Content tagged with 'Medical/Hospital Practice'
My Weekend as an Emergency Patient and What I Learned
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | May 13, 2013 | Anne Polta
If you want to see what health care is really like, there’s no better way than by becoming a patient yourself. To paraphrase the wisdom of Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the things you’ll learn!”
How Easily We Can Misinterpret the Benefits of Patient-Centered Innovation!
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | May 8, 2013 | Jessie Gruman
Here's the bad news: We will not benefit from the health care services, drugs, tests and procedures available to us unless we pay attention, learn about our choices, interact with our clinicians and follow through on the plans we make together.
Targeting Prescribers Can Reduce Excessive Use of Antibiotics in Hospitals
HBNS STORY | April 30, 2013
Giving prescribers access to education and advice or imposing restrictions on use can curb overuse or inappropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals, according to a new Cochrane systematic review.
Teaching Patients about New Medications? A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words
HBNS STORY | April 30, 2013
Improving people’s knowledge and skills about their medications may be best achieved with multimedia patient education materials, finds a new systematic review in The Cochrane Library.
Whose Patient Engagement Goals Are We Talking About?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 17, 2013 | Jessie Gruman
What we look for when we participate actively in our health care differs from what our clinicians, employers and health plans believe will result when we shift from being passive to active participants. We don't have the same goals in mind. Does this matter?
Getting My Photo Taken at a Medical Appointment
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 15, 2013 | Elaine Schattner
A funny thing happened at my doctor’s appointment on Friday. I checked in, then a med-tech asked if she could take my picture, “for the hospital record.” I couldn’t contain my wondering self. “What is the purpose of the picture?” I asked.
Alcohol and Mental Health Problems a Costly Combo for ICU Patients
HBNS STORY | April 16, 2013
People admitted to a hospital ICU with alcohol withdrawal were more likely to be readmitted or die within a year if they had a co-existing mental health condition, finds a new study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
The Truth about Those High Patient Satisfaction Scores for Doctor-Patient Communication
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 11, 2013 | Stephen Wilkins
The problem with satisfaction data related to doctor-patient communication is that, at face value, it simply doesn’t correlate with other published data on the subject. There is a disconnect between what patients say in satisfaction surveys and what happens in actual practice. Here’s what I mean…
Whatever Happened to Underuse of Medical Services?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 2, 2013 | Trudy Lieberman
Twelve years ago, in its landmark study Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that “the health care industry is plagued with overutilization of services, underutilization of services, and errors in health care practice.” In simple English, the IOM reported that health care was riddled with overuse, underuse and misuse of medical services.
Reduce Use of Antipsychotic Drugs in Elderly with Dementia
HBNS STORY | March 28, 2013
Most older adults with dementia can successfully be taken off antipsychotic medications, which have negative side effects and increase the risk of death, finds a new evidence review from The Cochrane Library.
Six Awkward Concerns in My OpenNotes
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 25, 2013 | Leslie Kernisan
I find myself relieved that I don’t have to figure out how to document (or not document?) concerns [in patient records]...Wondering what they are? Ok, I will tell you, but shhh...don’t tell my elderly patients that I may be considering these topics as I care for them.
What Do We Need Doctors For?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 21, 2013 | Elaine Schattner
Should nurse practitioners, RNs, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers and others including, yes, peer patients, take up much — or even most, of doctors’ tasks?
Primary Care Physicians Missing Early Signs of Serious Mental Illness
HBNS STORY | March 21, 2013
Primary care providers could help people with warning signs of psychosis get critical early treatment and potentially reduce the current burden on emergency departments and inpatient units, finds a study in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
A Disconnect: What Hospitals Want You to Know vs. What You Should Know
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 19, 2013 | Trudy Lieberman
The Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) is making hospital inspection reports from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services available at AHCJ’s new website www.Hospitalinspections.org. The site is not perfect, and there’s a lot of missing information, but still it provides some information about hospitals that has been lacking and offers a basis for asking questions.
Patient-Centered Care: It’s All in the Details
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 12, 2013 | Trudy Lieberman
Having had one eye surgery a few months ago, I knew what to look for. But my patient experience was much different this time and made me aware of how many places in the chain of care where mistakes can occur.
