Healthgrades released its annual list of the top hospitals for outpatient and 16 specialty care areas. The rankings are based on outcomes data from about 4,500 hospitals from 2022 through 2024, adjusted for comorbidities. NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, Morristown Medical Center and NYU Langone Hospitals are among the top, as are Johns Hopkins Hospital and Mission Hospital.

ICD-10-CM includes a range of codes for specific phobias. For example, F40.210 is for arachnophobia; F40.218 for fear of black cats, vampire bats and other animals; and F40.220 for fear of thunderstorms. There also are codes for situational phobias, such as F40.240 for claustrophobia and F40.241 for acrophobia. Simple fear and a phobia are two different things, writes registered health information administrator Christine Geiger. "It is important to remember that when we are talking about phobias, these are intense, irrational fears that have the ability to affect the patient's life," Geiger writes.

Medicare Advantage plans receive quality bonuses when they achieve a four-star rating, but many that do achieve four stars do not maintain the rating and churn between four stars and lower ratings, according to a study in JAMA Health Forum. The study's authors say the current system may disproportionately reward performance volatility rather than sustained excellence.

Employers play a significant role in the US health care system, covering a large portion of worker benefits, but cost-containment strategies, such as raising employee premium contributions and deductibles, have proven ineffective, says Allison Oakes, chief research officer at Trilliant Health. Employers can use new price transparency data to benchmark costs and demand greater value for their money, Oakes says. AI that enhances efficiency by automating repetitive tasks can help bring spending down, but some tools and interventions don't generate savings and may increase costs and worsen health outcomes, Oakes says.

Combining virtual, multidisciplinary care with in-person visits was associated with improvements in symptom severity and control and reductions in health care utilization and costs for patients with gastrointestinal disorders. About 47% of patients in a virtual clinic reported moderate to severe symptoms at baseline, compared with 28% after participating in the hybrid care model, according to a study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Instead of chasing the latest AI tools, small hospitals simply need to implement new tools from their EHR and software vendors, says Dayton Children's Hospital CIO J.D. Whitlock. The benefits of any AI tool must outweigh the cost, including the cost of implementation, Whitlock says. Some AI, such as ambient documentation technology, is a must-have, and both clinician and patient education about AI as assistive or augmentative tools are critical aspects of successful implementation.

~ J.D. Whitlock, CIO at Dayton Children's Hospital

Honey Health has raised $7.8 million in seed funding to expand its AI-based back office platform for health care. The platform currently offers five AI agents to automate tasks such as data fetching and prior authorization requests.

The Trump administration has issued guidance through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asserting that only the federal government has the authority to ban credit reporting agencies from including medical debt on credit reports. California, New York and Maryland are among more than a dozen states that have enacted such measures, and other states are considering them. Millions of Americans carry substantial medical debt, and advocates warn that the guidance could undermine future state protections.

Health equity requires integrating data and interventions for social drivers of health into clinical practice, Jillian Rose-Smith, chief equity officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, said at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting. Rose-Smith reviewed recent policy shifts and how health care providers can collect and use meaningful data. A 2023 AHIMA report found that 78% of organizations are collecting SDOH data, but only 61% were integrating that data into EHRs.

Ready to level up in your health information career? Join us November 6 from 4-5 p.m. CT for A Conversation with AHIMA Fellows. This free, member-only event is designed for students and emerging professionals. Be inspired by AHIMA Fellows Dr. Sandra Brightwell, Angela Campbell, and Rose T. Dunn as they share their experiences and advice on professional development and career growth. Register now!