The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) introduced virtual site visits in 2020 as a way to facilitate trauma center verification during COVID-19. Even after the pandemic eases, virtual visits will likely continue in some form for many centers. This paid content was developed by TSN in cooperation with our sponsor, Philips…
Author: Angie Chisolm
The American College of Surgeons recently announced several major changes to the trauma center verification process. One significant development is that data from the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) will play a greater role in verification site visits. For trauma program leaders, this change presents both challenges and opportunities. This paid content was developed by…
Corrective action planning is a required part of loop closure for trauma performance improvement (PI). According to a recent survey, it is also one of the skills that PI leaders most want to improve. This article was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with our advertiser, Philips Trauma Center Consulting Services.Last month, Philips Trauma…
A trauma team must provide at least 30 minutes of critical care before the hospital can bill for a trauma activation, so failure to capture critical care charges will reduce trauma program revenue dramatically. This article was developed by Trauma System News in cooperation with our advertiser, Philips Trauma Center Consulting Services.Unfortunately, critical care billing…
The heart of trauma loop closure is corrective action. Trauma program leaders need to take concrete steps to ensure a past quality problem is less likely to affect future patients. However, action alone is not enough. To truly close the loop on an identified event, you need to demonstrate that corrective actions have been effective.…
Too many trauma programs are clinically strong but financially troubled. When this happens, hospital leaders may consider downgrading their trauma designation or even closing their trauma center. In my experience, this is usually unnecessary. The real problem is that no one in the hospital is an expert in trauma coding and billing. Often hospitals don’t…