Cost of Accreditation: Hospital Acquired Conditions

Hospital Acquired Conditions: Cost, Quality, and Empowerment
Kellyann Curnayn
University of Florida

Executive Summary The Medias focus regarding the Affordable Care Act has been on its expansion of coverage with little attention given to the provisions that seek to strengthen the delivery system by increasing transparency, encouraging efficient models of delivery and embracing innovation. The Affordable Care Act has within it provisions created the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, with the intent to focus on better care by “enabling anyone who wants to help join us on this endeavor” (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011b, p.1). Americas National Health Expenditure (NHE) continues to increases while quality outcomes decline, in 2009 there was an increase of $2.5 trillion ($8,086 per person) accounting for 17.6% of Gross Domestic Product (HHS & Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, 2011). Hospital acquired infections are a large source of the expenditure, resulting in thousands of preventable deaths and an estimated cost of 28-33 billion health care dollars. Nursing has long been a leading stakeholder in the cost of care and the journey to create quality of care for patients within the inpatient setting. A profession which continues to be held at high esteem, as the most trusted professionals in health care, lacks the influence over policy to effectively change frontline processes. Policy makers have the opportunity to make history by empowering the frontline line and providers the opportunity and challenge to improve patient care while vehemently measuring outcomes with a concurrent devolution of government health care constraints. This action would serve two fold to help create a more sustainable workforce as Florida approaches a population boom in 2030 of adults over age 65. Frontline personnel and especially nurses have historically been advocating for their point of service and who else better to identify waste and

References: Levinson W Pizzo P A 2011 Patient-Physician Communication.Levinson, W., & Pizzo, P. A. (2011). Patient-Physician Communication. JAMA, 305, 1802-1803. Levinson W Roter D L Mullooly J P Dull V T 1997 relationship with malpractice claims among primary care physicians and surgeons.Levinson, W., Roter, D. L., Mullooly, J. P., & Dull, V. T. (1997). Relationship with malpractice claims among primary care physicians and surgeons. Journal of the American Medical Association, 277(7), 553-559. doi:10.1001/jama.277.7.553 Social Security Administration 2011 Payment to hospitals for inpatient servicesSocial Security Administration (2011). Payment to hospitals for inpatient hospital services. Retrieved from http://www.ssa.gov /OP_Home/ssact/title18/1886.htm U S Department Of Health And Human Sevices 2009 HHS action plan for hospital associated infectionsU. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2009). HHS action plan to prevent healthcare associated infections. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/hai/index.html U S Department Of Health Human Services 2010 Sebelium announces new $250 million investment to strengthen primary health care workforceU. S. Department of Health & Human Services (2010). Sebelius announces new $250 million investment to strengthen primary health care workforce. Retrieved from http://hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/06/20100616a.html U S Department of Health Human Services 2011 Affordable Care Act Ammendments to Title ThreeU. S. Department of Health & Human Services (2011a). Affordable Care Act Ammendments to Title Three. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://healthcare.gov/center/authorities/title_iii_amendments.pdf U S Department of Health and Human Services 2011 Introducing the CMS center for Medicare and Medicaid innovation and innovaitons.cms.govU. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011b). Introducing the CMS center for Medicare and Medicaid innovation and innovaitons.cms.gov. Retrieved from http://www.healthcare.gov/news/blog/InnovationCenter.html U S Department of Health and Human Resources Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services 2007 Health expenditures by state of provider, 1980-2004U. S. Department of Health and Human Resources, & Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2007). Health expenditures by state of provider, 1980-2004. Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/05a_NationalHealthAccountsStateHealthAccountsProvider.asp#TopOfP U. S. Department of Health Human Services Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services 2011 National Health Expenditure Fact SheetDepartment of Health & Human Services, & Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2011). National health expenditure fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/ NationalHealthExpendData/25_NHE_Fact_Sheet.aspage Vahey D C Aiken L H Sloane D M Clarke S P Delfino V 2004 Nurse burnout and patient satisfaction.Vahey, D. C., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Clarke, S. P., & Delfino, V. (2004). Nurse burnout and patient satisfaction. Med Care, 42, II57-II66. doi:10.1097/01.mlr.0000109126.50398.5a.