Articles tagged with Health Care Delivery
Using a dataset of 873 children's heart rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation measurements, researchers developed data fusion models that predicted the severity of their illness with moderate accuracy. The best-performing model had a sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 75.8%, outperforming existing scoring systems.
Hospitals in US territories demonstrate worse performance on core processes for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia compared to hospitals in the US. The territories have higher mortality rates and lower performance measures for patients discharged after these conditions.
Project ECHO demonstrates that primary care providers can be trained to manage complex chronic conditions via videoconferencing technology, expanding their ability to treat very sick patients. The model has been shown to improve treatment outcomes and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in minority communities.
A study of over 2,900 pediatric patients found that 12% returned to the ER within six months of their initial visit, despite having an outpatient mental health provider. The majority of ER visits stemmed from behavioral problems or minor psychiatric crises.
A study found that areas with higher levels of primary care physicians had modestly lower death rates and fewer preventable hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries. Beneficiaries in high-primary-care-physician areas had 6% lower ACSC hospitalization rates compared to low-primary-care-physician areas.
A recent study indicates that prolonged sleep deprivation among doctors can result in higher rates of surgical complications. The authors suggest establishing minimum uninterrupted sleep hours as a best practice standard to ensure patient safety.
A telemedicine intervention in ICUs was associated with lower hospital and ICU mortality, lower rates of preventable complications, and shorter hospital and ICU lengths of stay. The study found that the tele-ICU team improved best clinical practice adherence for critical care procedures, leading to better patient outcomes.
Researchers found that heart-related hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries decreased from 1998 to 2008, with coronary artery disease and heart attack seeing significant declines. However, cardiac arrhythmia hospitalizations increased, while chronic bronchitis hospitalizations rose.
Dr. Ed Wagner receives the prestigious William B. Graham Prize for his work in chronic illness management, cancer care, and patient-centered care. The prize recognizes his significant contributions to studying how best to provide healthcare.
A quick, inexpensive, and easy-to-administer physiological measure of pupil dilation in response to emotional words can predict which patients are likely to respond to cognitive therapy. This technology has the potential to improve treatment response rates in mental health clinics.
A study comparing US and UK ICU admissions found that UK patients were sicker upon admission, while US patients required more continuing care after discharge. Hospital mortality rates varied between the countries due to differences in healthcare systems and discharge practices.
A reformed Medicaid program must prioritize coordinated primary care to ensure access and sustainability. The American College of Physicians recommends various improvements, including increased payment rates, reduced administrative burdens, and expanded long-term care options.
The VA has seen significant improvements in healthcare quality over the last decade, with better care for seniors and patients with diabetes. However, racial disparities persist, with black veterans experiencing lower quality of care and fewer favorable outcomes compared to white veterans.
A survey by the Commonwealth Fund found that seven in ten adults think the US healthcare system needs to be fundamentally changed. The concerns include access barriers, poorly coordinated care, and growing costs. Strong support was also shown for patient-centered care systems and innovative use of teams and information systems.
CMAJ states that Canada's federal election should prioritize quality health care delivery over sustainability. The six aspects of high-quality care include safety, effectiveness, patient-centred care, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. A national electronic health record system is vital to ensuring quality care.
A Europe-wide survey of over 9,000 people across seven countries found that 71% prioritize improving quality of life in their final time, while 4% aim to prolong life and 25% value both equally. The study calls for a shift towards prioritizing patients' needs alongside potentially life-prolonging treatments.
A randomized trial of 208 Group Health patients found that online care management significantly reduced symptoms of depression and improved medication adherence. The study suggests that online messaging can be a convenient and affordable alternative to traditional phone calls for follow-up care.
A study published in PLOS Medicine found that only a third of births in rural Zambia occurred at a health facility, with half of mothers living over 25 km from basic emergency obstetric care. The level of care at the facility significantly influenced the odds of facility delivery.
A quality improvement intervention improved the adoption of evidence-based care practices in intensive care units, with greatest gains in catheter-related bloodstream infection prevention and ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention. The study's findings suggest that collaborative networks can help community hospitals improve ICU out...
In Pakistan, community health workers known as Lady Health Workers (LHWs) reduced stillbirths by 21% and newborn deaths by 15%, despite low coverage. The LHWs delivered a package of preventive and promotive maternal and newborn care interventions, including antenatal care promotion and clean delivery kits.
