August 2nd, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, News, Research
Tags: ACP Internist, AHA, American College Of Physicians, American Hospital Association, Case Managers, Center For Connected Health, Electronic Medical Record, EMR, General Medicine, Human Touch, Medical Technology, Most Wired Hospitals, Preventive Health, remote monitoring, Telemedicine, Vital Signs, Wall Street Journal, Wireless Connections
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Monitoring vital signs remotely saves time and money for everyone: patients, physicians, facilities and insurers. Heart failure is a particular target because its increasingly common, its easily triggered (by as little as too much salt on food, for example), it costs so much to manage in the hospital, and it’s so easily avoided.
Remote monitoring equipment made even easier with wireless connections can take vital signs, and even ask standard questions every morning. The equipment puts patients in contact with nurses once they detect warning signs. That human touch is key. Case managers can screen out false alarms (avoiding alert fatigue) and can direct patients to the physician when needed. ACP Internist covered remote monitoring technology in its March issue. (Wall Street Journal, ACP Internist) Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
August 2nd, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Avoiding Preventive Screenings, Becoming Sicker, Center for Studying Health System Change, Consumer-Driven Healthcare, Cut Back on Doctor Visits, Cutting Corners on Healthcare, CVS, Decreasing Reimbursement for Doctors, Die Sooner, Family Medicine, Fewer Doctor Office Visits, Fixing American Healthcare, General Medicine, Health of Americans, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare reform, Higher Copays, Higher Deductibles, Internal Medicine, Lab Testing, Leaving Primary Care, Less-Aggressive Consumer of Healthcare, Less-Healthy Workforce, Maintenance Medications, More Preventable Health Complications, Not Becoming Healthier, Patient Behavior, Patients Saving Money, Paul Ginsburg, Physician Burnout, Primary Care Crisis, Single-Payer Government-Run System, Skimping On Care, The Perfect Storm of a Worsening Healthcare System, US Healthcare, Wall Street Journal, Work-Life Balance, Worse Quality of Life
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The Wall Street Journal reported that overall medical use fell as patients had fewer doctor office visits, lab testing, and maintenance medications possibly due to the recession or as a result of consumer-driven healthcare in the way of higher deductibles and copays. This is very worrisome.
Certainly patients should have some financial responsibility for their care, but skimping on care will only result in Americans not becoming healthier, but sicker. Though the article cited some examples of patients saving money by not seeing their allergist for a refill of medication and simply calling for one and getting an athletic physical at a local urgent care clinic for $40 rather than $90 at the doctor’s office, these tiny behavior changes aren’t going to bend the cost curve in medical care. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
August 2nd, 2010 by EvanFalchukJD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Accuracy of Medical Decision Making, Actors as Patients, Annals Of Internal Medicine, Change in the Plan of Care, Conversations with Doctors, Doctor-Patient Encounter, Doctors Under Time Pressure, Error-Free Care, Failure to Individualize Care, General Medicine, Hundreds of Patient Encounters, LA Times, Medical Errors, Medical Red Flags, Mystery Patients, Scripted Medical Situations, Wrong Medical Decisions By Doctors
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According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, doctors make the wrong medical decisions surprisingly often.
Using a “mystery patient” technique –- in which actors pretended to be patients –- researchers found that doctors made errors in complicated cases in 60 percent to 90 percent of cases. Sixty to ninety percent. In uncomplicated cases, they made errors in nearly 30 percent of cases.
As one study participant put it, “I was shocked.”
The study took place over three years, and included more than 100 doctors in six Chicago-area hospitals. The doctors had agreed to participate in a study on medical decision making, but had no idea that they might see a patient who was actually an actor. The actors recorded their conversations with the doctors. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at See First Blog*
August 2nd, 2010 by Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: 21st Century Medical Institution, Core Competency, General Medicine, Healthcare Professionals Online, Healthcare Social Media, Improving Health Literacy, Internet and Medical Practice, Internet-Based Medicine, Lee Aase, Medical Education, Medical Research, Online Healthcare, Social Media Tools, The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, Training to Hospitals and Medical Schools, Victor Montori
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In a move that may represent a new level of social health organization within large institutions, the Mayo Clinic announced that it has launched The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. Mayo intends to “accelerate effective application of social media tools throughout Mayo Clinic and to spur broader and deeper engagement in social media by hospitals, medical professionals and patients to improve health globally.”
Look for more information in Mayo’s press release which is diplomatically vague while at the same time lofty and enticing.
So what does this really mean?
The Mayo Clinic recognizes opportunity. The opportunity to formally offer comprehensive social media training to hospitals and medical schools is huge. The Mayo Clinic can and should leverage what they’ve done both to their own advantage and to help create a new standard for providers. While the details are forthcoming, Mayo Clinic’s manager of social and sydicated media Lee Aase tells us that Mayo wants to make available its resources, training, toolkits and legal guidelines to fledgling hospitals. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*
August 1st, 2010 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Challenge Yourself, Comfort Zone, COURAGE, General Medicine, Life Choice, Life Is Short, Life's Exams, Mental Health, Psychology, Self Esteem, Self-Motivation, Taking Tests, Taking Tests In Life, Test Your Limits, To Test Yourself Or Not, Voluntarily
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Do you remember the visceral sensations of angst over an upcoming final exam? Or the first procedure as an independent doctor? A major presentation, perhaps?
Life’s exams test not only specific knowledge and skill, but one’s self esteem as well. And it’s the self esteem portion that creates the stomach churn, the palpitations, and the random thoughts of doom.
The future lurks over you for weeks, like a weighty backpack, or the possibility of encountering the bully on your walk home from elementary school. (For my bony self, her name was Marilyn.) Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
Monitoring vital signs remotely saves time and money for everyone: patients, physicians, facilities and insurers. Heart failure is a particular target because its increasingly common, its easily triggered (by as little as too much salt on food, for example), it costs so much to manage in the hospital, and it’s so easily avoided.
