In response to an overwhelming community need, Staten Island University Hospital in New York decided to develop a “breast center” approach to the provision of breast health services. Quality improvement is a core element of the hospital’s mission and is integrated into our planning process, so outcome measures were an integral part of this initiative.

This is the last in a series of three articles regarding the potential to improve patient safety through the use of effective information-technology (IT) solutions.

When consumers shop for a new car, the latest electronic gadget, and many other types of products or services, a wealth of comparative information awaits them on newsstands and online.

Today’s doctors and nurses are tethered to all manner of gadgets and devices — telephones, pagers, faxes, overhead pages, white boards, desktop computers, charts — in an attempt to facilitate the movement of information throughout the hospital enterprise.

Management gurus speak reverently of the cliché, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Looking at the disappointing quality outcomes of a healthcare system that spends more per capital than any other country in the world, it is clear there is not a whole lot of measuring going on.

The heated debate surrounding the medical malpractice crisis has left many doctors, insurers, attorneys, and patient advocates looking for “middle ground” solutions.

Hurricane Katrina taught government and society many lessons. Among others, it laid bare our American healthcare system’s failures. The task of reconstructing a sensible healthcare system for the United States is urgent.

Over the past decade consumers garnered great control over their treatment plans. Physicians are working in a more collaborative manner than ever with their patients to review care options and formulate treatment approaches.

Informed consent serves an important role in hospitals across the country. Typically packaged as a single form or series of forms, the informed consent process ideally serves as a way to educate patients about conditions, treatment alternatives, benefits, and risks of a procedure.

Healthcare software will continue to be a strong driver in improving the quality of care for patients. This good news for patients often comes with its own set of challenges for the caregivers who use the software, especially during implementation.