The Affordable Care Act offers comprehensive health benefits to 8.6 million uninsured adults ages 50-64 and 9.7 million underinsured adults. Baby boomers will gain improved coverage through essential benefit standards, limits on out-of-pocket spending, and elimination of lifetime benefit limits.
A RAND Corporation study finds that home health care technology can empower patients to self-manage their conditions, improve health outcomes, and reduce costs. Despite its promise, adoption faces obstacles such as restrictive insurance coverage, limited patient readiness, and concerns about product design.
The Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center hosted a symposium on high-value health care, emphasizing the need for payment reform and collaborative approaches. Panelists stressed the importance of integrated care, ACOs, and electronic health records in achieving better health outcomes.
A study found that integrating smoking cessation treatment with mental health care for PTSD resulted in higher rates of prolonged smoking abstinence among military veterans. The treatment, known as integrated care (IC), was more effective than referral to specialized cessation treatment.
A study of 25,910 adult patients found that starting dialysis too early is associated with a higher risk of death. In contrast, early referral to a nephrologist is consistently linked to improved survival rates.
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health has secured over $40 billion in commitments to improve maternal and child health, with key stakeholders meeting in Delhi to promote accountability. The Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health has been instrumental in mobilizing these funds.
A study by the University of Michigan Health System found that specialists spend over 650,000 work weeks on routine follow-up care for patients with common chronic conditions. Delegating a proportion of this care could create system-wide efficiencies and free up specialists to focus on new patients and complex cases.
The article discusses the variations in end-of-life care in intensive care units (ICUs) and the need for clinicians to be aware of subtle institutional pressures and adapt their approach to individual patients. Key findings include differences in family involvement, communication styles, and attitudes toward withdrawing life support ac...
The European Board of Intensive Care Medicine aims to increase recognition of intensive care medicine within European legislation. The ESICM launches the 'Linking Intensive Care to Family Experience' (LIFE) campaign to improve quality by including patient and family views.
A Web-based tool extracted from the electronic medical record helps primary care physicians manage care for individual patients, groups of patients or their entire panel. The Panel Support Tool (PST) improves care for patients with diabetes and/or heart disease, and provides better preventive care for healthy patients.
Researchers analyzed 33,900 hospital-based outpatient visits to compare resident and staff physician performance. Resident physicians outperformed staff on four measures, including ACE inhibitor use for congestive heart failure and routine blood pressure screenings.
A JAMA article recommends integrating biomedical informatics into medical education to improve physicians' ability to manage information and make informed decisions. The field of biomedical informatics has four major areas of applications, including bioinformatics, imaging informatics, clinical informatics, and public health informatics.
A new study reveals that African Americans with muscular dystrophy face a significant mortality gap compared to their white counterparts, largely due to unequal access to quality healthcare and insurance coverage. This widening disparity is attributed to systemic inequalities in the healthcare delivery system and the effects of inadequ...
A study from RAND Corporation and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that three characteristics - being female, board certified, and graduating from a domestic medical school - had a small association with better quality medical care. However, these findings highlight the need for better physician performance data to hel...
Healthcare professionals need specialized training to deliver end-of-life discussions, while a network of colleagues provides ongoing support for communication and decision-making. This approach helps sustain terminally ill patients and their loved ones, rather than leaving them feeling abandoned or overwhelmed.
A recent study published by the American Thoracic Society found that an intervention designed to improve palliative care in ICU settings was ineffective in improving family satisfaction after a loved one's death. The program aimed to enhance communication between doctors, nurses, and families but failed to make a significant impact.
Primary care physicians' rankings on common quality measures appear to be associated with patient characteristics, such as socioeconomic status and insurance coverage. Adjusting rankings based on these factors significantly changed the quality rankings for many physicians.
A new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine found that uninsured minority pedestrians are at a significantly higher risk of death in car accidents compared to their insured white counterparts. The research also revealed that minority pedestrians are more likely to be struck by cars and experience increased mortality rates even after adjust...
Very low birthweight and preterm infants are more likely to die without access to specialized NICU care. A regionalized system of NICUs has improved infant mortality rates since its inception in the 1970s, but progress has been hindered by a decline in Level III hospital births.
A recent study published in PLOS Medicine suggests that IT-based programs can support clinicians to close gaps in CVD care delivery, including risk assessment and patient self-management. The authors emphasize the need for a supportive social and political environment to fully realize the potential of these programs.