Latest Health Behavior News
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 7, 2013 | Health Behavior News Service
Recent health behavior research news stories: Friendships Are Good for Our Health | Obesity Lowers Quality of Life in Boys | Health Centers Have High Satisfaction Rates | Diabetes + Depression Increases Risk of Death
The Team Will See You Now...What Team?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 27, 2013 | Jessie Gruman
Have you heard that soon most primary care in the US will be delivered by teams? Yep. Team-based care is one of the characteristics of the patient-centered medical home, a way of organizing the care of patients that allows primary care clinicians to see more patients in a day while at the same time delivering better care.
Pharmacists Can Improve Patient Outcomes
HBNS STORY | February 28, 2013
In addition to dispensing, packaging or compounding medication, pharmacists can help improve patient outcomes in middle-income countries by offering targeted education, according to a new review in The Cochrane Library.
Despite Challenges, Health Centers Have High Satisfaction Rates
HBNS STORY | February 14, 2013
Low-income Americans are more likely to be satisfied with the care they receive at federally qualified health centers (FQHC) than at mainstream health care providers, reveals a new study in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.
Medical Errors: Can Patients and Caregivers Spur Improvement?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 5, 2013 | Conversation Continues
A new report from Minnesota on medical errors shines a light on the fact that their frequency remains stubbornly high. Can patients and caregivers make a difference?
Measuring Meaning: Tough to Track Important Talks
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 30, 2013 | Jessie Gruman
We do better when we have meaningful conversations with our clinicians about our health care. Proposals to require and document that such conversations take place at strategic points are growing. Here’s a cautionary tale.
Hospital Report Cards: Grading Facilities Near You
PREPARED PATIENT ARTICLE
Consumers are awash in information they can use to find the best deals on everything from dishwashers to car insurance. But is it possible to comparison shop for a hospital?
Hospitals: Are We All Talking?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 22, 2013 | Elaine Waples
Complications from my cancer sent me to the hospital again recently. The news that I was in trouble came unexpectedly from my oncologist’s office on Thanksgiving eve, following a routine blood test. “Your liver numbers are out of whack.” My response was “Really?” as if I’d been notified that my driver’s license had expired.
How to Choose a Hospital
PREPARED PATIENT RESOURCE | Find Good Health Care
It's important to remember that not all hospitals are created equal--they vary in quality and have different strengths and weaknesses. So if you have an option of where to go for care, how do you make the best choice?
Patients with ICU Delirium More Likely to Die
HBNS STORY | December 6, 2012
Delirium, a condition developed by many patients in hospital intensive care units (ICU), is associated with higher mortality rates, more complications, longer stays in the ICU, and longer hospitalizations, finds a new meta-analysis in General Hospital Psychiatry.
When I Rated My Doctor
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 29, 2012 | Trudy Lieberman
Recently, I spent some time answering the questions on one of those CAHPS surveys for doctors. CAHPS stands for Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, and these days hospitals ask patients to use them to review not only their hospital experience but their experience with their doctors as well.
From Doctor-Centered to Patient-Centered Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 29, 2012 | Leana Wen
As a medical student, I held the medical world in great awe. All that changed the day my mother became a patient and I began to see firsthand not only how difficult it is to navigate the healthcare system, but also how scary and unwelcoming the hospital can be.
A Year of Living Sickishly: A Patient Reflects
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 13, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
The essays collected here reflect on what it felt like as a patient with a serious illness, to cobble together a plan with my clinicians that works and to slog through the treatments in the hope that my cancer will be contained or cured and that I will be able to resume the interesting life I love.
Keeping Mom and Baby Together After Delivery Beneficial
HBNS STORY | September 13, 2012
“Rooming in,” keeping mother and her newborn in the same room 24/7 to encourage breastfeeding, does support the practice, at least in the short term, finds a new review in The Cochrane Library.
More Nurses for Hospital Patients: Impact on Quality Questionable
HBNS STORY | September 12, 2012
Passage of a bill in 1999 requiring minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in California hospitals increased the number of nurses but resulted in mixed quality of care, according to a new study in the journal Health Services Research.
