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Exciting technological advances in oncology
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareThe incidence of cancer is increasing in the U.S., fueled by 10,000 baby boomers reaching 65 each day. With that realization, it is estimated that there could be an increase in cancer diagnoses, by 67 percent between 2010 and 2030. The result of these alarming numbers is that oncology has been pushed to the forefront in the healthcare field. Fortunately, the technology and research to detect and treat various kinds of cancers has increased as well. Some of this technology is still in the early, yet promising stages.
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What exactly is the job outlook for nurses?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs 2014 begins, there is a great deal of discussion regarding the job prospects for nurses, especially those just entering the profession. With confusing opinions and projections about the reality of a nursing shortage in the United States, nursing students and recent graduates are understandably concerned.
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Stage 2 meaningful use readiness a growing concern
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationA survey recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there has been tremendous growth in electronic health record use in the U.S. over the past several years, thanks in part to the meaningful use incentive program. But there may be a speed bump in the road to a connected healthcare system as the meaningful use program enters its second stage.
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Clinical performance measures and the locum tenens physician
Di Hall Medical & Allied HealthcareThe Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, is not only changing how the American public accesses health insurance, but also how healthcare services are reimbursed. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has responsibility under the law to lower Medicare reimbursement to hospitals based on quality measures — moving from "fee-for-service" to "pay-for-quality." This is done not only to improve the quality of care to patients, but also to increase savings and decrease unfavorable clinical outcomes.
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Emergency department observation units: A double-edged sword?
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareWhat emergency department (ED) wouldn't like millions of dollars in cost savings? Theoretically, this could happen by keeping selected patients under observation in a dedicated hospital unit with defined protocols. The issue has been that many patients seeking ED treatment are clearly not well enough for immediate discharge yet are not sick enough to be admitted.
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Rapid development in the use of robotics in urological surgery
Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani Medical & Allied HealthcareLaparoscopic surgery has been a true breakthrough in the field of urology. It has the advantages of a decreased loss of blood during the surgery and a shorter duration of hospital stay. But it is not commonly practiced because a steep learning curve is required for a surgeon to achieve proficiency.
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Trends and patterns in patient safety report to OPTN
Sharee Ann Narciso Medical & Allied HealthcareA comprehensive report on patient safety situations was sent to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and is now accessible for public review. It was prepared at the request of both OPTN and the Operations and Safety Committee of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The report is a summary of safety situations that were gathered through the UNet Improving Patient Safety (IPS) online portal and other sources.
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Drug information education for practicing physicians: Part II
Mike Wokasch PharmaceuticalAs mentioned in my previous post, the recent announcement that GlaxoSmithKline would no longer pay physicians to do educational or promotional speaking about disease and prescription drugs got me thinking about the state of physician education, especially as it pertains to drug information. We talked about eliminating the potential for drug company bias and influence on physician prescribing practice by essentially "cleansing" the drug information development process of any financial support from drug companies.
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Have a heart: A pharmacist’s reflection on medicine adherence
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWe know that compliance with prescribed medication therapies is embarrassingly low. So have a heart and teach your patients how to take their prescription medication. It's more important than you might think. In fact, results from a recent study suggest that greater adherence to prescribed therapies following an MI (myocardial infarction) significantly improve results and reduce readmissions to the hospital.
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How to navigate the politics of medicine
Karen Childress Healthcare AdministrationThere are plenty of doctors who willingly — even excitedly — take on leadership roles that land them squarely in the middle of all kinds of interesting and challenging encounters within an organization. Thank goodness for them, because someone needs to be on the front line advocating for patients and members of the medical staff.
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