Researchers found that local fishermen exposed to oil clean-up efforts two years prior showed persistent airway injury, including increased prevalence rates of respiratory symptoms and biomarkers of pulmonary oxidative stress. The study suggests even short-term exposure to oil sediments may have detrimental health effects.
Researchers found that proactively disclosing medical errors decreased new legal claims and costs for health care systems. Collaboration between internists and specialists improved care for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection by increasing adherence to quality-of-care measures. However, administering corticosteroids to de...
A community-based maternal health delivery strategy known as the MOM Project increased access to maternal health care services for internally displaced women in eastern Burma. The study found a ten-fold increase in women assisted at delivery by emergency obstetric care workers, resulting in improved antenatal and postnatal care outcomes.
Recent meta-analysis finds planned home births double the risk of neonatal deaths and triple when infants have congenital defects. Women should receive adequate midwife care and have quick access to hospital equipment for safe delivery.
Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks gestation are more likely to experience respiratory issues, with risks decreasing as gestational age approaches full term. Respiratory distress syndrome was found in 11% of 34-week deliveries and transient tachypnea in 6.4% of the same group.
A learning collaborative approach increases access to quality PMTCT care in Eastern Rwanda by testing multiple improvement ideas simultaneously. The method strengthens health systems and engages local health workers, ultimately increasing the health value delivered to families.
A Cornell University PhD candidate has won the top prize in the 2010 CIMIT Prize in Primary Healthcare competition for his project on DNA nanobarcodes. His technology offers a one-step quick point-of-care test for diagnosing pathogens responsible for pharyngitis, allowing timely and accurate triage of sore throats.
CIMIT has awarded over $3 million in seed grants to support innovative medical research projects targeting brain injuries, pain management and improving care for wounded warriors. The selected projects aim to accelerate medical innovation and improve patient care through novel approaches and clinical systems.
A comprehensive survey of free clinics in the US found that they provide an estimated 3.1 million medical visits and nearly 300,000 dental visits annually, filling gaps in the health safety net for low-income patients.
Despite accelerated progress in reducing child mortality, maternal mortality remains high. Brazil and China are highlighted as countries on track to meet the targets set out in MDG4 and MDG5. The report emphasizes the need for increased investment in health systems, community-based interventions, and social determinants.
AMIA members receive workforce and SHARP grants to develop curriculum and train informatics specialists. The grants support the adoption of health IT and electronic health records, aiming to create a high-performing healthcare system.
Research from the University of Warwick and the University of West England calls for social care home workers to be trained in basic clinical nursing skills to provide high-quality care as residents' needs increase. The report also highlights cultural barriers, such as ageism, that hinder care delivery.
A flexible treatment intervention that combines cognitive behavior therapy, medication, and computer-assisted support significantly improved anxiety symptoms and functional disability in patients with common anxiety disorders. The study found a 63.66% response rate and 51.49% remission rate compared to usual care.
A new study from Indiana University School of Medicine offers a blueprint for hospital systems, physicians, and caregivers to implement evidence-based research in patient care. The study highlights the need for healthcare providers to overcome end-zone hurdles and provides a framework for success.
The medical home prototype improved quality of care, patient experiences, and clinician well-being, with significant cost savings through reduced emergency visits and hospitalizations. The study's findings support the model's ability to address healthcare concerns and provide recommendations for implementation.
A study found that patients with mild to moderate acne who underwent remote online visits had a similar decrease in inflammatory acne lesions as those who visited their dermatologist's office. Both groups reported high levels of satisfaction with their care.
The March 2010 issue of Clinics in Perinatology focuses on Quality Improvement (QI) methodology and its application in neonatal and perinatal practice. QI leaders share their expertise on various topics, including QI methodologies, human factors, and quality-assurance procedures.
A leading hospitalist argues that hospital medicine can address fundamental problems in payment and delivery systems, improving access for millions of uninsured Americans. Hospitalists will be key in shaping the future of the American healthcare system, focusing on quality, safety, and efficiency.
A Kaiser Permanente study found that risky drinkers report poorer health-related practices, including stress relief with alcohol and cigarettes, unhealthy eating, and not regularly seeing doctors. Moderate drinking was associated with better health and more likely medical care seeking.
A study found significant disparities in palliative care services across US cancer centers, with NCI-designated centers offering more comprehensive programs. The researchers identified barriers such as poor reimbursement and limited institutional resources hindering the delivery of high-quality palliative care.