A Prescription for Social Determinants of Health
A September 2019 study published in JAMA found that only 24% of hospitals and 16% of physician practices reported screening for five key social factors that affect health outcomes. Those factors, as defined by CMS’ Accountable Health Communities model, are food insecurity, housing instability, utility needs, transportation needs, and interpersonal violence.
Improving Antibiotic Stewardship at Urgent Care Centers
As care continues its move deeper into communities and away from traditional medical campuses, urgent care centers are exploding in growth. In 2018, there were 8,100 urgent care centers, up nearly 27% from 2014, according to Consumer Reports. Those centers see an estimated 160 million patient visits each year, according to the Urgent Care Association.
Researcher: Coronavirus Pandemic Increases Risk of Physician Suicide
Physicians and other frontline healthcare workers on the frontline of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are under physical and psychological strain. As of April 9, more than 9,000 healthcare workers had tested positive for coronavirus, the CDC reported.
How to Use Virtual Visits to Connect Coronavirus Patients With Loved Ones
AdventHealth recently launched virtual visits for hospitalized patients with the distribution of 1,000 Chromebooks and some iPads throughout the health system’s hospital campuses. The cost of the initiative was minimal because the Chromebooks were already in hand for another project, which has been delayed.
Coronavirus: Studies Find Steam Effective in Sterilizing Used Medical Masks
Shortages of personal protective equipment such as N95 respirators have plagued the U.S. response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On Feb. 22, testimony before Congress asserted that 3.5 billion N95 masks were needed for healthcare workers during the pandemic, and there was about 1% of that figure available.
NIH: Clinical Trial Shows Remdesivir Improves Coronavirus Outcomes
Preliminary data from a randomized, controlled trial featuring more than 1,000 patients indicates that severely ill COVID-19 patients with lung involvement recovered faster than similar patients given placebo, NIH reported.
New Infection Prevention Guidelines Highlight Lessons Learned From COVID-19
The societies quickly developed the guidelines to respond to the pandemic, a process that usually takes more than a year. The guidelines were developed by a committee of frontline clinicians, healthcare epidemiologists, and other infectious disease specialists.
American Heart Association Issues COVID-19 CPR Guidelines
The AHA recommended additional precautions for emergency medical services technicians and healthcare workers. Both EMS personnel and healthcare workers should don personal protective equipment to guard against contact with both airborne and droplet particles before entering a patient room or scene of a cardiac arrest. Only essential personnel should be allowed in the room or on the scene.
How Cancer Clinics Can Treat Patients Safely During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Patients with cancer are a high-risk group during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a World Health Organization report published in February. The report, which is based on data collected in China, found that COVID-19 patients with cancer are more than five times more likely to die from the disease compared to COVID-19 patients who have no comorbid conditions.
Study: U.S. Could Face $654B in Coronavirus Direct Care Costs
The researchers estimated that if 80% of the U.S. population was infected, that could result in 44.6 million hospitalizations, 10.7 million ICU admissions, 6.5 million ventilators used, and 249.5 million hospital bed days, at a total direct cost of $654.0 billion during the pandemic.