Nov 28, 2014 | Health Navigator
The NPR story noted: “In the emergency department at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, pharmacists who specialize in emergency medicine review each medication to make sure it’s the right one in the right dose. It’s part of the hospital’s efforts to cut down on medication errors and dangerous drug interactions, which contribute to more than 7,000 deaths across the country each year.”
“Medication errors can be caused by something as simple as bad handwriting, confusion between drugs with similar names, poor packaging design or confusion between metric or other dosing units, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But they’re often due to a combination of factors, which makes them harder to prevent.” (more…)
Nov 27, 2014 | Health Navigator
The Joint Commission release noted: “Nearly 40 million anesthetics are administered annually in the United States. To raise awareness of the risks of anesthesia or sedation and precautions that should be taken, The Joint Commission released a new Speak Up™ infographic today for patients and consumers titled ‘Speak Up: About Anesthesia and Sedation.’ The publication was developed in collaboration with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists®.” (more…)
Nov 26, 2014 | Health Navigator
The Anesthesiology News article noted “Routine preanesthetic tests cost more than $60 billion every year, but far fewer than 1% reveal pertinent abnormalities relating to the anesthetic or the surgery, according to a 1989 study published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia (1989;36:S13-S19).”
“For that reason, national guidelines recommend minimizing preoperative testing in low-risk, stable patients undergoing non-emergent surgery. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) released a guideline in 2012 that advised against routine testing, such as labs, chest x-rays and electrocardiograms (EKG). But the ASA suggested a tailored approach for anything with a high risk.” (more…)
Nov 25, 2014 | Health Navigator
The New York Times article noted: “Everyone on the ward fell hard for the patient in the room at the end of the hall. Her roommate was loud, demanding and a complete nuisance — nobody spent more time in that part of the room than was absolutely necessary. But the gently smiling, impeccably mannered little 90-year-old, admitted to the window bed with a touch of pneumonia, was a big favorite.”
“The doctors joked with her, the nurses stroked her head and brought antibiotics and nebulizers right on time, and her private-duty attendant organized her pillows and fed her little snacks. She looked like a million dollars when they sent her home.” (more…)
Nov 24, 2014 | Health Navigator
The Wall Street Journal article noted “Health insurers in several states are adding to the choices of doctors and hospitals in their health-law plans amid concerns among some consumers and state officials about access to care.”
“The insurers that are expanding their networks said they aren’t responding to complaints. Instead, they said, the tweaks reflect more willingness by some health-care providers to join the new networks, which often pay them less than traditional employer plans, as well as adjustments to serve the specific populations who enrolled.” (more…)
Nov 21, 2014 | Health Navigator
The Wall Street Journal article noted: “The aim is to move patients and doctors into a relationship of shared accountability. Health-care providers are giving patients more access to their medical records so they can help spot and correct errors and omissions.”
“Studies show errors can occur on as many as 95% of the medication lists found in patient medical records. Errors include outdated data and omissions that many patients could readily identify, including prescription drugs that are no longer taken and incorrect data about frequency or dosage. Patients also are being asked to fill in the blanks about pain relievers and other over-the-counter medications, as well as supplements and vitamins, all of which can interact with prescription drugs.” (more…)
The NPR story noted: “In the emergency department at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, pharmacists who specialize in emergency medicine review each medication to make sure it’s the right one in the right dose. It’s part of the hospital’s efforts to cut down on medication errors and dangerous drug interactions, which contribute to more than 7,000 deaths across the country each year.”
