HHS Extends Comment Deadline for NPRM on Protection of Human Subjects – In response to requests from stakeholders, HHS extended the comment period for its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects. (For a detailed summary of the proposed rule, please see our prior Health Headlines article here and a client alert here.) The deadline for comments has been extended by 30 days, to January 6, 2016. Stakeholders may access and contribute to the online docket here.
Draft AHRQ Report Shows 17 Percent Decline in HACs from 2010 to 2014 – The HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a draft report on December 1, 2015 showing a reduction in hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), based on interim data from 2010 through 2014. According to the draft report, interim estimates for 2014 show a sustained 17 percent decline in HACs since 2010. AHRQ estimates that the reduction in HACs prevented 87,000 hospital patient deaths and generated approximately $20 billion in healthcare cost savings. The draft report is available here.
King & Spalding Healthcare Roundtable Regarding Physician Peer Review – On December 16, 2015, King & Spalding will host a Healthcare Roundtable titled, “When Worlds Collide: Balancing the Responsibilities of the MEC and HR in Physician Peer Review.” The Roundtable will discuss the separate roles and responsibilities of the hospital’s human resources department and its medical staff, preserving the employment and independent contractor status of physicians, laws applicable to the peer review process and the rights of employees, and dealing with aging and disruptive physicians. The Roundtable will take place in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding and is also available as a webinar. More information and registration options are available here.
