Medical Errors News and Research

RSS

More aggressive hospital care does not lead to improved patient outcomes in all cases, study finds

More aggressive hospital care -- such as higher numbers of tests and procedures and longer stays -- does not lead to improved patient outcomes in all cases, according to a study released on Thursday, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

30 May 2008

Hospitals hire 'nocturnists' to improve patient care during night, weekend hours, Wall Street Journal reports

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how some hospitals have begun "taking steps to improve safety and reduce their own legal liability from mishaps" that occur during "thinly staffed" night and weekend shifts, when patients "suffer higher rates of death, complications and medical errors."

28 May 2008

U.S. Government 'must take lead' in health care IT, former Rep. Johnson writes

There are online tools that "can remember what books you ordered over the last three years," so "why can't your doctor's computer remind him" of the details related to patients' prescription drugs, insurance or other procedures, former Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), a senior public policy adviser for Baker Donelson, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

28 May 2008

Health Care Coalition pushes for e-prescribing legislation

The technical standards necessary to establish a national electronic prescribing system already have been adopted by physicians and pharmacy software companies, according to a letter to lawmakers from a coalition of health care providers, insurance companies, academics and pharmacies, CQ HealthBeat reports.

28 May 2008

Medical errors - Is healthcare getting worse or better?

Most would say worse. And one of the many reasons is medical errors. Most Americans say the quality of care has not improved, and dissatisfaction among patients and caregivers has increased. The perceptions exist despite the efforts across the country to reduce medical errors.

28 May 2008

Despondent nurse practitioners - disabling postmodern punishment

The essence of postmodernism theme is that of an epochal shift, discontinuity, or rupture with modernity, bringing new social conditions and sociological principles with it (Baudrillard, 1988). Postmodernism views that the authority and status of the medical professionals does not exist anymore in the area of health care consistent with the postmodern message about the deconstruction of traditional centers of postindustrial authority (Cockerham et.al, 1997).

19 May 2008

Treating safety research like other clinical studies slows progress

Progress in patient safety research could slow to a crawl unless regulators work out a host of ethical issues, Johns Hopkins researchers assert in an upcoming opinion piece.

13 May 2008

Newt Gingrich discusses need for more physicians to adopt electronic health record systems

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Monday at a health care symposium sponsored by Siemens said that the Bush administration and Congress should do more to implement electronic health records nationwide, the Baltimore Sun reports.

29 Apr 2008

New Democrat coalition, New York City officials announce proposal for Federal health care IT program

Members of the New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday announced a proposal that would use a New York City health care information technology program as a legislative template for a federal program, CQ HealthBeat reports.

18 Apr 2008

Clinical patient safety interventions reduce errors in obstetrical care

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have implemented patient safety enhancements to dramatically reduce errors and improve the staff's own perception of the safety climate in obstetrical care.

5 Feb 2008

Medical error reporting by doctors to hospitals seems underused

Actual medical error reporting by doctors to hospitals seems to occur less than it should when compared to physicians' views on whether they should report such errors, University of Iowa researchers said in the Jan. 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

15 Jan 2008

Patient care: Intelligent Clinical Decision Support System

European and Turkish doctors and technicians are perfecting a medical support system that can track patients' real-time vital signs, link those to patient medical history, and, crucially, provide the latest clinical guidelines for patient care. Better yet, it can alert doctors when necessary.

8 Jan 2008

HHS releases new tools with aim to make health care safer

An array of toolkits designed to help doctors, nurses, hospital managers, patients and others reduce medical errors was released by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Dec 2007

Better health outcomes in hospitals using information technology

Patients are more likely to have better health outcomes if they are treated at hospitals using information technology (IT) systems, according to a comprehensive new Florida State University study.

12 Dec 2007

Doctors in the U.S. slow to report an incompetent or unethical colleague

The results of a new survey of doctors in the States suggests that the majority of them, regardless of what they may say, are reluctant to report incompetent or unethical colleagues.

4 Dec 2007

New recommendations provide evidence-based solutions to America's many health care problems

In a new evidence-based paper, the American College of Physicians (ACP) analyzes health care in the United States and 12 other industrialized countries and identifies lessons that could be applied to the particular political and social culture of the United States to achieve a high performing health care system, including achieving universal health insurance coverage for all Americans.

4 Dec 2007

US adults most likely to report medical errors and skip needed care due to costs

At a time when the U.S. spends more than double what other countries spend for medical care - $6,697 per capita in 2005 - a new Commonwealth Fund seven-nation survey finds that U.S. patients are more likely to report experiencing medical errors, to go without care because of costs, and to say that the health care system needs to be rebuilt completely.

2 Nov 2007

New tool helps pharmacies cater for customers with poor health literacy

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today announced two new tools to help pharmacies provide better quality services to people with limited health literacy.

1 Nov 2007

What is a critical lab value? it depends, Hopkins researchers find

When it comes to lab tests, interpreting the clinical importance of an out-of-range result depends on how much experience a physician has, suggests research from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

28 Oct 2007

Coping after medical errors

Guilt, fear and loneliness often afflict both the caregiver and the family in the aftermath of a medical error, feelings that can be overcome if all parties try to build bridges and develop solutions that not only can prevent error but lead to forgiveness.

24 Oct 2007

Medical Errors News and Research

More aggressive hospital care does not lead to improved patient outcomes in all cases, study finds

Hospitals hire 'nocturnists' to improve patient care during night, weekend hours, Wall Street Journal reports

U.S. Government 'must take lead' in health care IT, former Rep. Johnson writes

Health Care Coalition pushes for e-prescribing legislation

Medical errors - Is healthcare getting worse or better?

Despondent nurse practitioners - disabling postmodern punishment

Treating safety research like other clinical studies slows progress

Newt Gingrich discusses need for more physicians to adopt electronic health record systems

New Democrat coalition, New York City officials announce proposal for Federal health care IT program

Clinical patient safety interventions reduce errors in obstetrical care

Medical error reporting by doctors to hospitals seems underused

Patient care: Intelligent Clinical Decision Support System

HHS releases new tools with aim to make health care safer

Better health outcomes in hospitals using information technology

Doctors in the U.S. slow to report an incompetent or unethical colleague

New recommendations provide evidence-based solutions to America's many health care problems

US adults most likely to report medical errors and skip needed care due to costs

New tool helps pharmacies cater for customers with poor health literacy

What is a critical lab value? it depends, Hopkins researchers find

Coping after medical errors

Exploring the intersection of biology and proteomics

Unlocking the Secrets of Multiple Sclerosis Progression: Brain-Immune Cell Communication

Passing on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Health risks for male offspring of women with PCOS

Latest News