Never Mind Cutting Medicare, It’s Time to Take a Closer Look at Wasteful Spending Areas in Healthcare
Despite Medicare being a target in common for both Democrats and Republicans during the past elections, there are many bigger problems plaguing our healthcare system. Now, in order to bring healthcare inefficiencies in check amid the specter of a Fiscal Cliff in January, it is going to be incumbent on Washington politicians and healthcare executives to tackle these larger issues, such as unneeded care, a glut of paperwork and other waste. To say that all of these are costing us dearly is an understatement.
SIDM and Cautious Patient Foundation Collaborate to Avoid Diagnostic Errors
The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) and the Cautious Patient Foundation have announced a collaboration to help patients avoid diagnostic errors in their own care. Diagnostic error, defined as wrong, missed or delayed medical diagnosis, occurs in 10% to 15% of diagnostic encounters, is the largest contributor to medical malpractice claims, and is responsible for 40,000 – 80,000 deaths per year in the United States.
Surprise! Patient safety can learn from the trades as well as from aviation.
Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know one of the Coalition’s new individual members, Gary Fasso, and have been learning from what may seem an unlikely source of wisdom about patient safety: the trades. Gary is with the Pacific Northwest Council of Carpenters and trains the members in safe practices for when they are working in occupied healthcare buildings (e.g., remodeling hospitals or clinics). I’m learning so much from him about what is transferable from construction to healthcare.
MITSS Honors Thomas Gallagher, MD, with HOPE Award at Annual Dinner
Among the events I look forward to each fall, the MITSS Annual Dinner holds a special place because of the loyal and diverse community of people who gather to support and celebrate the work of Linda Kenney, Winnie Tobin, and many others who pursue the MITSS mission, to “support healing and restore hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events.” At this year’s dinner (the 11th annual), held Thurs., Nov. 29, in Boston, MITSS honored Thomas Gallagher, MD, with the HOPE Award, given each year to Honor Outstanding People Everywhere who have furthered MITSS’s mission. Sanjay Malaviya, president and CEO of RL Solutions, the award sponsor, presented Dr. Gallagher with this year’s honor.
The Joint Commission Publishes Patient and Worker Safety Monograph
The Joint Commission recently released a free monograph, “Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation,” to draw attention to the need to create a culture that focuses on both the safety of patients and the health care workers who care for them.
CareFusion Launches New Preoperative Cleansing Program For In-Home Patient Use
CareFusion Corp., a leading, global medical technology company, has unveiled a new preoperative cleansing program for patients that includes an industry-first, individualized reminder program that helps patients remember and follow a clinician’s preoperative bathing instructions.
Top Wired U.S. Hospital to Offer Patient Engagement Experience
Online Materials Promote Use of Lower Radiopharmaceutical Doses in Nuclear Medicine Exams
National eHealth Collaborative Releases Patient Engagement Framework
National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) recently hosted a webinar to release the much-anticipated Patient Engagement Framework, a model created to guide healthcare organizations in developing and strengthening their patient engagement strategies through the use of eHealth tools and resources. The Framework is the result of several months of collaboration and iteration with many interested stakeholders.