Improving Pregnancy Health: How We Can Predict Challenges Sooner
A team of physicians are working on groundbreaking research into pregnancy-related cell-free RNA (cfRNA) to develop a simple blood test that would enable early detection of conditions like preterm birth, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. The test uses a small blood sample to analyze tens of thousands of molecular transcripts from the mother, baby, and placenta.
Medication Non-Adherence: Solving an Eternal Challenge
Healthcare plans for the underserved markets, which include patients using Medicaid, Medicare Dual Advantage, or a healthcare exchange, offer limited options under the current pharmacy setup; there is also limited technology focusing on which patients are best served by which type of pharmacy.
Supporting the At-Home Care Team
By 2030, all baby boomers will be age 65 or older, increasing the already strong need for elderly care. In a 2020 report, Caregiving in the U.S., AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving identified that nearly one in five people (19%) are providing unpaid care to an adult with health or functional needs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when staying at home meant reducing risk of infection, the value of at-home caregivers became even more evident.
What’s Ahead for Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Based on an industrywide study, ASCs continue to perform more than half of all U.S. outpatient surgical procedures, and they can expect to see greater volumes as the number of outpatient procedures increases an estimated 15% by 2028. However, analysts predict this number will be even higher based on the CMS 2021 final rule on the Outpatient Prospective Payment System and ASCs.
AORN Updates Skin Antisepsis Guidelines: What This Means for Organizations
Facilities had relied on research prior to official guidelines, which makes the update to AORN’s response impactful. The AORN adds their voice to the World Health Organization, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, as well as the CDC and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 32 – How to Transform the Patient-Physician Journey
On episode 32 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dr. Barry Chaiken, clinical lead for Tableau, talks about how information technology can help solve healthcare’s biggest problems.
University Hospitals Exec: ‘Healthcare Is Riddled With Mindless Variation’
HealthLeaders interviewed Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, recently to discuss a range of topics, including checklists, value-based care, workforce safety, and his vision for telehealth after the coronavirus pandemic has passed. The following is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation.
Stroke Benchmarks During COVID: HFAP Releases Latest Report
HFAP, a brand of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), issued its annual benchmarking report on stroke programs recently, which demonstrated COVID-19’s impact on these programs. HFAP collected data to help healthcare professionals expand their knowledge of the risks, triggers, and variations of stroke, with findings that took a year of pandemic challenges into account.
Making Smart IV Pumps Smarter: Steps to Increase IV Infusion Safety
Despite their ubiquity, smart pumps continue to exhibit design flaws that contribute to patient safety risks. Commonly reported problems with smart pumps include software bugs and errors, human factors (e.g., errors related to user interface issues), broken components, battery failure, alarm failure, and over- or under-infusion.
Mass Vaccine Rollout Showcases Healthcare Agility
A multitude of providers responded to the new challenges of the pandemic with incredible nimbleness and delivered an array of successful patient outcomes. From treating COVID-19 patients, to setting up testing sites, to rolling out vaccinations, many private and public health entities displayed an unprecedented ability to plan, react, and change over accelerated timelines.