October 28, 2021 | Implicit and explicit, ageism abounds in health care

INDUSTRY NEWS

Patient safety a casualty of COVID-19

Hospital safety suffered in 2020, according to analysis from Press Ganey. Among the particular areas of concern: increased patient falls, central line-associated bloodstream infections and stage-two hospital-acquired pressure injuries. “These increases in patient harm … emphasize the effects of an industry under the immense pressure of battling a sustained crisis,” Tejal Gandhi, MD, chief safety and transformation officer at Press Ganey, said in a statement. “However, the industry’s zero harm goal cannot be put on hold until after the pandemic has passed.” (Fierce Healthcare)

Pew: Most Americans want health system reform

Three-quarters of Americans want major health care change and system reform, making the U.S. stand out as an outlier on this topic, according to research conducted by the Pew Research Center. Pew conducted its survey in 17 advanced economies. The U.S. and Greece had the highest level of respondents expressing the need for reform, with 76% percent of Americans and 77% percent of Greeks saying the system needed major changes or complete reform. (Becker’s Hospital Review; Pew Research Center)

Primary care access helped reduce risk of COVID infection, death

Counties with greater primary care access, more robust public health and fewer social vulnerabilities had fewer COVID-19 infections and deaths, according to a report from the Primary Care Collaborative and Robert Graham Center. “As we emerge from the current pandemic and re-imagine and rebuild primary care, we also need to look at other factors, such as investment in public health and community-based services,” PCC President and CEO Ann Greiner said in a statement. “It is beyond time for us all to reach beyond our silos and join forces to address the widening health inequities that the pandemic laid bare.” (report; Healio)

INNOVATION & TRANSFORMATION

Employers want a better way to manage medication

A new GTMRx/Zogby poll of HR professionals found that 87% of respondents believe their company would benefit from a more innovative way to manage medication therapy problems. "This survey highlights what we've always known is true—innovative program design for health plans and PBMs is critical for moving beyond formulary design and one-off adherence programs to impacting the medical side by delivering more comprehensive and integrated care, and employers are committed to embracing a new model," said Paul Grundy, MD, president of the GTMRx Institute. (Street Insider)

More MA plans to take on SDOH

More Medicare Advantage plans will offer supplemental benefits that address social determinants of health such as meals, nutrition and transportation—at $0 premium, according to analysis by Avalere Health. For 2022, meal delivery was the most common benefit, with 68% of plans offering the benefit. The second most popular was transportation services with 39%, followed by nutrition at 30% and in-home support services with 11%. (Avalere analysis; Fierce Healthcare)

CONSUMERS & PROVIDERS

Implicit and explicit, ageism abounds in health care

In her most recent “Navigating Aging” column for Kaiser Health News, Judith Graham takes on ageism in health care. She interviews seniors whose have been ignored, dismissed, denied pain medicine and not taken seriously. The problem isn’t new, she explains. A 2015 report found that nearly 20% of Americans 50 and older said they experienced discrimination in health care settings. However, the problem is attracting new attention in light of the COVID pandemic, which has killed more than half a million Americans 65 and older. (Kaiser Health News)

NEW & NOTED

Pediatric mental health emergency: The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children's Hospital Association have declared a mental health emergency for children because of the pandemic and other stressors. They are asking policy makers to act, including paying for trauma-informed care services. (AAP News)

Accountable care the norm by 2030? The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation plans to have every Medicare beneficiary and most Medicaid members in an accountable care arrangement by 2030, officials announced last week. (Healthcare Dive)

Worse than sugar? Artificially sweetened drinks may confuse the body's normal metabolic processes to cause food cravings and overeating, especially in women and people with obesity. (JAMA Network Open; NPR)

MULTI-MEDIA

The cost of simply talking to health insurers

Americans spend about 12 million hours a week calling about health insurance, according to research published in the Academy of Management Discoveries. The lead author, Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, talks about his findings on Kaiser Health News’ “An Arm and a Leg” podcast. (Kaiser Health News; Academy of Management Discoveries)

MARKETVOICES…QUOTES WORTH READING

“When I ask questions, they treat me like I’m old and stupid and they don’t answer. […] Just because I’m not walking and doing anything for myself doesn’t mean I’m not alive. I’m dying inside, but I’m still alive,”—Pat Bailey, 63, a nursing home resident, talking to Kaiser Health News about her experiences with ageism in health care.