Are Patient Ratings a Good Guide to a Good Hospital?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 11, 2012 | Trudy Lieberman
After writing about trying to choose the best hospital for my upcoming cataract surgery, I wondered if a few quality measures might offer a clue or two about how to better honcho some of my care, like the one that asks hospital patients if a nurse explained medications given to them. Since many ratings schemes rely on patient satisfaction data collected by the government, I decided to explore further.
Rising Cost of Inpatient Care Linked to Medical Devices and Supplies
HBNS STORY | August 29, 2012
Inpatient hospital treatment accounts for the largest proportion of health care spending in the U.S., with the use of diagnostic imaging services such as MRIs, frequently implicated as the probable cause. A new analysis in Health Services Research finds that the biggest expense may not be imaging technology but from supplies including medical devices, such as stents and artificial joints.
Can You Really Choose the Best Hospital?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 28, 2012 | Trudy Lieberman
After learning recently that I may need cataract surgery, it was time for me to check out the hospitals where that procedure might take place.
New Thinking and New Rules for Patient-Centeredness
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 21, 2012 | Michael Millenson
Fundamentally rethinking and refocusing on patient-centeredness is central to building a health care system that improves quality and controls cost. But patient-centeredness must permeate an organization from the 'exam room to the board room'.
Home Alone? Discharge Planning Starts at Hospital Admission
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 1, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
“...If you need a wheel chair to take you to the door, I’ll call for one. If not, you can go home. Take care of yourself. You are going to do great!”
Now I am a sucker for encouraging words, but right then, I panicked...It was 8:45 in the morning. My husband hadn’t yet arrived. I was free to walk out the [hospital] door.
Doctors Who Share Patients May Provide Lower Cost Care
HBNS STORY | July 31, 2012
Patients with diabetes or congestive heart failure who receive care from doctors with high levels of patient overlap have lower total health care costs and lower rates of hospitalization, according to a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Safety Net Health Centers Fill In Urban Gaps
HBNS STORY | July 19, 2012
Urban areas that are segregated by race, ethnicity or income have more Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which provide primary care services for disadvantaged populations, despite an adequate supply of private sector physicians, reveals new findings published in Health Services Research.
Predominately Black-Serving Hospitals Provide Poorer Care
HBNS STORY | July 19, 2012
Hospitals that mostly serve Black patients have worse mortality outcomes for both Black and White patients with three common conditions: heart attack, congestive heart failure or pneumonia. The new study in Health Services Research suggests that there is an urgent need to improve care at predominately black-serving institutions.
The Art of the Fail, Open Table Surveys, and Increasing Our Engagement in Health Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 18, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
In the past two days I have filled out two post-dining surveys from Open Table, and it occurred to me that it would be great if there were something similar that could provide the immediate guidance we need to participate in our care.
Slow Leaks: Missed Opportunities to Encourage Our Engagement in Our Health Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 12, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
The gap between the demands placed on us by U.S. health care delivery and the ability of individuals ' even the most informed and engaged among us ' to meet those demands undermines the quality of our care, escalates its cost and diminishes its positive impact on our health.
Coordinating Cancer Care Remains a Challenge
HBNS STORY | July 11, 2012
People with cancer often receive fragmented and uncoordinated care, as their treatments often require help from multiple clinicians. However, a new review by The Cochrane Library finds no evidence that three main strategies designed to improve coordination of cancer care are effective.
Supporting Front-Line Hospital Staff Leads to Safer and Happier Patients
HBNS STORY | June 21, 2012
Hospitals that use supportive management practices across diverse care providers and frontline staff are more likely to deliver quality patient care, according to a new study in Health Services Research.
The Insidious Power of (d-i-s)-R-E-S-P-E-C-T
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 6, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
It's difficult to imagine that professionals working in a practice or department or unit where they are constrained by their own colleagues misbehavior are going to have the energy to invite us to learn about and share in decisions about our treatment...
Guest Blog: Dangers of Uncoordinated Care: A Son Reflects on His Father's Passing
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 1, 2012 | Neil Versel
Neil Versel shares his personal experience of his dad's passing and the lack of quality of care that he received at one hospital contrasted with well-managed care at another facility. He wants to educate as many people about the disease his father had (multiple system atrophy), the dangers of uncoordinated care and poorly designed workflows.
