Medicare Value Based Purchasing Program Research Paper

Medicare Value Based Purchasing Program - Research Paper Example The implementation of separate value based purchasing programs for each of the different Medicare providers requires more than just trumpeting the program. The program has different payment levels and efficiency measuring strategies for hospitals, physicians and other practitioners, home health agencies, ESRD providers and facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. (Reichard 2009). The Policy: The Medicare Value based purchasing programs have been formulated in an effort to facilitate the transformation of the Medicare system from a passive payer of claims to an active purchaser of care. The operational infrastructure of RHQDAPU as established by the CMS has been used as a base for the development of Medicare Value based purchasing programs which includes the following provisions: i. As specified by the President’s FY2006 and FY2007 budgets, the value based purchasing programs are budget neutral and are formulated in accordance with the policy recommendations of Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). ii. The existing Medicare performance measurements and reporting infrastructure together with RHQDAPU components have been used as a foundation for the structure of Value Based Purchasing Programs. iii. ... In accordance with the provisions of Patient Protection and Affordable Car Act of 2010, the data collected in the initial year would be utilized in informing the concerned medical individuals about their incentive payments. v. The implementation and coordination of VBP program would be undertaken by CMS, which will also monitor the effectiveness of the program through consensus processes such as Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), National Quality Forum (NQF), and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). vi. The reporting requirements specified in Division B, Title 1, Section 109 of Tax Relief and Healthcare Act will be utilized by VBP programs for the measurement of performance and the calculation of incentive payments. vii. The VBP programs will undertake the responsibility of eliminating existing disparities in the health care system. The enforcement of the Value based purchasing programs would not be undertaken without the consent of the concerned m edical personnel. viii. A withholding up to 2% of total payments pertaining to specific Medicare providers would be utilized in the evaluation of the incentive pool. All funds collected under the value based purchasing programs will be offered as incentive payments to the eligible participants will not be changed over time. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2007). Models of VPB Programs: The value based purchasing programs are composed of three models which are listed as follows: Model 1: Single Large Purchaser: This involves a large active Medicare supplier which is working collaboratively with other suppliers. If reward incentives are targeted at these individuals then inevitably the overall performance of the health care system as a whole will

The Logic behind creating Software Prototypes from a usability point Research Paper

The Logic behind creating Software Prototypes from a usability point of view, and how they support Human centered Design - Research Paper Example Automobile manufacturers, architects, and sculptors develop models: circuit developers make â€Å"bread-boards†, aircraft designers test prototypes; artists usually experiment with working sketches. B. Identify key terms (software development cycle, prototyping, piloting, usability, human centered design, etc.) Software development life cycle (abbreviated as SDLC); prototyping; usability; piloting; and human centered design are the key terms that will be used and mentioned a lot in this paper (Source 1). Of course there are other terms that will be used but they are not as important as the abovementioned. C. Discuss types of prototyping used There are 4 types of prototyping, but only 2 are predominant and commonly used. They include the following: a) Throwaway Prototyping Also known as rapid or close-ended prototyping and refers to the development of a model that will be finally be discarded rather than forming a part of the eventual delivered software. After accomplishing pre liminary requirements collection, a simple functioning model of the system is built to visually demonstrate to users what their requirements may be when they are implemented into a complete system. Throwaway prototyping involves the creation of working models of different parts of a system at an extremely early stage, after a seemingly short investigation. The method employed in constructing it is normally quite informal, the most critical factor being the pace at which the model is released (Source 2). The model then becomes the foundation from which users can re-evaluate their expectations and clarify their needs. When this has been realized, the prototype model is discarded (disposed of; thrown away) and the system is officially developed based on the highlighted requirements. The most common reason for using this type of prototyping is that it can be executed quickly. If users can receive prompt feedback on their needs, they can be able to refine them in the early stages of soft ware development (SDLC). Making alterations early in the SDLC is very cost-effective because there is nothing to redo at that point. If a project is altered after much work has been done then small alterations may require significant efforts to implement since software systems come with numerous dependencies. Speed is important in implementing throwaway prototypes, since with a small budget of money and time little can be spent on a prototype that will be abandoned (Source 3). Another positive of rapid prototyping is its ability to build interfaces that users are able to test. User interfaces are often seen by users as the system, and because they see it in front of them, it is much easier to understand how the system will function. It is asserted that revolutionary throwaway prototyping is a more effective way in which to manage user requirements-related issues, and hence a greater improvement to software productivity in general. Requirements can be identified, piloted, and tested far much faster and cheaply when issues concerning software structure, maintainability, and evolvability are overlooked (Source 1). This, in turn, aids in the accurate identification of requirements, and the subsequent development of a valid and functional system from the perspective of the user via normal software developm