Quantity Over Quality? Minorities Shown to Get an Excess of Ineffective Care
Minority patients face a double whammy: Not only are they more likely to miss out on effective medical treatments than white patients, but, according to a new study, they’re also more likely to receive an abundance of ineffective services.
Burned Out or Under the Influence?
By the time the general public hears about an impaired clinician, whether it’s a nurse, technician, or physician, it’s usually after something bad has already happened. The infamous case of a New Hampshire technician who stole painkiller syringes and exposed thousands of patients to hepatitis C is just one example. The following is an edited Q&A with Judy Kees, a regional coach leader at Studer Group with human resource executive experience at several health systems. PSMJ spoke with Kees on how to deal with an impaired employee, how to identify the problem before harm is done, and what your obligations are afterwards.
Using Data Analytics to Change Behavior
The data-analytics application works in conjunction with the smart pump system to create a continuous quality loop to strengthen patient safety, opportunities for improvement, and data-driven insights.
Improving Collaboration Around Medication Management Programs
There are numerous reasons patients stop taking medication against their physician’s advice. They might feel better (or, thanks to side effects, feel worse). They might not be able to reach the pharmacy. The cost might be too steep. Then, of course, there is the potential for medications to be prescribed from a number of points of care, which is leading to more challenges regarding medication reconciliation. Whatever the cause, poor medication adherence has significant costs for both the individual and the health system.
The Merging of HIT
Treating less sick patients at a tertiary hospital is usually not cost-effective compared to a community hospital setting, and treatment of complex cases at the community hospital often produces less favorable outcomes that are not in the best interests of the patient.
Five Years of Nursing Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital
Five years ago, PSQH spoke with Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, DNP, FAAN, about a new and exciting innovation in her hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) – an initiative that designated 12 Innovation Units, where a philosophy of relationship-based care and 13 evidence-based interventions could be safely tested. This March, we checked in to see how the initiative has fared.
How to Get Readmission Rates Under Control
To say readmissions are a big deal in medicine is a massive understatement. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was enacted in 2010 specifically to take on this problem and has imposed nearly $1 billion in penalties. An estimated $17 billion in Medicare spending is spent annually on avoidable hospital readmissions.
CMS Publishes New Emergency Preparedness Interpretive Guidelines
On June 2, CMS published its final rule for emergency preparedness guidelines and survey procedures. These rules affect all 17 providers and suppliers and the rules will be enforced starting November 15, 2017.
Handshake-Free Zone: Keep Those Hands – and Germs – to Yourself in the Hospital
Testing a new method for limiting the spread of germs and reducing the transmission of disease in the hospital: a handshake-free zone.
Worker Wellness: Fatigue and Burnout
They say your home isn’t safe without a strong foundation. Likewise, your car isn’t safe without good tires.
The same cliché can apply to your healthcare workplace. Without strong, healthy, happy, and well-rested healthcare professionals working for you, your clinic just isn’t as safe a place as it could be.