Operating Theater: Magnificent New Hospitals Do Not Equal Quality Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | May 23, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
The pianist was playing Chopin in the beautiful but deserted four-story lobby of the new hospital where my father was being cared for. The contrast between that lovely lobby and the minimal attention my dad received over the weekend, combined with a report about the architectural 'whimsy" of a new hospital at Johns Hopkins make me cranky.
Hospitals, Practice Administrators and Clinicians: You Gotta Learn to Love Patient Ratings
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 25, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
You are increasingly being held accountable for the outcomes of the health care you deliver. Pay for performance; shared savings in ACOs; public report cards'the list of strategies to monitor and measure the effects of your efforts is lengthening. Many of you seem dismayed by the increased weight accorded to the patient experience of care ratings embedded in most of these programs.
Dear Dr. ___[my surgeon],
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 28, 2012 | Andrew Robinson
I understand you are leaving [this hospital]'..By way of wishing you well, here are some thoughts that might help you in your new position
Hospitals Vary Widely in ICU Admissions
HBNS STORY | March 28, 2012
Hospitals vary widely in their admissions to intensive care units, which some experts believe are overused, costly and potentially dangerous. A new study in Health Services Research finds that the actions of hospitals - not the kinds of patients they attract - appear to be responsible for part of the difference in ICU use.
Guest Blog: What Can the Health Care System Learn from a Car Dealer?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 27, 2012 | Neil Mehta
I personally dread the car buying experience for many reasons but one thing that bothers me is the discontinuity. You often see the sales person several times and to some extent the character of your relationship with him/her impacts the decision to purchase the vehicle.
Simple, Common BMI Data Stored in e-Records can Identify Patients with Heart Disease Risk
HBNS STORY | March 13, 2012
New research released online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that body mass index (BMI) data, commonly available in electronic medical records, can accurately identify adults between 30 and 74 years-old at risk for cardiovascular (heart) disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.
Guest Blog: The Disconnect Between Hospital Marketing and What Patients Need
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 6, 2012 | Andrew Schorr
A hospital's claims of highly rated care or state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar equipment may be only part of the equation for where you seek care.
Popular Fetal Monitoring Method Leads To More C-Sections
HBNS STORY | February 15, 2012
A new research review suggests that the use of one popular method of fetal monitoring does not improve maternal and fetal outcomes and makes women more likely to have cesarean sections.
The Persistence of Medical Error
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 17, 2012 | Conversation Continues
The hospital can be a frightening place without having to worry about common medical errors that can complicate your treatment and recovery. Why do so many hospitals still struggle to prevent medical errors, how do they happen, and what's the solution?
Recommended Services Not Always Given During Patients’ Annual Exams
HBNS STORY | January 17, 2012
New research finds that patients may not always receive all of the screening tests and counseling services that are due during their medical checkups, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Workplace Support for Front-Line Health Workers Creates Higher Job Satisfaction
HBNS STORY | January 12, 2012
Frontline health workers—including nursing assistants, paramedics and pharmacy technicians—who received a combination of benefits and support from their employers had greater job satisfaction and provided a higher perceived quality of care, finds a new study in Health Services Research.
Prepared Patient: In Case of Emergency: Who's Who in the ER
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 22, 2011 | Health Behavior News Service
While commuting to work in September 2009, Ashley Finley stopped her bike short to avoid a pedestrian ' and flew over the handlebars, hitting her head on the pavement. Her chin gushing blood and with concerns about head injury, Ashley and her partner, Goldie Pyka*, immediately headed to an ER. Though their wait time in the Washington, D.C., emergency room was minimal, Pyka says she felt surprised by the number of people who participated in Ashley's care. 'I was expecting to see one person, tell them what happened and have that person help. I wasn't expecting to interact with that many people and to not really be told who they were and what they were there for. I felt we were very passive in the whole experience,' Pyka says.
Breast Cancer Patients More Satisfied When Specialists Share Care Management
HBNS STORY | December 15, 2011
Patients with breast cancer report greater satisfaction when their cancer doctor co-manages care with other specialists, finds a new study in Health Services Research.
Guest Blog: Doing Things Right: Why Three Hospitals Didn't Harm My Wife
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 6, 2011 | Michael Millenson
My wife was lying in the back of an ambulance, dazed and bloody, while I sat in the front, distraught and distracted. We had been bicycling in a quiet neighborhood in southern Maine when she hit the handbrakes too hard and catapulted over the handlebars, turning our first day of vacation into a race to the nearest hospital.
