Background and Significance
CMS Star Rating
As part of an effort to improve the quality of care and clinical outcomes , while also lowering costs , CMS implemented the Inpatient Quality Reporting ( IQR ) program , with over 3000 acute care hospitals participating annually . To motivate quality improvement , CMS tied reimbursement to these results ( Shetty et al ., 2021 , p . 544 ). Several studies have shown strong , positive correlations between measure improvement and different interventions . For example , Shetty et al . ( 2021 ) point out that the automation that comes from using an electronic health record ( EHR ) system led to a decrease in readmissions , improved patient satisfaction , and a decrease in mortality ( p . 544 ). With several measures linked to nursing education , clinical judgment , and early recognition of patient deterioration , a system to assess and develop these should lead to better patient outcomes and a higher star rating .
HealthStream Jane ®
In their article on nursing professional development ( NPD ), Canfield ( 2021 ) shares that the focus of NPD practitioners should be “ on developing education to address identified gaps in knowledge , skill and / or practice , maintain content integrity , and analyzing measurable outcomes to demonstrate closure or narrowing of the gaps that created the need for the education .” ( p . 11 ). Implementing
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