The Joint Commission has informed hospitals that they must adopt measures to prevent medication errors relating to blood thinners—nearly 60,000 such errors have been reported, which include 28 deaths in recent years. The Commission is urging hospitals to monitor patients more closely and adopt bar-code technology for medicines.
A new program at Skyline Medical Center in Tennessee aims to reduce waiting times in the emergency room by diverting non-critical cases to local clinics. Program directors hope that, in addition to cutting costs for unnecessary ER visits, the program will also help provide an alternative for patients who typically use the ER as their primary source of medical care.
Amid growing concerns about hospital infections and a rise in drug-resistant bacteria, the attire of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers is getting more attention. While infection control experts have published extensive research on the benefits of hand washing and equipment sterilization in hospitals, little is known about the role that ties, white coats, long sleeves and soiled scrubs play in the spread of bacteria.
Researchers for the Archives of Internal Medicine have found that some physicians, namely cancer specialists and surgeons, lack empathy when dealing with patient concerns. Previous studies show that doctors who display more empathy have more satisfied patients, leading to lower anxiety and a better understanding of their condition.
A surgeon at the Miriam Hospital, in Providence, RI, operated on the wrong knee of a patient undergoing elective surgery. This happened despite the hospital's recent increased focus on preventing wrong-site surgeries. Kathleen C. Hittner, hospital president and chief executive officer, told the Providence Journal that the surgical team had apparently followed the key safety protocols--including marking the correct knee and pausing to verify the site before operating--but still made the medical error. And the mistake was first noticed by the patient, when she regained consciousness.
According to UC Davis researchers, premature babies who are sheltered in sterile environments cannot easily pick up good intestinal bacteria, making them vulnerable to dangerous bacteria. Next month, researchers plan to begin working to guide bacteria colonization in efforts to encourage good microbes and discourage the bad.