The Joint Commission has issued a warning that patient safety can be compromised by hostile behavior among medical staff. Starting next year, hospitals will be required to implement a code of conduct that defines such behavior, and also includes procedures for managing it.
Research has found that P4P programs have nearly no impact on the quality of healthcare. Some believe that reform is necessary to reward recommended care, while others say leaders must take a closer look into how such programs are implemented and carried through.
In five studies conducted in the United Kingdom, doctors did not discuss more problems, prescribe more drugs, run more tests, make more referrals, or do more examinations when they spent more time with patients. The patients in the five studies did not feel more satisfied with their care when they were able to consult longer with their doctors, according to researchers. However, in each study consultation times were only slightly longer than usual, and might have not been enough extra time to make a difference in the doctors' routine or the patients' satisfaction, the researchers write.
Congressional Republicans are trying to mend an ailing relationship with allies in the medical community after opposing legislation to block an annual pay cut for doctors under Medicare. Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri already convened a private meeting with a handful of top lobbyists for the medical community to make amends after the vote. The lingering tension, however, from that vote hints at a broader rift between doctors and the GOP as Congress prepares for a potential healthcare fight under the next president.
In a climate of deepening healthcare woes, more companies are trying to save money by opening work-site medical clinics. Toyota Nissan, Harrah’s Entertainment, and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts are among the converts. In addition, a recent study by benefits-consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide found that 32% of all employers with more than 1,000 workers either have an on-site medical center or plan to build one by 2009. An employer typically comes up with a blueprint of the services it aims to provide to its workers, then it hires an outside firm to manage the project and offers employees a major break on co-pays and other incentives if they use the center. Some companies also reward the use of in-house services by making deposits in the worker’s health savings account.
The Patient Safety Authority of Pennsylvania continues its push for hospitals to join the state's Wristband Standardization Project to "Band Together for Patient Safety." The program is meant to alert medical staff to individual patient issues, including allergies and do-not-resuscitate orders.