A numbers of patient advocates, including physicians who coach people on how to get better care, are teaching patients how to communicate better with their doctors. This story provides a list of "do's and don'ts."
The Bair Paws hospital gown by Arizant Healthcare not only provides comfort but also an adjustable warmth system that can help prevent hypothermia in many surgical procedures. The single-use gown offers wrap-around coverage with soft, thick material.
Public attention is once again on MRSA. And hospitals nation-wide are stepping up their fight against all types of infections, especially superbugs that have been found to be more common and more deadly than previously believed. A recent federal report estimated that nearly 19,000 people died in the U.S. in 2005 after being infected with MRSA--more than the number killed by HIV/AIDS.
The Food and Drug Administration is considering allowing pharmaceutical makers to provide doctors with medical journal studies of unapproved uses for drugs. Critics say the move would undermine long-standing restrictions on marketing medicines for "off-label" purposes.
A recent survey of parents who had suffered the loss of a child found that they believed end-of-life care for children could be improved. Specific areas that need to be changed ranged from better communication and displays of emotion by medical staffers, to respect for the role of the parents, according to the survey.
A report that uses Medicare information to compare the performance of Ohio hospitals is now available to consumers. Consumers can use the information to review how well hospitals treat 11 separate conditions in the areas of cardiac care, pulmonary disease, orthopedic surgery and general surgery.