JAMA Study Casts Doubts on Value of QIOs
A study
(full text $12) published in JAMA asks the question, “Do quality improvement
organizations (QIOs) improve the quality of hospital care for Medicare
beneficiaries?” The data says no. The study looked at 15 quality indicators for the treatment of atrial
fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia and
stroke in 5 states and Washington DC, from 1999 to 2001. The American Health Quality Association, responsible for managing the QIO program (to the tune of $400 million annually), refutes the findings.
QIO funding is now about $400 million annually, compared with about
$200 million when it was studied. Critics also said the results of the
report are inaccurate because it reviewed only 17 months out of a
36-month work period. AHQA noted that preliminary data from a
three-year, 32-state QIO-led program to improve surgical infection
prevention efforts have shown promising results.
To get a feel for the potential impact of pork, er, government funding on HIT, read this story in the Washington Times about AHQA's response to the JAMA study.
[Hat tip: iHealthBeat.org]
Summary of Pending Senate HIT Bills
Here's a nice little summary
of pending legislation via iHealthBeat.org (registration required). If
politicians have their way, you and I will soon be funding grants worth
billions to foster adoption of HIT.
In related news, Sen. John McCain has introduced a bill to give public
safety organizations more RF spectrum. This could put the kibash on
efforts by some to get more spectrum for WMTS.
McKesson Buys Cardiac Software Vendor
McKesson has agreed
to purchase Israeli-based Medcon
for $105 million. Medcon develops and sells an image and information
management system for cardiology departments in hospitals. Medcon
reported almost $17 million sales in 2004 and will become a part of
McKesson's Provider Technologies unit.
percent of hospitals in the United States have a robust, integrated
solution for cardiology, which next to radiology is the largest
producer and consumer of images and associated patient information,”
said Pamela Pure, McKesson Provider Technologies president, in a
statement. “We see a significant opportunity to grow our position in a
$250 million market category that's expected to encompass more than
1,500 decisions over the next five years.”
There's a bolus of market data: cardiology information system
market size $250 million, current penetration at less than 15%, with
just under a third of the market adopting over the next 5 years. I
guess they thought Agfa was
on to something.
