Tuesday, December 13, 2016
In Practice 
Tips, Tools & Education for Improving Outpatient Care
Patient Engagement, Education 
Can Improve Medication Safety

New research from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) shows that providers can better detect prescribing mistakes through strong patient engagement and education; ultimately boosting medication safety.The report, which focuses on medication ordering within the electronic health record (EHR), first recommended that clinicians provide patients with after-visit summaries, including detailed medication lists. Offering after-visit summaries can add another layer to the checks providers should run to ensure they have prescribed the right medication to the correct patient.

Access the report and read how providers can support patients through better engagement and education.
Opioid News
CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
The amount of opioids prescribed in the U.S. quadrupled from 1999-2014. Unfortunately, long-term opioid use for chronic pain is associated with serious risks, including abuse, dependence, and overdose, particularly at higher doses.

The CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain provides recommendations for safer and more effective prescribing of opioids for chronic pain in patients 18 and older, in outpatient settings, outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. Click here to view the CDC Guideline. 

It's Not Too Late To Get Your Flu Vaccine 

December 4-10 marked  National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) . The week was used to remind people that it's not too late to get their flu vaccine.

Click here to read more about the flu and the basic facts that everyone should know about the illness.
CMS News
CMS is Seeking Feedback

CMS is seeking feedback for future rulemaking until December 19, 2016. Feedback can come from patients or providers. The December 19, 5 p.m. ET deadline allows the submission of comments on the Quality Payment Program, as well as a variety of other topics.

To submit feedback formally online, please visit this link.
Visit the eCQI Resource Center 

The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) are working to improve the health of our nation, through the promotion of electronic clinical quality improvement (eCQI) and by using common tools and technology. Visit the eCQI Resource Center for the most up-to-date resources to support eCQI.  
Free HQI Webinar
Controlling Cholesterol for Maintaining Cardiovascular Health
Thursday, December 15 from noon to 1 PM

Join us at noon on December 15, as guest speaker Adrian Stephens, PharmD, a pharmacy resident at Williamson Medical Center, discusses the importance of controlling cholesterol for maintaining cardiovascular health. Dr. Stephens will describe practical strategies providers can implement to address common patient barriers. 


Free Resources
Help Track the Flu in Your Area and Save Lives

Did you know if you have the flu you can affect others? Help fight the spread of influenza by tracking and reporting the flu in your area. Sign up for the challenge and remember don't get the flu, get the flu shot.

Help track the flu. Save lives.
On Demand Webinar
Leveraging Your Electronic Health Record to Implement Blood Pressure Control and Treatment

Listen as Dr. Dahlman, a physician at Green Spring Internal Medicine, describes an innovative approach to improving hypertension control. Access the recording here.
Provider Resources
Cholesterol Management Protocol

Patients with high cholesterol are at twice the risk of heart disease and stroke. Check out Million Hearts tools you can use to help patients manage cholesterol levels and lower their risk for heart disease.

Talking to Nurses More Than Doubles Quit Rate for Smokers

Oncology Nursing News reported that talking to nurses more than doubled the rate of self-reported smoking quit rates among hospital patients, according Sonia Duffy, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, a professor of nursing at The Ohio State University, who is the lead author for a recent study on a tobacco cessation program. View the article here.
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This material was prepared by Health Quality Innovators (HQI), the Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization for Maryland and Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.