Don't Miss the Chance to Engage Us in Our Care When Introducing Patient-Centered Innovations
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 30, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
I believe that it is unrealistic to expect that we will easily understand and ably engage in team care, shared decision making, care coordination and make use of patient portals of EHRs. Each of these carries the risk of being misunderstood by us in ways that further disenfranchise our efforts and good will unless it is discussed ' and recognized ' as the valuable tool it is.
What is the Scope of Primary Care?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 29, 2011 | Inside Health Care
Even when you know you should see a doctor, it can be hard to know whether to visit your primary care provider or consult a specialist. In this roundup, physician bloggers consider the range of services covered by PCPs.
Guest Blog: Hard Cold Facts, or Hard Cold Doctors?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 10, 2011 | Andrew Robinson
I was first diagnosed while on vacation in 1994. A doctor entered the room and, without warning, said that I had 'a terminal and incurable form of leukemia' and 'less than five years to live.' Just like that. Turns out he was wrong'
The Rocky Adolescence of Public Reporting on Health Care Quality: It's Not Useful Yet, and We're Not Ready
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 9, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
The American people, long protected from the price of health care by insurance, are now forced to act as consumers. This situation is a free marketer's dream.
Take a Number
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 8, 2011 | Inside Health Care
Nobody likes to wait. And patients and doctors alike are frustrated by the general waiting that seems to be an inevitable part of delivering and receiving care. Here, Art Markman, Lisa Gualtieri, and anonymous patient blogger WarmSocks share their views.
Elderly Hospital Patients with Delirium More Likely to Die Within A Year
HBNS STORY | November 8, 2011
Hospital patients over 65 who are referred for a psychiatric consultation and found to have delirium are more likely than those without delirium to die within one year following diagnosis, according to a new study published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.
Guest Blog: When Patients Demand Treatments That Won't Work
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 4, 2011 | Carolyn Thomas
When my son Ben came down with a sore throat this past summer, he went to his doctor for antibiotics. Both agreed it sure sounded like strep, so without having to wait for the throat swab test results, Ben left the office with a prescription for antibiotics. But were they the appropriate treatment? Do all bugs need drugs?
Guest Blog: A Patient's Perspective on Improving Care Transitions
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 28, 2011 | Donna Cryer
Two recent speaking engagements provided me the opportunity to think deeply about the discharge process, an area of healthcare delivery rampant with errors and missed opportunities to support sustained healing and health for patients.
Doctors Often Overrate How Well They Speak a Second Language
HBNS STORY | October 27, 2011
New research shows that physicians who say they are fluent in a second language may be overestimating their actual skills.
1st Person: The ICU: A Caregiver's Perspective
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 20, 2011 | First Person
Erica Kosal's husband, Jim Young, has battled complications of chronic Lyme disease since his diagnosis in 2008. In 2010, Jim's hospitalization for respiratory problems took a turn for the worse, resulting in a 3-week ICU stay.
Prepared Patient: Cutting Through ICU Confusion
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 20, 2011 | Health Behavior News Service
In January 2010, after beginning treatment for chronic Lyme disease, 53-year-old Jim Young lost significant weight and struggled to breathe. Within 15 hours, his wife Erica Kosal received a call about his imminent transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU). "I can remember he was hooked up to all kind of machines. He looked so deflated.'
Guest Blog: Uncoordinated Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 30, 2011 | Andrew Robinson
I sit looking at the phone. I'm having a medical problem that needs attention, but I don't know who to call. Here's why...
Patient Engagement: Expert Molly Mettler Talks about Challenges
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 26, 2011 | Molly Mettler
This interview with Molly Mettler is the third in a series of brief chats between CFAH president and founder, Jessie Gruman and experts - our CFAH William Ziff Fellows - who have devoted their careers to understanding and encouraging people's engagement in their health and health care.
Safety Net Hospital Closures Hit Poor, Uninsured Hardest
HBNS STORY | September 19, 2011
When safety net hospitals close or switch from not-for-profit to for-profit status, certain vulnerable groups suffer disproportionately, a new study finds.
