Being admitted to the hospital for a specific illness or infection and coming down with another during one’s hospital stay is not common due to the effectiveness of prevention systems, but it is also not an isolated incident. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC); hence 6% of hospital patients get…
The introduction of electronic health records (EHRs) was accompanied by a great deal of fanfare. Such systems, which replace old paper based charts in doctor’s offices and hospitals; were design to make patient data more accurate, safer and more accessible. It was also claimed that they would make it easier for doctors; also for other health…
When treating patients, doctors sometimes overlook how their decisions impact a world they never see: a patient’s home life. In the case of some serious infections in children, oral antimicrobial drugs are just as good at treating these ailments at home as the standard, intravenous medications. But as per new research led by investigators at…
A study by the University of Aberdeen has found a possible link between the use of disinfectants in hospitals and the rise of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on patient wards. The authors are calling for the use of disinfectants to be better regulated. The study was led by Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen Dr.…
Federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their prices list online. But it’s not yet clear how many are doing it, even as the government has taken the rare step of asking consumers to monitor hospital compliance. Most hospitals appear to be complying with the rule, as per hospital officials and a small sampling of…
A number of two large studies have come to conflicting conclusions about whether emergency medical technicians should give plasma to severely bleeding trauma patients who are on their way to the hospital. But the disparity may be a function of the time it takes to get there. The first, involving 125 trauma patients with presumed…
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 spurred the rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in U.S. hospitals. In 2008, 13% of hospitals in the country was using a basic EHR system; by 2015, nearly 90% of hospitals had one in place. Over the same 7-year period, the…
Researchers say their risk adjustment model could reduce the financial penalty for at least half of all safety net hospitals, which care for patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. And in some cases, it could render them free from any penalty. Conversely, more affluent hospitals those that care for higher-income, better-educated…
Hospital patients understanding their medications and taking them as instructed are important parts of improving the care and outcomes of heart attack patients, as well as potentially reducing avoidable readmission’s, as per research presented at the ACC Quality Summit in New Orleans. A heart attack is typically an unexpected event, which can leave patients overwhelmed by…
Across the United States, millions of individuals face serious, life-limiting illness like cancer; heart disease and stroke, respiratory disease and diabetes. The final year of life with serious illness can be filled with emotional distress and uncertainty about treatment options. When people with serious illness have conversations with their doctors and nurses about their personal values, goals,…
Patients understanding their medications and taking them as instructed are important parts of improving the care; and outcomes of heart attack patients, as well as potentially reducing avoidable readmissions; according to research presented at the ACC Quality Summit in New Orleans. A heart attack is typically an unexpected event, which can leave patients overwhelmed by…
Cybersecurity threats are a rising problem in society, especially for health care organizations. Successful attacks can jeopardize not only patient data but also patient care; but leading to cancellations and disruptions in the critical services that hospitals provide. While many hospitals have taken steps to educate, inform and forewarn their employees about cybersecurity attacks, few…