Ten years, 60 to-press deadlines, more than 240 feature articles, at least that many columns—thinking about how much material we’ve published in 10 years gives me pause, and that’s only in print.

The change is underway. The healthcare ecosystem is officially shifting from volume- to outcome-based reimbursement. With so much at stake, risk-bearing provider organizations are well aware of the importance of “getting it right” and “doing it well.” 

As independent companies built railroad lines in the 19th century, each company chose a different gauge—the distance between the inner rails—for their track. As the railway industry first grew out of the need to transport mined materials…

As the demand for clinical documentation grows, physicians find themselves torn between attending to patients and recordkeeping, often working on computer systems that are distracting for physicians and patients alike. 

Barcodes are everywhere. In the hospital environment, they are used for tracking medication, IV fluids, equipment and, of course, patients themselves. 

This article on the transition from hospital to home is the third in a series (see sidebar, pg. 28) that focuses on the healthcare journey of patients and families using the experiences of a real patient, Max. Vignettes have been extracted from a presentation given by Valerie, Max’s mother at One Voice: Patient- and Family-Centered Care, a program held at Mayo Clinic in 2008. These articles highlight how family-centered practices can enhance the healthcare experience for patients and their families.

Safety experts, policy makers, and regulators cite technology solutions as key strategies to create a safer healthcare environment (Kohn, Corrigan & Donaldson, 2000; Wachter, 2012). Infusion pumps with built-in decision support logic for dosing limits and clinical advisories are one such solution currently employed by many hospitals. 

Quality goals for diagnostic and interventional invasive laboratories can be difficult to measure effectively. In the lab, multiple factors can impact measurements and outcomes. Administrators typically focus on driving down costs while clinicians tend to concentrate on patient outcomes.

The English language uses the Latin alphabet with 26 letters and a numeric system with 10 numerals. These alphanumeric symbols (letters and numerals) work well most of the time when used to communicate information. However, problems may arise during written or electronic communication because of similarities in appearance of the alphanumeric symbols we use.

Essentially all medical devices used in hospitals come with a user instruction manual, commonly called Instructions for Use (IFU) or Directions for Use. Typically an IFU includes basic, operational “how to” information as well as pages of warnings, cautions, and other general or device-specific information beyond simply how to operate the device.