March

Probe Says U.S. Emergency Care in Trouble

That ERs are overburdened isn't new. But the probe by the IOM, an independent scientific group that advises the government, provides an unprecedented look at the scope of the problems and recommends urgent steps for health organizations and local and federal officials to start fixing it

ABC News, Lauren Neergaard AP Medical Writer

Pushing Patients' Patience

The average emergency wait in 2005 was three hours and 42 minutes, according to a recent report released by consultancy Press Ganey. "The longer a patient waits, the more dissatisfied the patient gets," Said Press Ganey CEO Melvin Hall. "A hospital can soften that dissatisfaction merely by explaining the reason for the delay or giving an idea when the patient will be treated."

Press Ganey

Spread Your OR Thin

Saint John's Hospital in Springfield, MO, has adopted a system to spread elective surgeries over more days, reducing rescheduling, easing bottlenecks, and decreasing the need for overtime. Changes included scheduling elective surgeries evenly throughout the week, instead of bunching most procedures during the middle of the week. One operating room was dedicated to elective surgeries and overflow emergency cases. The changes led to fewer overtime hours and less boarding of patients.

News-Leader.com

Calling All Nurses

Nurses should soon be using voice-over-Wi-Fi phones in Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield, Indiana as part of an effort to improve their mobility and reduce network costs by using the hospital's Wi-Fi network.

Computerworld

Add ICU Beds and Watch Revenues, Positive Outcomes Soar

Adding hospital beds to the ICU improves emergency care, reduces patient risks and increases hospital revenue. This is according to a study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, in which researchers spent two years monitoring the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

Modernhealthcare

Standard Procedure

A recent study shows that tremendous improvements in patient safety and hospital costs can be achieved by standardization of care processes. The analysis is based on data from Premier's pay-for-performance demonstration project with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Congress has mandated that Medicare develop a plan to implement "value-based purchasing," which ties payment to quality of care and other outcomes, beginning with FY2009. This project is a test of one value-based purchasing model.premierinc.com

PremierInc.com

Ambulances: Saving Lives and Saving Time

The St. Louis area has deployed a system to track emergency victims from the scene of an incident through their transportation to hospitals, while alerting emergency rooms of the names and conditions of incoming patients. A modern wireless network has replaced a 30-year-old radio system. Paramedics at the scene of an emergency now use handheld devices to record patients' identification, conditions, vital signs, chief injuries or illnesses, and the hospitals to which they are being transported.

GovhealthIT.com

Remaking American Medicine

On October 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 10 p.m. PBS will air a compelling four-part series, which has its roots in the Pursuing Perfection initiative. The first episode focuses on medical errors - defining the scope of the problem and then turning to solutions - portrayed through the story of IHI's 100,000 Lives Campaign.

RamCampaign.org

Patient Flow Logistics: The Next Best Thing in Patient Flow Technology

A new technology called patient flow logistics takes patient flow software to the next level. By combining bed management and patient tracking modules with new rules-engine intelligence, as well as information from ADT systems, patient flow logistics software enables hospitals to see, upon patient admission, exactly where the patient will be (lab, radiology, physical therapy.), when he will be there, what equipment he will need, and which clinicians and staff members he'll require during the course of his hospital stay. Furthermore, it immediately communicates this information to all of the involved parties so they can plan accordingly. It also automatically updates all involved parties if/when changes are made.

StatCom.com