Doctors and insurance companies have something new to fight over: physician rating systems. The major health plans have started rating doctors to show patients whether they're cost-efficient, and physicians complain that numbers don't tell the whole story. The insurers are scrutinizing bills submitted to them without talking to the doctor about the cases involved. Doctors also say they're downgraded when patients don't comply with orders or when an insurer makes a clerical error.
A study by Boston researchers has found that doctors dealing with depression often put patients at risk. Depressed physicians were more likely to report poor health, be working in an impaired condition, and have difficulty concentrating at work, the study says, making it more likely for them to incorrectly order prescription drugs.
Two Ohio hospitals are using new technology to screen patients for MRSA. The new technology can diagnose the infection within two hours--allowing caregivers to treat affected patients faster and squash the infection's ability to spread.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has launched a campaign to encourage patients to communicate with physicians about their health. The campaign includes a five-minute video that shows how patient involvement can reduce medical errors and improve patient outcomes.
Massachusetts health regulators have approved a sweeping crackdown designed to stem the spread of infections inside hospitals. The Public Health Council will dispatch state inspectors regularly to hospitals to make sure they are following rules on preventing infections and reporting them promptly when they occur. The panel also approved a plan to issue report cards on infection rates for each hospital and will post that information on a state government website.
St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis has implemented a Web-based work force management system created by San Diego-based Bidshift, Inc. The scheduling program gives the medical center's more than 2,000 nurses greater flexibility in identifying extra shifts and linking the vacancies to their expertise and interests. The shift was made as hospital executives sought an up-to-date method of communicating open nursing shifts and attracting qualified workers.