August 18th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Bias and Medicine, Cultural Sensitivity in Healthcare, Dr. Desiree Lie, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Implicit Association Test, Implicit Vs. Explicit, Internal Medicine, Managing Bias In Healthcare, Medical Practice and Bias, Medscape, Obese Patients, Obesity, Primary Care, Tolerance in Healthcare
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This article was written more for family medicine physicians, but all of us can benefit from self-assessment of potential biases that might affect our judgment. It was also written with the potential bias towards the obese patient in mind, but the article could have been written with any “fill in the blank” bias as the topic.
The article points out that bias among physicians tends to “be implicit rather than explicit because of social pressure for healthcare providers to show tolerance and cultural sensitivity.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
August 17th, 2010 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Research
Tags: Absolute Emergencies, Alarm Fatigue, American Medical News, Benefits Vs. Harms, Critical Medical Alerts, Desensitized Doctors, Digital Medical Equipment, Electronic Medical Records, EMRs, General Medicine, Medical Alarms, Medical Monitors, Medical Technology, Potential Patient Harm
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The hospital is never a quiet place. Walk through the wards on a typical day and you’ll hear a cacophony of alarms, bells, and other tones coming from both computers and medical equipment.
American Medical News recently discussed so-called “alarm fatigue.” They cite a study showing find that “16,934 alarms sounded in [a medical] unit during an 18-day period.” That’s astounding, and for those who are wondering, that’s about 40 alarms an hour.
It’s not surprising that doctors become desensitized to these alarms, and that has potential to harm patients, as physicians may miss legitimate, emergent findings. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
August 17th, 2010 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
Tags: ACC, American College of Cardiology, Barrier To Patient Care, Bio-Safety Issues, Cost Vs. Quality in Medicine, Cost-Cutting Doctors, Diagnostic Imaging, Doctors In Cubicles, Dr. Richard Kovacs, General Medicine, Imaging Studies, Insurance Companies, Medical Obstructionists, Medical Precertification, Pre-Certification Barriers, Radiology Benefit Managers, Rationing Of Medical Care, RBMs
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I present interesting cases to colleagues often because it’s educational and good for patient care and because I like to. But it has been many years since I was mandated to present a case.
It seems that I’m not the only doctor exasperated by a pesky new barrier to patient care: Doctors in cubicles.
An old friend and mentor, Dr. Richard Kovacs, now chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Board of Governors (and IU guy), has written about these same pre-certification barriers. Dr. Kovacs, being a professor and distinguished ACC official, kindly terms these obstructionists “radiology benefit managers” (RBMs). Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
August 17th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News
Tags: Advice For Parents, Disclosure Of Medical Information, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Healthcare For College Students, Healthcare Power Of Attorney, HIPAA, Medical Care On Campus, Medical Records, Mental Health, Patient Information, Patient Privacy, sexually transmitted diseases, Sheila Benninger, STDs, Substance Abuse, Teen Health, Wall Street Journal
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Sending a child off to college? Call your lawyer first. From the Weekend Wall Street Journal:
After a few clients ran into difficulty getting information about adult children who were ill, Sheila Benninger, an attorney in Chapel Hill, N.C., began recommending that clients’ children designate a health-care power of attorney after they turn 18 to identify who can speak for them if they can’t.
She also includes a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, release form that allows patients to determine who can receive information about their medical care and whether information about treatment for substance abuse, mental health or sexually transmitted diseases can be disclosed.
You don’t have to use a lawyer. Generic health-care power-of-attorney forms can be found online. If the school has a HIPAA release online, it’s best to use that more-tailored document.
Parents should keep a copy in an email folder, where it can be easily accessed in an emergency. And students should designate a general power of attorney so someone can pay bills or handle other issues if they go abroad.
It’s good advice for those of us shipping one more child back to college this week.
-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.
Hat tip: Instapundit
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
August 17th, 2010 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: General Medicine, Intensive Care Nurse, Medical School, Medical School Education, Medical School Students, Medical Student, Registered Nurse, RN, Training To Be A Doctor, Transition From Nurse To Doctor
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Ever wonder what a day in the life of a medical student is like? A father of two, a husband of one, and a medical student and soon-to-be doctor of many describes his daily routine in one day in his life as a second-year medical student.
I heard one of my partners describing a friend of hers recent exit as an intensive care unit nurse and into the life of a medical student. How did the RN describe his experience?
“Man, this is hard.”
Yes, it is. No matter how many years you spend as a nurse, there is no replacement for a medical school education.
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist*
