More than 14,000 emergency patients were rejected by hospitals in Japan at least three times before getting treatment in 2007, according to a government survey. At least 3.5 percent of cases in serious condition were rejected three times or more by hospitals, according to a report. The results came amid reports of Japanese patients being rejected because doctors are not available or hospitals lack adequate facilities.
In light of widespread failings in a California-run treatment program for substance-abusing doctors, a California senator is calling for audits of similar programs for nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals. The Medical Board of California abolished its confidential addiction program in 2007 after five audits found that it was not working. Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) said he was troubled that reviews had never been conducted on the seven other healthcare boards that offer so-called diversion programs.
After doctors questioned the accuracy of information, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has put on hold plans to share quality of care and cost data about individual doctors with its members. Doctors had been given 60 days before the planned rollout to review their profiles, and some pointed to inaccuracies that included reports saying they didn't perform certain tests when their own records showed otherwise. BlueCross did not say how long the publication schedule would be delayed.
The Chinese government is considering shifting emphasis from the country's large, state-run hospitals to a parallel system with thousands of smaller primary-care clinics. The plan on the table would expand and boost funding for the myriad clinics, offering primary care to people in both rural and urban areas. One of the biggest questions has been what to do with the state hospitals, many of which have thrived almost as independent businesses.
Geriatricians provide specialized care to the elderly, and until recently their numbers have been growing. Despite attempts to convince the medical profession and the public of their worth, the number of practicing geriatricians in the United States is falling seriously behind needed levels. One estimate shows the nation's teaching hospitals are producing one or two geriatricians for every nine cardiologists or orthopedic surgeons.
Minorities are more likely than white patients to rate their healthcare as fair or poor, according to researchers at Harvard University and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that surveyed 4,334 adults. Researchers asked patients such questions as how quickly they were able to get an appointment and whether their doctor explained things in a way the patient could understand. Although whites routinely rated their experience higher, minority patients still had largely favorable views of their care.