Finding the best doctor in town can be a huge comfort in the midst of a medical crisis. I know. When I was diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene [linked to breast cancer risk], I opted for a preventative double mastectomy to greatly reduce my risk. A prominent plastic surgeon known for breast reconstruction was on staff at a hospital in my city, and that seemed like a godsend.
We recently conducted an in-depth study at Lumere to gain insight into physicians’ perceptions of clinical variation and the factors influencing their choices of drugs and devices. Based on a survey of 276 physicians, our study results show that it’s necessary to consistently and frequently share cost data and clinical evidence with physicians, regardless of whether they’re affiliated with or directly employed by a hospital.
American hospitals may have made a little progress in fighting one of the biggest problems threatening patients: infections they get while in the hospital. A new survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the rate of hospital acquired infections has gone down a little bit.
Most modern health care improvements seem to involve expensive technology and an uncomfortable amount of change management. But clinical and nonclinical staff at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital have improved patient care and raised staff morale at a very modest cost: 10 minutes a day and a special deck of cards.
Google, Amazon, insurers and credit card companies have long been able to tell whether you vote, own a dog, spent time in prison or drive a rusty 1997 Chevrolet. Now, that type of information is starting to pop up in front of doctors when you walk into their examination rooms.
Physicians are increasingly dissatisfied with their profession, fueled in part by the business and regulation of health care and greater demand to report data for electronic health records, according to a study released today by Geneia, a Harrisburg-based health care analytics company.