A new study suggests that radiologists should start examining something they usually ignore: the human face. The eyes of modern radiology are so trained on high-tech images of arteries, organs and bones that actual patients can become abstract concepts, says the study's authors, who found that including photographs of patients in their files enhanced radiologists' performance.
Recent studies suggest that badly behaved doctors contribute to medical mistakes, preventable complications, and even death. A survey of healthcare workers at 102 nonprofit hospitals from 2004 to 2007 found that 67% of respondents said they thought there was a link between disruptive behavior and medical mistakes, and 18% said they knew of a mistake that occurred because of an obnoxious doctor. Another survey by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices found that 40% of hospital staff members reported having been so intimidated by a doctor that they did not share their concerns about orders for medication that appeared to be incorrect. As a result, 7% said they contributed to a medication error.
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After decades of failed efforts to reshape the nation’s healthcare system, a consensus appears to be emerging about how to achieve the elusive goal of providing medical insurance to all Americans. The answer, say leading groups of businesses, hospitals, doctors, labor unions and insurance companies, is unprecedented government intervention to create a system of universal protection.
The chief executives of America's preeminent healthcare institutions say when it comes to medical care, the United States isn't getting its money's worth. "We're not getting what we pay for," says Denis Cortese, president and chief executive of the Mayo Clinic. Not only is American healthcare inefficient and wasteful, adds Kaiser Permanente chief executive George Halvorson, much of it is dangerous. The harsh assessments illustrate the enormousness of the challenge that awaits President-elect Barack Obama as he tries to overhauld the nation's healthcare system.
Howard County, MD's groundbreaking program that offers low-cost healthcare to uninsured residents has succeeded in securing care for nearly 1,000 people. But the catch is the vast majority already qualified for existing programs and won't be part of the Healthy Howard initiative. Instead, the county is enrolling these residents in other state, federal and nonprofit programs they didn't realize they were eligible for. The disconnect points to troubling gaps not just locally but also across the nation in matching critical services with those who need them, officials said.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is launching a health Web site for the general public in a move by the insurer to stake out a central role in the crowded field of helping consumers seek and manage healthcare information online. The site is the first such free site from a major health insurer that is aimed broadly at consumers, not just health-plan members or employees of large corporate clients. Run by UnitedHealth's health-and-wellness services unit, the site includes tools to check symptoms, a search engine for finding specific health or disease information, and a repository where consumers can maintain their personal medical information.
Beginning in 2009, Duke University Health System will have a self-perpetuating 40-year lease on Durham (NC) Regional Hospital. The arrangement, revising Duke's original 1998 lease on the institution, has received approval from the Durham County, NC, Board of Commissioners. Under the new deal, Duke will increase its contributions for Lincoln Community Health Center and Emergency Medical Services with annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index. After 2031 Duke will no longer pay annual rent for the hospital itself, but is expected to pay for renovations and upgrades.
With growing numbers of people looking for healthcare solutions in tough economic times, insurers are starting to offer low-cost options for those who can't afford full insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida recently entered the discount card market. The program boasts it can offer discounts of 5% to 40% for those providers who take the card. Blue Cross, as well as several others, also now offer limited-benefit insurance, which generally helps pay for routine medical care but not for catastrophic problems.
A state-imposed deadline is looming to save the ailing Commonwealth Medical Center in Aliquippa, PA. The state Department of Health said it will move to permanently close the debt-ridden, 96-bed facility, formerly known as Aliquippa Community Hospital, unless the hospital can prove that it is capable of functioning for at least six months to a year. The community was in a dogged bid to save the hospital founded 51 years ago as a nonprofit institution and sold last year after losing $12 million since a 2004 bankruptcy restructuring. The buyer, Commonwealth Medical Center, sought to operate it as a for-profit facility.
