A fellow from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement offers five steps hospital executives must take to get physicians engaged in their organization's quality improvement efforts. Physician engagement is important, he notes, be cause "very little happens in a hospital or other care system that is not the direct result of a doctor's order or the indirect result of a policy approved by a body of physicians such as the organized medical staff."
In 2004, President Bush set a goal that by 2014, doctors would be using EMR systems with interoperable standards that would allow them to share lab results, images, computerized orders and prescription information with hospitals and other health facilities.
But now many EMR experts say not nearly enough progress has been made in the past four years to reach this goal.
Two British hospitals have introduced "talking" cardboard nurses to their reception areas as part of a project to battle infection. The life-size nurses have been placed at the front entrances of both hospitals to remind people of the importance of cleaning their hands before they enter the hospitals. The "nurses" work via an electronic motion sensor which is activated as people walk past, triggering a recorded message.
Some 20% of doctors say they will quit practicing medicine if universal healthcare insurance coverage is implemented, according to a survey by physician recruiting firm LocumTenens.com. Among nearly 1,400 doctors who answered the survey, 63% said they would 'continue practicing like they do today, 11% would change occupations, and 9% said they would retire.
Actor Dennis Quaid testified before Congress about a near-fatal drug mix-up in which his newborn twins received 1,000 times the correct dose of the blood thinner heparin. Quaid said the experience underscores the need to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable through lawsuits. Beginning with the Bush administration, the Food and Drug Administration has stepped into suits on the side of pharmaceutical companies, arguing that federal regulation of drugs pre-empts state suits.
Sixteen hospitals are leading a new effort to reduce birth injuries. The effort is being coordinated by Premier Inc., a healthcare alliance that promotes hospital safety and quality. The 16 hospitals have committed to following a set of guidelines that are proven to reduce harm during the birthing process.