Weekly Roundup: Health care news and notes

March 13, 2015 · NCQA

Every Friday NCQA gives a rundown of some of the health care news stories from the past week. Here are some of our picks for this week:

• The extra cost of extra weight for older Adults. [Kaiser Health News]
• The Infectious Diseases Society of America released a list of instances when taking antibiotics can be avoided. [Modern Healthcare]
• Early results show a 40 percent reduction in activities of daily living reduction for community-dwelling older adults. [Journal of American Geriatrics Society]
• One study suggests that behavioral therapy and caregiver intervention outweigh antipsychotic drugs for dementia patients. [NPR]
• CMS data reinforces that process measures are easier to improve on than clinical outcome measures. [Modern Healthcare]
• Men’s Health Magazine identified steps for patients to identify whether an MRI or CT scan is necessary. [Men’s Health]
• Patients overestimate benefits of treatments, screenings and tests while underestimating harm. [JAMA]
• There are signs of progress for childhood obesity with rates trending downward in some states. [Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]
• A new survey found that most doctors give in to parents’ requests to alter vaccine schedules, despite their knowledge that these decisions put children at risk. [The New York Times]
• The Association of American Medical Colleges reported that US will face a shortage of 90,000 physicians by 2025. [The Washington Post]
• Is a ‘Medical Home’ in Your Future? [U.S. News & World Report]
• Two studies report improved stroke treatment times through the usage of mobile stroke units. [HealthLeaders Media]
• The Bureau of Economic Analysis showcased the most common diseases that health care dollars go towards. [The Wall Street Journal]
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts vastly expands quality-based payment systems. [The Boston Globe]