Researchers have found that most patients discharged from the emergency room leave without a full understanding of how to continue caring for themselves at home. Medical errors and other complications can result.
A study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that "virtual" colonoscopies may be able to identify cancers as well as invasive surgeries and other procedures. However, some are concerned about the financial ramifications, as colonoscopies have been very profitable for gastroenterologists.
Despite recent regulatory changes at the federal level, many physicians remain hesitant to purchase electronic medical record systems, according to research by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Hospitals, however, are pushing for adoption of EMRs, saying they improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare.
Massachusetts General Hospital will cut nearly 200 positions, citing rising costs. However, hospital officials say they hope to find alternative positions for those impacted by the cuts.
Google and Microsoft have begun working on plans to improve the nation's healthcare. The two will combine the Web's resources, online health records, and enhanced Internet search tools to ultimately help people make better choices when it comes to their healthcare.
Hospitals in the Cincinnati region have been seeing hundreds of patients complaining of weather-related health problems following a severe windstorm last weekend. Hundreds of thousands of residents are still reportedly without electricity, prompting concern for the care of homebound patients.
North Carolina lawmakers may soon implement policies requiring hospitals to report infections, which would help to meet standards that are already in place.
New television ads for medical devices have some medical experts concerned, as they say this can pose a more serious risk for patients than those advertising drugs. The Senate Aging Committee held a hearing recently to discuss whether restrictions on such advertising are needed.
Physician-hospital administrator disputes are prevalent nationwide, and are often caused by budgetary issues as well as determining who is in control. And these disputes too often put patients in the middle.
As many as 600,000 people are affected by deep vein thrombosis blood clots each year, prompting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to publish two guides recently—Your Guide to Preventing and Treating Blood Clots, and Preventing Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism: A Guide for Effective Quality Improvement.
