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Study results show promise for using ultrasound to assess bone health
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareOsteoporosis affects about 25 percent of women aged 65 years and over and about 5 percent of men aged 65 and over. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. Dual/energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for assessing bone health. Although effective in identifying those with low bone mineral density (BMD), using DXA to screen for bone health is limited by cost, size, and technical requirements to operate the machine. A recent study, however, showed that inexpensive ultrasound screenings for osteoporosis were equal to data gathered using DXA.
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How to help your ER doctors make faster, more accurate diagnoses
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareTime is of the absolute essence when it comes to making critical calls in the emergency room. Your hospital's doctors are no doubt experienced in fast evaluation — but could they be making diagnostic decisions even more effectively? Researchers have come up with cutting-edge methods doctors can use to do their jobs better. Consider giving the following advice to your emergency department physicians.
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3 reasons healthcare leaders should consider an executive coach
Catherine Iste Healthcare AdministrationThe healthcare industry is in a state of flux at all levels. Staffing shortages continue, and while the number of students in the pipeline is improving, care organizations of all types are finding it difficult to develop a strong bench. This increases the pressure on leaders at all levels within every type of healthcare institution to creatively lead, inspire, and balance resources with care and business management. Here are three ways leadership coaching can help.
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Growing the muscles of communication in healthcare
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareIn most every aspect of healthcare, communication is key to positive patient outcomes, stellar teamwork, and the seamless operation of organizations and facilities of every size and type. A Tower of Babel scenario in a healthcare-related circumstance is never acceptable. How, why, and when we grow our individual and collective muscles of discourse and conversation are of utmost importance. If you, your colleagues, your leaders, or your employing institution itself are lacking in this regard, it's not too late to change that calculus for the better.
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Ghosting patients: Is that effective healthcare leadership?
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationAdministrators of hospitals, clinics and medical groups know there is competitiveness in their ranks just as there is in the rest of the business world. However, some actions to protect business interests may interfere with the quality and safety of patient care. This brings us to "ghosting;" when a physician disappears…or is evacuated away from their patients as a result of the breakdown in a professional relationship. A recent Kaiser Health News article shines a bright light on the potential risk to patient health and the unintended consequences caused by these business decisions.
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Healthcare groups: Payers are lagging with prior authorization reform
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationPrior authorization requirements over the past half-decade have increased and an overwhelming number of physicians say that the practice of seeking them interferes with continuity of care. In fact, more than 85 percent of the physicians asked said the practice impacts them, according to a new survey from the American Medical Association. The survey connected with 1,000 physicians, which found that more than "two-thirds said it's difficult for them to determine whether a prescription or service needs prior authorization."
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Anesthesiology recognized as 10th dental specialty
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareAbout 175 years ago, a dentist in Hartford, Connecticut, extracted one of his own third molars to test the analgesic properties of nitrous oxide. It was risky. But it paid off. That's a commitment to science right there. It was Dr. Horace Wells' introduction of nitrous oxide, and the demonstration of anesthetic properties of ether by Dr. William Morton, a student of Dr. Wells, that gave the gift of anesthesia to medicine and dentistry. And now, in 2019, dental anesthesiology has become the 10th dental specialty as recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards.
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New study: Effective change depends on 4 key attributes of nurse managers
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareAnyone who's ever worked in healthcare knows there’s a seemingly endless battle between administration and staff. Change can be extremely difficult to implement in any facility when the pressure to cut costs and improve metrics is high. But, a new study, published in Nursing Open, offers hope. According to the study, nurse managers who exhibit four key attributes have an easier time implementing changes in their wards. The four attributes are empathy; proactivity; respect for personal beliefs as well as external standards; and "having both micro and macro perspectives."
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Palliative care: A slippery slope for hospice providers?
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationHospice and palliative care have traditionally been two distinct services, with the former being focused on the last six months of life. More recently, perhaps due to the aging population and shifting beliefs about end-of-life care, hospice is finally becoming more accepted. The growing number of baby boomers with chronic conditions and the desire to improve quality of life are also contributing to increased demand for palliative care. The response by some providers has been to expand the operation of their hospice programs to accommodate palliative care services.
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Medical scribes boost productivity among ER docs
Chelsea Adams Healthcare AdministrationMedical scribes can increase an ER physician's productivity, resulting in shorter lengths of stays for patients, according to a study published in The BMJ in late January. Conducted at hospitals in the Australian state of Victoria, the study compared ER shifts where trained scribes were utilized with those where clinicians were required to complete clinical documentation and other clerical tasks. Scribes enter the exam room with the physician and use a computer to document consultations, schedule follow-up appointments, order diagnostic tests, complete patients' electronic health records, request inpatient beds, print discharge paperwork and locate information for the physician.
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