Many Hospital ERs Lagging in ‘Pediatric Readiness’
According to a new study, critically ill children brought to hospital EDs that aren’t prepared to care for pediatric emergencies face more than three times the odds of dying compared to children brought to hospitals well-equipped to care for them.
Arming PCPs to Screen and Intervene on Behavioral Health
At a time when the prevalence of drug overdoses is contributing to a reduction in life expectancy, when alcohol accounts for one in every 10 adult deaths in the United States, and when depression and suicide rates continue to rise at an unprecedented rate, there is renewed impetus to treat substance use and mental health issues like other health conditions.
When Is a Doctor Too Old for the Job?
According to a 2017 study published in JAMA Surgery, the number of practicing physicians older than 65 in the United States has increased by more than 374% since 1975. In addition, in 2015, 23% of practicing physicians were 65 or older.
Machine Learning, Wearable Devices Give Shot in the Arm to Flu Forecasting
Evidation, which uses data to better understand the connection between everyday behaviors and health, hopes its work will accelerate the reporting process, leading to more accurate, timely forecasts, plus earlier intervention and treatment.
New Sentinel Event Categories Focus on Post-Discharge Suicides
While suicide overall often has been in the top sentinel events, this breakdown includes two categories that split suicide events into those involving an inpatient and events involving a patient within 72 hours of discharge.
Nassar Abuse Fallout: MSU Agrees to Provide Chaperones During Sensitive Medical Exams
The agreement comes after Larry Nassar, DO, who had been employed by MSU, used his position of trust to sexually abuse hundreds of young women and girls, including many Olympic gymnasts, over two decades.
New Guidelines Promote Expansion of Bariatric Surgery to Treat Obesity
From 2015 to 2016, 39.8% of Americans over age 20 were obese, according to the CDC. For the same time period, 20.6% of adolescents were obese, the CDC says. In 2008, the estimated annual medical cost of obesity was $147 billion.
How BJC HealthCare Cut Patient Harm Events 75% by Targeting 5 Factors
In 2008, St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare launched a patient safety and quality improvement initiative that was designed to dramatically reduce patient harm events over a five-year period and sustain the reductions for an additional five years.
Patient Safety Awards Hold Hospitals Accountable
The Leapfrog report found that if all hospitals had an avoidable death rate equivalent to “A” hospitals, 50,000 lives would have been saved, versus 33,000 lives that would have been saved by “A” level performance in 2016.
Healthcare Facilities Look to Step Up Patient Safety Efforts
Patient safety remains a top concern of healthcare organizations, according to the 2019 Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare Industry Outlook Survey. While 40% of the 228 respondents said their organization was already very strong in-patient safety, a full 90% said there is room for improvement.