Current quality-of-care measures can misclassify a patients level of blood pressure (BP) control, and might instead provide only a snapshot of BP control. Changing the number of BP measurements used for decision-making for hypertension can improve individualized care and prevent these misclassifications, according to a study published June 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors said that organizations like the Joint Commission should focus on setting BP standards and guidelines.

In an ideal healthcare setting, all clinical decisions would be supported by well-designed, randomized trials, which provide an unequivocal pathway for every patient. However, how should physicians act when these data are not available?

Cardiology practices now have opportunities to input their EHR data into clinical registries as U.S. healthcare moves toward a more accountable, quality-based model. The American College of Cardiologys (ACC) PINNACLE Registry could serve as a possible foundation for providers to gain a better understanding of their operations and ultimately help their bottom line.

Several advisory technology service firms garnered high marks among respondents surveyed in a new KLAS report, but where they differed could be the deciding factor for hospitals seeking to contract with an IT firm.

More than 98,000 deaths annually are attributed to medical errors and some say medical staff fatigue and nighttime hours may affect outcomes. However, as far as thoracic organ transplants go, a new study has found that operative time of day had no significant impact on one-year survival, according to results published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The costs associated with congenital heart diseases soak up $6 billion per year. And while data surrounding the costs of these congenital conditions are sparse, a new study has shown that resource utilization for congenital heart surgeries differs among hospitals despite patient and center characteristics and length of stay. The study was published in the May issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an en banc re-hearing to McKesson Technologies v. Epic Systems to further address whether joint parties can act in concert to infringe upon multi-step patented methods. The case involves McKesson's Electronic Provider-Patient Interface technology and Epics MyChart software, both of which allow for electronic communication between patients and providers.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin May 26 signed into law a bill that will begin a plan for a single-payor universal healthcare system in the state, the first of its kind in the U.S.