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Author: Robert Fojut
Most trauma programs operate at a loss due to inadequate reimbursement. But according to a leading trauma systems consultant, there are several underutilized sources of payment that can help trauma centers increase collections significantly. One of the most commonly overlooked sources is also among the easiest to access — financial settlements resulting from injury lawsuits.…
Do you have a “gut feeling” about what is causing performance problems in your trauma center? Most people start the PI process with a strong suspicion about which factors are leading to a poor outcome. The problem is that reliance on intuition can prevent a trauma team from making a full and careful evaluation of…
The U.S. healthcare system transitioned to ICD-10 on October 1, when Medicare began requiring all claims to use the new code set. This is a challenge for many trauma registrars who already face a significant backlog. Experts say the transition to ICD-10 could cut registrar productivity in half for several months. What can trauma registrars…
Sinai Health System and University of Chicago Medicine announced on September 10 that they will work together to establish an adult Level I trauma center on the south side of Chicago. The new center will fill a gap in trauma care for the city’s underserved neighborhoods. The announcement follows years of community protest over disparities…
Many trauma programs have trouble maintaining a concurrent trauma registry. One reason is the difficulty of recruiting a full team of trauma registrars. Another problem, however, is inefficiency. Poor software setup and other issues force registrars to spend time on tasks that do not add value. The registry team has less time for chart abstraction,…
Trauma activation fees are attracting significant media attention. A recent report found that activation fees have risen sharply in the last 6 years and vary widely between hospitals. But according to Mike Williams, president of The Abaris Group, a trauma center consulting firm, activation fees are not just controversial, they are deeply flawed as a…
While the American College of Surgeons requires verified trauma centers to validate registry data, the Orange Book does not specify a particular data validation methodology. One suggestion is to entirely re-abstract 5% to 10% of patient records. But for busy trauma programs with limited resources, this approach can be burdensome. According to Kathy Cookman, BS,…
Many healthcare leaders look to Toyota and other world-class manufacturers for ideas on how to improve quality. But few healthcare organizations have adopted one of Toyota’s most important quality concepts — poka-yoke. This powerful design philosophy can help trauma leaders improve system performance without adding new layers of process and new penalties for poor performance.…
Trauma leaders increasingly recognize the vital role of registrars in trauma care. But unlike professionals in many fields, trauma registrars often receive limited formal training. Many new registrars still learn by exposure to the job. According to experts, this approach to registrar training creates serious problems. “Registrars who are trained by ‘just doing the job’…