The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comment on the new single application for health insurance and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) applications in preparation for the launch of a new Health Insurance Marketplace in fall 2014. Model applications and documentation for individuals and SHOP are now available for public comment via the paperwork reduction act.

Standards group Health Level Seven International (HL7) has formed the Clinical Quality Information Work Group, which will offer more education to providers. The new workgroup will offer leadership in the development of standards artifacts and educational content to all stakeholders involved in quality measurement efforts.

Care transition programs seem to be working. In communities where the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) piloted quality improvement initiatives aimed at coordinating care for recently discharged Medicare patients, there were significant declines in rates of 30-day rehospitalizations and all hospitalizations, according to research published Jan. 23 by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Washington issued a new set of state standardized guidelines for pre-operative care in the form of pre-surgical checklists that address nutritional support to prevent infections, reducing cigarette smoking, improving diabetes care and coordinating medication.

The ability to automate reports for quality measures would save providers time and provide a clear view of their progress over time, but that ability is still out of reach, according to researched published in the January issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

The National Quality Forum has endorsed 14 infectious disease quality measures and an additional pulmonary quality measure.

Boston Children’s Hospital has partnered with Life Technologies to launch Claritas Genomics, a new company formed to develop genetic and genomics-based diagnostic testing technologies.

HIMSS Analytics has recognized Florida Hospital North Pinellas, an Adventist Health System facility in Tarpon Spring, Fla., with its Stage 7 Award. The award represents attainment of the highest level on the EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM), which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and health systems.