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Physicians having less than six hours of sleep linked to increase rate of surgical complications

Attending surgeons and obstetricians/gynecologists who worked nighttime hours did not have a significantly greater rate of complications for procedures performed the next day, but having less than six hours of opportunity for sleep between procedures was associated with an increased rate of surgical complications, according to a study in the October 14 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on surgical care.

14 Oct 2009

MMR Information Systems reports 64% increase in revenue for the nine month period ended September 30, 2009

MMR Information Systems, Inc., which through its wholly-owned operating subsidiary, MyMedicalRecords, Inc. ("MMR") provides consumer-controlled Personal Health Records ("PHRs") (www.mymedicalrecords.com) and electronic safe deposit box storage solutions (www.myesafedepositbox.com), today announced that its unaudited revenue for the nine month period ended September 30, 2009 reflected an increase of 64% from the comparable period in 2008.

13 Oct 2009

Medical interpreters to bring equitable healthcare to LEP patients closer

Patients in the United States with limited English proficiency (LEP) continue to face language barriers that threaten their health and undermine their well-being. But today they are one step closer to quality, equitable healthcare with the launch of the first National Certification for Medical Interpreters.

12 Oct 2009

Free web-based e-prescribing solution for Iowa physicians

Iowa's largest integrated health care system and the nation's largest provider of electronic prescribing software today announced the launch of an initiative to convert a majority of the state's physicians from paper prescriptions -- known to be the cause of costly medical errors -- to electronic prescribing.

12 Oct 2009

LiveData awarded a SBIR grant for integrating medical technologies

LiveData, Inc., a leader in real-time data integration and display, has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC). LiveData will use the $730,000 grant to develop an integrated clinical environment with CIMIT’s Medical Device Plug-and-Play (MD PnP) team.

7 Oct 2009

Emergency Ultrasound Consultants, TSG collaborate to reduce medical errors

Emergency Ultrasound Consultants, LLC (EUC), the experts in point-of-care ultrasound education and quality assurance solutions, announced today a strategic partnership with The Sullivan Group (TSG), a world leading provider of patient safety, risk management and performance improvement solutions for healthcare professionals.

6 Oct 2009

$APP Pharmaceutical continues support of FDA's USP standards for unfractionated heparin$

APP Pharmaceutical continues support of FDA's USP standards for unfractionated heparin

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., (NASDAQ:APCVZ), and the leading supplier of heparin sodium to the U.S. market, announced today its continued support of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and medical community for the October 1, 2009 implementation of the new United States Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph change for unfractionated heparin.

3 Oct 2009

Electronic medical records: A valuable asset to healthcare industry

Hundreds of billions of gigabytes of health information are now being collected in electronic medical records, and three-quarters (76%) of more than 700 healthcare executives recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP agree that the secondary use of this information will be their organization's greatest asset over the next five years.

3 Oct 2009

HHS awards health centers $27.8M to increase use of health information technology

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards totaling $27.8 million to health center-controlled networks and large multi-site health centers to implement electronic health records (EHR) and other health information technology (HIT) innovations.

30 Sep 2009

No medical errors in the month of July as widely believed: Study

New research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons challenges the widely held belief that more medical errors occur in teaching hospitals during the month of July due to the influx of new graduates from medical and nursing schools - also known as the "July Phenomenon." The study shows no differences in in-hospital mortality rates, number of days in the intensive care unit (ICU) or on ventilator support, or minutes spent undergoing resuscitation for trauma patients in July compared with results for other months of the year.

25 Sep 2009

Vermont Information Technology Leaders to collaborate with Allscripts

Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc., the non-profit organization facilitating the expanded use of health information technology in Vermont, and Allscripts, the leading U.S. health information technology provider with a major facility located in South Burlington, Vermont, today announced their intention to enter into a strategic alliance.

25 Sep 2009

Two new studies test conventional wisdom about physician behavior

Two new studies test classic assumptions about doctor behavior, including whether fatigue, stress and even full moons impede their work. Meanwhile, separate reports investigate would-be physicians' behavior far from the exam room or operating table -- on Facebook, YouTube, and private blogs.

24 Sep 2009

Trial lawyers push back on medical malpractice reform

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23 Sep 2009

Professional and personal distress levels high in primary care physicians

Primary care physicians who participated in an educational program that included an emphasis on mindful communication reported improvement in personal well-being, emotional exhaustion, empathy and attitudes associated with patient-centered care, according to a study in the September 23/30 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

23 Sep 2009

Medical errors: Cause for stress in resident physicians

Internal medicine residents who reported higher levels of fatigue and distress were more likely to report a medical error, according to a study in the September 23/30 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

23 Sep 2009

Distress and fatigue among medical residents can lead to significant risk of medical error: Study

Mayo Clinic researchers report that distress and fatigue among medical residents are independent contributors to self-perceived medical errors. The findings appear today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

23 Sep 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Political intimidation has always been part of the current Congress's health-care strategy: "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu" is tattooed on every lobbyist and industry rep in Washington. But Max Baucus's latest bullying tactics are hard to believe by even these standards, as the Senate Finance Chairman has sicced federal regulators on the insurer Humana Inc. for daring to criticize one part of his health bill (9/22).

23 Sep 2009

Precision Dynamics awarded combined contract by MedAssets

Precision Dynamics-TimeMed, the global leader in healthcare identification solutions, announced today that it has been awarded a combined contract for healthcare wristbands and labels by MedAssets, one of the nation's largest group purchasing organizations (GPOs).

22 Sep 2009

White house offers $25 million for medical malpractice projects

The Obama administration announced $25 million in new grants for pilot programs to explore alternatives to the medical malpractice system.

21 Sep 2009

Perot Systems to provide IT outsourcing and EHR implementation for MHC

Max Healthcare (MHC) (www.maxhealthcare.in) and Perot Systems Corporation (NYSE: PER) (www.perotsystems.com) today announced a 10-year agreement in which Perot Systems will provide IT outsourcing (ITO) and electronic health records (EHR) implementation for MHC.

18 Sep 2009