MHA's Executive Briefing

Most hospitals implementing team-based care, AHA survey finds

Nearly 75% of American Hospital Association member hospitals are implementing multi-disciplinary care teams and another 62% are training them, according to a survey on workforce planning conducted by the AHA Workforce Center in March. Nearly half of these hospitals are implementing the teams throughout their facility.

The most common team member roles are registered nurse, physician, social worker, pharmacist, nutritionist/dietician and physical therapist. Multi-disciplinary care teams are one of the key roles that hospitals and health systems can play in effectively delivering primary care, according to a January report by the AHA Primary Care Workforce Roundtable. The AHA Workforce Center plans to issue a report this fall on the future bedside care team, based on findings from a roundtable of physicians and nurses convened last May.

Taking the Pulse of Hospital Chief Executives

Huron Healthcare recently sat down to chat with leaders from more than 30 different health care providers, representing $37.5 billion in net patient revenue, to see what was on their minds. Optimism was the general tone of the conversation, and most CEOs said they're already knee-deep in experiments that they hope will radically change their organizations.

Read more from Hospitals & Health Networks here.

5 underrated health care trends from a top CIO

The CIO of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center recommends five areas in health care IT for other hospitals to focus on, including risk management technology, analytics, joint provider-vendor development, and technology convergence. An example of the latter: combining analytics software with better natural language processing could open new opportunities to inject decision-support into care-giving routines.

Read the full article from InformationWeek here.

Trend Watch: Physician Practice Acquisitions, 2012-2013

Are hospitals actively acquiring physician practices, and if so, which specialties? That's the question the first in a planned annual survey by Jackson Healthcare sets out to answer. Here are the key findings.

Trends in Health Care Consumer Sentiment

HealthLeaders Media has released a new fact sheet on trends in consumer confidence. Based on data from Truven Health Analytics, it provides data on the following:

• Nearly a quarter of those under age 65 expected difficulty in paying for health insurance or services in the next 3 months, while fewer Medicare-age patients [14%] were concerned about their ability to pay. 
• Primary care physician office visits were on the upswing again in 2012 after months of decline. 
• The downward trend in elective hospital admissions continued in 2011-2012 but at a slower pace. 
• Unsurprisingly, those at the lowest income levels were most likely to defer a physician or hospital visit.

See the full HealthLeaders Media Fact File here.

[ via American Hospital Association Resource Blog ]

Trustee Magazine: Hospital Trends to Watch in 2013

As health care leaders develop strategies and budgets for 2013 and beyond, allocating limited resources will grow more difficult, as the shift to a value-based system intensifies. Top priorities this year will include cost reduction, building a physician base, developing new care models and preparing for 2014.

Read more from Trustee magazine here.

2013 AHA Environmental Scan available

American Hospital Association members can access a free webcast on the association's 2013 Environmental Scan, which identifies the critical issues and emerging trends with a high probability of impacting hospitals and health care in the foreseeable future. Topics include consumers and demographics; economy and finance; information technology and e-health; insurance and coverage; political issues; provider organizations and physicians; and quality and patient safety.

As presented by AHA President & CEO Rich Umbdenstock and Vice President of Strategic & Business Planning Gene O'Dell in the webcast, the Scan provides the foundation for the AHA's 2013-2015 strategic plan and can help members in their organization’s strategic planning process. To access the webcast, go to www.aha.org/research/2013scan.shtml.

How Social Media, Mobile Are Playing a Bigger Part in Healthcare

Google search has become part of our medical check-up these days. If you browse WebMD, Google or various online forums for answers before a doctor visit, you're not alone.

It's tempting to see if we can find an answer to our health questions in an instant when a world of information is at our fingertips, rather than leaving work or home. Flawed and inaccurate as some of that information may be, there are also many useful sites and forums with advice from actual doctors.

A study compiled by Demi & Cooper Advertising and DC Interactive Group shows that more than 90% of people ages 18-24 said they would trust health information they found on social media channels. One in two adults use their smartphone to look-up health information.

Patients are also taking to the Interwebs to talk about the care they received: 44% of people said they would share positive or negative experiences of a hospital or medical facility, and 42% said they wouldn't hesitate to post comments about a doctor, nurse or healthcare provider on social media.

Infographic: The future of health care is mobile

Did you know that the global wireless health market is expected to be worth more than $38 billion by 2016? Mobile is here to stay. Here are some other stats.

The One Massive Trend That Will Change Health Care Forever

The business of health care is changing rapidly. New legislation, the pace of medical innovation, and an older and more obese population mean the way we do things is going to have to change. 

 Business Insider spoke to Dr. Delos ("Toby") Cosgrove, the CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, which is regarded as one of the most innovative hospital systems in the United States on these massive trends.   

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/toby-cosgrove-hospital-consolidation-2012-11#ixzz2E06GnDGF