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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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New contractor for insurance exchange website faces quite a challenge
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAfter its three-year contract to build the federal health insurance exchange website culminated in a launch full of glitches and bad press, CGI Federal did not receive a contract renewal. Instead, the federal government is putting its faith — and more than $45 million — in Arlington, Va.-based Accenture Federal Services to oversee the HealthCare.gov website.
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Blood in the sky: The growing trend of transfusing patients in the air
Mark Huber Medical & Allied HealthcareIn December, the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) in Canada became the latest in a growing number of HEMS operators worldwide to carry blood — packed red blood cells (PRBCs) — on board its helicopters. Now the practice is spreading worldwide — albeit slowly — after numerous studies have shown the benefits pumping O-negative into accident victims, especially those who have gone into cardiac arrest.
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Why shoveling snow can lead to heart tragedies
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareThe first major snowstorm of 2014 was especially brutal, impacting much of the East Coast and Midwest. The National Weather Service had predicted the impending Arctic blast would be life-threatening. They were right. Particularly vulnerable during cold weather are those with cardiovascular problems.
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Survey: ICD-10 preparedness lacking
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAs the deadline for switching to ICD-10 code sets inches closer, concern is growing that neither healthcare organizations nor insurers will be ready to go live by October. A survey by KPMG, a New York-based healthcare advisory firm, found the majority of health plans and providers have allocated budgets toward ICD-10 readiness and had completed impact assessments. But most had not yet conducted testing on their systems or determined how the conversion would impact revenue cycle and cash flow.
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