Putting HIT 'Meaningful Use' Standards to Work
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 16, 2011 | Inside Health Care
Those involved in health care and HIT may have noticed the increased federal and private sector discourse around "consumers" and meaningful use. This week's Inside Health Care collects some recent posts that discuss various new tools, programs, and enhancements aimed at providers, patients, caregivers, and members of the public.
Defining 'Quality Health Care'
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 6, 2011 | Inside Health Care
How do you calibrate care so that it is neither too much nor too little? In this collection of recent posts, health care professionals search for that 'just right' level of care.
For Some Surgeries, More Is Better When Choosing Hospitals
HBNS STORY | September 1, 2011
Hospitals with higher surgical volumes for certain procedures are less likely to cause unintentional serious injuries to hospitalized patients when compared to those hospitals that perform the procedures less often.
Inside Health Care: Barriers to Care: ''a Failure to Communicate'
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 24, 2011 | CFAH Staff
A new study shows that 21% of adult Americans delay seeking health care for reasons other than cost. In this collection, a doctor, a journalist, and a health care manager discuss the need for improved systems and candor to support better doctor-patient communication.
'Ask Me if I Washed My Hands and Drank Gatorade in the Last Hour'
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 23, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
Do you suffer from decision fatigue when you are sick or anxious or overwhelmed by bad health news? Does your doctor make less well-reasoned decisions about the 10th patient she sees before lunch? How about the surgeon during his second operation of the day? How about the radiologist reading the last mammogram in a daily batch of 60? A provocative article by John Tierney in Sunday's NYTimes Magazine adds a new layer of complexity to the body of knowledge collecting around decision-making processes.
Patient Navigators Might Reduce Disparities in Cancer Care
HBNS STORY | August 16, 2011
Past research shows that minorities suffer higher rates of advanced cancer and deaths from all types of cancer compared to whites. The role of “patient navigator” is emerging as a tool to address these disparities.
Rhetoric Ahead of Reality: Doctor Ratings Not Useful Yet
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 10, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
Given the current lack of useful objective information, we should be wary of imprecations for us to thoroughly check out any doctor before we consult him. For many of us, the idea that we can pre-judge the competence of a physician is presumptuous.
Caffeine Can Ease a Spinal Tap Headache
HBNS STORY | August 9, 2011
People who suffer headaches after a spinal tap might have a relatively simple way to ease the painful throb: a caffeine tablet.
Guest Blog: NIH to Drop Requirement for Websites Disclosing Researchers' Ties to Industry
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 5, 2011 | Elaine Schattner
Word comes from Nature News that the NIH is dropping a proposed requirement for universities to disclose researchers' financial ties to industry on websites. This is a loss for patients, who may not be aware of their doctors' relationships with pharmaceutical companies and others who fund clinical trials, fellowships, conference junkets and other perks for physicians.
After an Emergency, Comprehensive Care Is Best for Older Patients
HBNS STORY | July 21, 2011
Older people rushed to the emergency room are more likely to be living at home up to a year later if they receive a comprehensive and age-appropriate evaluation during their hospital stay.
Drug Speeds Up Slow Labor but Doesn’t Prevent C-Sections
HBNS STORY | July 14, 2011
A new review says that oxytocin, a medication often used to quicken slow-paced labor in its early stages, doesn’t decrease a woman’s risk of having a complicated birth involving forceps or a cesarean section.
Treatment for Minority Stroke Patients Improves at Top-ranked Hospitals
HBNS STORY | June 21, 2011
A new study suggests there has been some improvement in reducing the gap in stroke hospitalization between white and minority patients.
Check-In-The-Box Medicine: Can the Blunt Instrument of Policy Shape Our Communication with Clinicians?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 15, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
I sat in a dingy pharmacy near the Seattle airport over the holidays, waiting for an emergency prescription. For over two hours I watched a slow-moving line of people sign a book, pay and receive their prescription(s). The cashier told each customer picking up more than one prescription or a child's prescription to wait on the side.
