GPO compliance website for suppliers launched
Axiom Account Integration Services has launched a new Web site, www.axiommatch.com, to help suppliers become GPO compliant by the sunrise date. The GPOs have mandated the adoption of the Global Location Number (GLN) by December 2010. With just months to be in compliance, suppliers to the healthcare industry need a solutions provider that will match their customer accounts to the GLN. Axiom Match Account Integration Services provides this service to all types of companies in the healthcare supply chain. Axiom Match provides the initial project to make it possible for GLN implementation, as well as regular updates to a customer’s master file. Visit www.axiommatch.com.
Premier partners with CDC to study CLABSIs
Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier Inc. partnered with the CDC (Atlanta, Ga.) to test new technologies for predicting incidents of central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and to automate the reporting of these adverse events to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The initiative will analyze the specific traits of positive blood cultures across a subset of Premier’s more than 2,300 member hospitals to develop an automated electronic surveillance tool that could be used to accurately predict the presence of CLABSIs. Research and testing of the CLASBI electronic surveillance tool is expected to take approximately two years. Upon completion, the tool will be integrated into Premier’s SafetySurveillor®.
HHS panel endorses patient safety database
The Health IT Policy Committee of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (Washington, DC) endorsed recommendations for the creation of a national database for healthcare providers to confidentially report patient data errors and unsafe conditions they encounter using electronic health records (EHRs). Reporting of safety issues would become part of Stage 2 of meaningful use requirements. Results would then be analyzed and appropriate recommendations made.
CMS introduces new Web site, operations data open to public
CMS (Baltimore, Md.) unveiled a new web site that puts Medicare claims data in an open venue for analysis and to make public how Medicare dollars are spent. Anyone can visit the site, which is what the government is hoping will happen in its goal for transparency. The data on the dashboard reflects inpatient discharges from January 2006 through December 2009 and will be updated on a monthly basis. Visit the dashboard at www.cms.gov/dashboard.
