Staff News Writer

Patient safety is a growing part of effective residency programs, so much so that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has built quality and safety into its requirements. But a recent study in JAMA Dermatology suggests that improvements around patient safety cultures during residency may be necessary.

Assisting physicians in adopting new models of care and payment that will enhance quality and lower costs is the aim of a recent request for information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Physicians who practice in a group can register for the 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) now through Sept. 30. Physicians who do not participate in PQRS this year will be hit with a 2 percent payment penalty in 2016. 

Saying that we physicians are accustomed to stressful circumstances is something of an understatement. We’re constantly in the midst of urgent situations with a variety of people depending on us—and for some of our patients, their very lives hang in the balance.

About 20 percent of eligible professionals—mostly physicians—have dropped out of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) meaningful use electronic health record (EHR) incentive program, according to an AMA analysis of data from the agency.

The number of U.S. adults reporting a diagnosis of diabetes more than tripled over the past two decades, according to a study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine. At the same time, the rates of all five major diabetes complications declined significantly, suggesting the importance of screening and prevention work.

A dedicated advocate for eliminating health care disparities and encouraging minority students to pursue medical careers was named Psychiatrist of the Year by the Minnesota Psychiatric Society: Dionne Hart, MD.