Guest Blog: Confused about Post-Operative Confusion
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 9, 2011 | Nora OBrien Suric
Several months ago my 80-year-old father had triple bypass surgery. As any family member would be, my father's wife, my siblings, and I were both worried and hopeful. We were told that the surgeon was the best and my father was in good hands. Afterwards, we were told that the surgery went well. However, one of the night nurses in the coronary care unit reported that my father took a swing at one of the doctors.
Most Primary Care Physicians Don’t Address Patients’ Weight
HBNS STORY | June 7, 2011
Fewer than half of primary care physicians talk to their patients about diet, exercise and weight management consistently, while pediatricians are somewhat more likely to do so, according to two new studies.
Antiretroviral Drugs Dramatically Reduce Risk of Passing HIV to Healthy Partners
HBNS STORY | May 10, 2011
When one partner in a couple is infected with HIV and the other isn’t, treatment with antiretroviral drugs can dramatically lower the chances of the infected partner passing along the disease to his or her mate, a new evidence review finds.
Doctor’s Office Is Usually First Stop in Medication Mishaps
HBNS STORY | May 6, 2011
Medication mishaps are a widely recognized problem in health care and a new study finds that ambulatory care settings, not ERs, deal with them most.
When Doctors Own or Lease MRI, Back Scans and Surgery More Likely
HBNS STORY | April 26, 2011
When doctors can self-refer for MRI, patients are more apt to receive scans – and even surgery – for low back pain.
RN Staffing Affects Patient Success After Discharge
HBNS STORY | April 26, 2011
When nurse staffing levels are higher on hospital units, patients tend do to better after discharge, as long as overtime isn’t involved.
Inside Health Care: Is Your Doctor a Social Butterfly?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 19, 2011 | CFAH Staff
There appears to be no area that social media cannot soak through to: farming, politics, dating, death and even taxes. It comes as no surprise then that social media has diffused into the world of health care. Clinicians, researchers, patients and hospital CEOs are blogging, tweeting and sending Facebook messages. This post reveals some of the recent dialogue on the web surrounding social media and its use by health care professionals.
Guest Blog: Quality or Value? A Measure for the 21st Century
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 24, 2011 | Marya Zilberberg
Fascinating, how in the same week two giants of evidence-based medicine have given such divergent views on the future of quality improvement. Donald Berwick, the CMS administrator and founder and former head of the Institute for Health Care Improvement, emphasizes the need for quality as the strategy for success in our healthcare system. But one of the fathers of EBM, Muir Gray, states that quality is so 20th century, and we need instead to shine the light on value. So, who is right?
Health Reform Predicted to Increase Need for Primary Care Providers
HBNS STORY | March 24, 2011
Expansion of health care coverage mandated by health reform will push demand for primary care providers sharply upward, and thousands of new physicians are needed to accommodate the increase, a new study finds.
Inside Health Care: Evidence Patient Safety Improves With a Checklist
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 8, 2011 | CFAH Staff
Checklists are not just for rocket launches. Family doctor, Dr. Davis Liu, Rep. Giffords' trauma surgeon, Dr. Randall Friese, former hospital CEO, Dr. Paul Levy, and a fifth year medical student, Ishani Ganguli, post on the importance of using checklists to promote patient safety. A new British Medical Journal study agrees.
Mechanical Versus Manual CPR—Too Close to Call
HBNS STORY | January 18, 2011
Makers say that mechanical devices perform CPR more effectively than human efforts alone. However, a new review comparing mechanical to manual chest compressions has failed to demonstrate that one is superior to the other.
Dialysis Center Choice Makes Difference in Death Risk
HBNS STORY | December 9, 2010
A large study found that patients in certain large chain facilities are significantly more likely to die than those treated elsewhere. Mortality was also higher in for-profit than non-profit dialysis centers.
After Visit Summary - Little Things Mean a Lot
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 19, 2010 | Jim Sabin
When I was in high school, the singer Kitty Kallen had a #1 hit - "Little Things Mean a Lot." The ballad is decidedly uncool by current standards, but as a teen-ager I liked its romantic dreaminess. The song popped into my mind as I was musing about the after visit summary I was given at the end of an appointment with my primary care physician yesterday.
Inside Health Care: Physicians Put on a Gown and the Power of Touch
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 12, 2010 | Inside Health Care
A collection of professional voices from around the web including Dr. Herbert Mathewson in The Health Care Blog, Dr. Kevin Pho of KevinMD.com, and Dr. Rob Lamberts on his blog, Musings of a Distractible Mind. These highlight the patient experience from a professional perspective and the power of touch.
