthcare facilities and com- munities. Specifically the has adopted numerous policies and advocated for legislation over the years supporting efforts to address antibiotic resistance, including reducing barriers to antibiotic development through incentives. Because antibiotics are important in the treatment of human infections, existing AMA policy also calls for continued education on appropriate antibiotic use as well as bringing an end to the practice of using medically important antibiotics for growth promotion in animals. As part of its efforts to combat the spread of antibiotic resistant infections, the AMA Ed Hub contains a collection of educational resources for physicians focused on antibiotic use, resistance, and stewardship.
Transition to Direct Contracting model for bundled payments urged by APG and Premier Premier and America’s Physician Groups (APG) urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure accountable care and bundled payment organizations can focus on the transition to value by providing additional opportunities to enter the Direct Contracting model and mitigating the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on all payment models.
In a letter to CMS, Premier and APG asked CMS to: Allow current Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) par- ticipants to seamlessly transition to the new Direct Contracting model by offering a start date that would prevent a three-month gap in Medicare APM participation.
Ensure that the policies intended to mitigate the impact of the PHE on Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) capture clinical episodes that span the PHE and that providers have the data and time they need to make informed decisions on the options for mitigation. HPN
September 2020 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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