April 13th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Three in five inpatients are extremely satisfied with their hospital care. And two of three patients would definitely recommend their hospital to friends and family, according to new survey data released last month by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
The patient satisfaction data also show that eight in 10 patients said their physicians always explained things clearly, listened carefully and treated them with courtesy and respect.
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Posted in Men??™s Health, Family Medicine | No Comments »
April 1st, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Physicians say a Missouri Supreme Court ruling, though narrow, recognizes the significance of medical staff bylaws and offers doctors some recourse in the face of unfair discipline.
Breaking with a 43-year-old precedent, a unanimous high court opened the door for medical staff members to sue hospitals over privileging disputes if the facilities fail to follow staff bylaws. Justices departed from a long-held principle that hospital privileging decisions were not subject to judicial review, noting that was the “nationwide majority rule” at the time of the high court’s 1965 decision.
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March 31st, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Physicians say a Missouri Supreme Court ruling, though narrow, recognizes the significance of medical staff bylaws and offers doctors some recourse in the face of unfair discipline.
Breaking with a 43-year-old precedent, a unanimous high court opened the door for medical staff members to sue hospitals over privileging disputes if the facilities fail to follow staff bylaws. Justices departed from a long-held principle that hospital privileging decisions were not subject to judicial review, noting that was the “nationwide majority rule” at the time of the high court’s 1965 decision.
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February 18th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Some California physicians say a recent settlement between a Ventura hospital and the Dept. of Justice underscores the importance of a self-governing medical staff.
Community Memorial Hospital in December 2007 agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle allegations that the facility gave improper gifts, loans and payments to some doctors in exchange for Medicare patient referrals. No doctors were named in the agreement, and the hospital did not admit any wrongdoing. Community Memorial administrators voluntarily disclosed the financial relationships, which took place under the hospital’s former leadership.
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February 17th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Making alcohol-based hand gels common and accessible in hospitals increases their use and cuts the amount of microbes on the hands of nursing staff. But it does not cut the rates of device-associated infections, illness caused by drug-resistant bacteria or cases of Clostridium difficile, says a study published in the January Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Drugs | No Comments »
February 17th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
As big-name national retailers and pharmacy chains continue to open in-store clinics, a familiar face soon may enter the fray as well — your local hospital.
Wal-Mart recently announced plans to partner with community hospitals across the country to open up 400 new retail clinics inside its stores by 2010, in addition to the 55 it already houses. Thirteen of those are owned and operated by hospital systems.
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February 11th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Washington — President Bush’s fiscal 2009 health budget, with steep Medicare spending cuts as a main highlight, sets the stage for a tough fight with Congress in the months ahead.
The proposal, part of a wider $3.1 trillion plan, is just the first step in this year’s health care budget debate. Health care organizations and congressional Democrats have found a lot not to like. Bush proposes reducing Medicare and Medicaid spending anticipated under current law by $196 billion over five years, with hospitals as the main target. The plan would do nothing to prevent Medicare physician payment cuts.
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February 11th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Two hospital agreements to share with physicians some of the cost savings derived from quality-of-care measures are not likely to violate federal fraud and anti-kickback statutes, according to a pair of Jan. 14 advisory opinions by the Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
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Posted in Men??™s Health, Lab Medicine | No Comments »
January 21st, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Since their rise more than three decades ago, hospital ethics committees have sought to help physicians, patients and their families resolve ethical disagreements and navigate the treacherous terrain that so often accompanies medical care at the end of life.
The role of these committees was cemented in 1992 when the Joint Commission mandated that health care organizations come up with some way of addressing ethical concerns. Ninety-five percent of general hospitals surveyed in 1999 and 2000 offered ethics consultation or were starting up a consult service.
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January 20th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Dobson
Washington — A new report outlining violations of health and safety standards at some physician-owned specialty hospitals has lawmakers renewing efforts to ban the facilities.
The Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated 109 of the country’s orthopedic, cardiac and surgical hospitals and found that more than one-third of them may be in violation of Medicare’s conditions of participation.
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Posted in Medicine, Pediatrics | No Comments »