Doctors and Their Speaking Fees
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 11, 2010 | Trudy Lieberman
Would you keep using a doctor who collected $300,000 or even $300 in speaking fees from drug companies for saying a good word about their products? That's the question the non-profit, investigative journalism outfit ProPublica is inviting thousands of patients to ponder.
Instruments Can Assist Birth, But With Risks to Mother, Child
HBNS STORY | November 9, 2010
Forceps might be a better instrument than a vacuum cup for assisting a successful birth, but new mothers might experience more trauma and complications after a forceps delivery, according to a new review of studies.
Nursing Homes Can Reap Financial Gain From Good Report Cards
HBNS STORY | October 29, 2010
Nursing homes that improve their quality of care – and thereby score high on public report cards – might see financial gains.
How Useful Is the Government's Hospital Compare Web Site?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 22, 2010 | Trudy Lieberman
Well, what do you know? Another study surfaced this week raising more questions about the usefulness of the information on the federal government's Hospital Compare web site, just at a time when most of us are thinking about choosing new health plans for next year. For some time now, the standard advice has been to look at all available data for the doctors and hospitals in the plans you are considering. That has meant heading to the Medicare Web site and its Hospital Compare data set.
Alternative Birthing Rooms Safe for Mom, Baby
HBNS STORY | September 7, 2010
Patient-Centered Care Should Minimize Post-Surgical Surprises
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 17, 2010 | Jessie Gruman
Rick Hamlin, in an op-ed essay last week, recounted how his surgeon assured him that he would be able to go on a family vacation to Spain three weeks after his open-heart surgery. In the New York Times piece, Rick described his disappointment and despair at the unexpected six months of fatigue, pain and depression that constituted his recovery.
Making Sure Minnie Doesn't Bounceback
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 10, 2010 | James Cooper, MD
Why Ask if You Won't Help Me
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 28, 2010 | Dorothy Jeffress
In a recent iHealthBeat post, Steve Findlay talks about a provision in the new meaningful use rules for health information technology issued by DHSS. Findlay noted that nothing seems to have moved the needle on people completing advance directives. He expressed hope that this can now be rectified if hospitals embrace the optional (menu set) meaningful use objective that promotes recording the existence of an advance directive in a person's EHR. It's a start.
Schizophrenia Patients Suffer More Hospital Injuries
HBNS STORY | July 23, 2010
Patient-centered Care Can Lower Risk of Death in Heart Attack
HBNS STORY | July 22, 2010
Hospital Ratings'What Do They Really Mean?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 29, 2010 | Trudy Lieberman
Large Gap in Diabetes, Obesity Screening Among U.S. Health Clinics
HBNS STORY | June 22, 2010
Synthetic Sutures Might Be Less Painful for Stitches Following Birth
HBNS STORY | June 15, 2010
The Perils of Consenting Adults
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 1, 2010 | Jessie Gruman
Most of us like it when our health care decisions are simple and straightforward -- when the potential benefit of one option far outweighs the benefits and risks of the other. Should I smoke? No. Should I get a mammogram? Yes. However, advances in screening, preventive measures, diagnostic technologies and treatments have rendered our preference for the certainty of the simple choice obsolete.
Drug-Releasing Stents No Better at Warding Off Death After Angioplasty
HBNS STORY | May 11, 2010
In a Hospital and Concerned About Quality?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | May 3, 2010 | Carol Cronin
Your mother is in the hospital.' The nurse comes in to give her a drug.' You ask what drug it is and it's something to which she's allergic ' a fact noted on the long list of things you had to provide at admission.' The nurse apologizes profusely and gets a substitute drug for her.' The next day about the same time, a different nurse comes in to give your mother a drug.' Again, you ask and again it is the wrong drug.
Health Care Delivery Fixes Somewhat Helpful in Heart Disease
HBNS STORY | March 16, 2010
Fed When Hungry, Premature Babies Go Home Sooner
HBNS STORY | February 16, 2010
Report: Too Few Minority Doctors After Decades of Discrimination
HBNS STORY | January 27, 2010
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