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Policymakers, the media and the public should use 20 specific health indicators

Policymakers, the media, and the public should focus on 20 specific health indicators as "yardsticks" to measure the overall health and well-being of Americans, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

17 Dec 2008

Informed consent process has lost its educational value

It's time patient consent forms came back full circle to a tool for patient education, rather than the waiver of liability they have become.

17 Dec 2008

Healthcare leaders vow to stop intravenous medication errors

Intravenous (i.v.) medication errors are twice as likely to cause harm to patients as medications delivered by other routes of administration (such as tablets or liquids), according to research commissioned by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

16 Dec 2008

Proactive care saves lives of seniors

Can a patient-centered, care management program utilizing nurse care managers and interdisciplinary teams, supported by electronic tracking and care coordination systems reduce the rate of deaths and hospitalizations among chronically ill older adults?

15 Dec 2008

Nearly one-fifth of all Californians under age 65 lack health insurance

Nearly one-fifth of all Californians under age 65 were without health insurance for all or some of 2007, according to a policy brief released today by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

15 Dec 2008

Interruptions in Medicaid coverage associated with a higher rate of hospitalization

Interruptions in Medicaid coverage are associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for conditions that can often be treated in an ambulatory care setting, including asthma, diabetes, and hypertension, according to a new study in today's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

15 Dec 2008

New Georgia initiative to improve rural hospitals

Seven rural Georgia hospitals will participate in a new initiative designed to help increase their capacity to serve patients, improve the quality of their services and reduce costs.

12 Dec 2008

An evidence-based approach to theories of medical decision making and health

As a way to help both the sick and their medical care providers to make the best healthcare decisions possible, a special section of the current November/December 2008 issue of Medical Decision Making examines three current evidenced-based theories that can help to improve assessments, assist in prevention programs, and help with intervention efforts.

12 Dec 2008

Nearly all U.S. hospitals have adverse event reporting systems

More than ninety-four percent of U.S. hospitals have centralized systems for collecting reports of adverse events, but only 21 percent fully distribute and consider adverse event summary reports, according to a study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

10 Dec 2008

Reforms needed in adolescent health care

Current health services for adolescents are fragmented and poorly designed to meet the health needs of all of the nation's adolescents, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

10 Dec 2008

People who want access to the NHS should behave more responsibly, says expert

Patients should recognise they have to take responsibility for their own health if they want access to free healthcare, says a leading academic.

10 Dec 2008

New mobile health van will tackle ear problems amongst children in remote Indigenous communities

An innovative new medical program in Queensland will use the latest technology to help treat children living in remote Indigenous communities.

9 Dec 2008

United States can learn from Dutch healthcare system

The United States can learn from the Dutch Health Insurance System model, according to an article by Pauline V. Rosenau, Ph.D., in the December issue of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.

8 Dec 2008

Studies examine quality of care for hospitalized sickle cell disease patients

A study assessing the quality of care for patients with sickle cell disease in a variety of hospital settings was presented Saturday, December 6 during the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Francisco, CA.

8 Dec 2008

Rethink urged on NHS outsourcing

The government needs to rethink its approach to NHS reforms, says UNISON, in the wake of a new damning report on the cost of commissioning and outsourcing.

5 Dec 2008

Sage tests high-tech solution for nursing shortage

One of the reasons for the shortage of nurses that continues to plague the heath care industry is too few clinical spaces where students can practice nursing care, but that's about to change with the increased use of high-tech mannequins that simulate real patient conditions including childbirth, trauma and many other real-world nursing situations.

5 Dec 2008