When limited resources make it challenging for long-term-care facilities to manage infection prevention, sales reps can help. No matter how diligent long-term care facilities are when it comes to addressing infection control issues, there is always room for improvement, according to Sherrie Dornberger, RN, executive director, National Association of Directors of Nursing … [Read more...]
The Window to a Patient’s Health
The leap between oral and systemic health may not be as great as some physicians once believed. Is the mouth a window to patients’ health? For years, many dentists and their staff have recognized the link between their patients’ oral health and other diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Today, more and more physicians are making the connection … [Read more...]
Price-shopping?
Price transparency tools help patients understand the cost of medical treatment How much should a consumer expect to pay for a facelift? Somewhere between $6,000 and $15,000, including an anesthesia fee of $1,000 to $1,300, and a hospital fee of $500 to $2,000, plus surgeon. That’s according to CostHelper.com, one of a number of comparative-pricing guidelines that consumers … [Read more...]
Colon cancer incidence rates dropping among older Americans
Growing use of colonoscopy credited Colon cancer incidence rates have dropped 30 percent in the United States in the last 10 years among adults 50 and older, primarily due to the widespread uptake of colonoscopy, with the largest decrease in people over age 65, the American Cancer Society recently reported. Colonoscopy use has almost tripled among adults ages 50 to 75, from … [Read more...]
Choosing Wisely: Endocrine Society and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
A Learning Process The Endocrine Society’s leadership wanted to participate in the Choosing Wisely program in order to help endocrinologists engage patients in important discussions about their health and the benefits of various treatment options, says Robert Lash, M.D., University of Michigan Health System, who served as chairman of the Joint Task Force of the Endocrine … [Read more...]
Choosing Wisely: Society of General Internal Medicine
Change of Habits Choosing Wisely isn’t just an effort to reduce tests and procedures that are likely to have little or no impact on outcomes, says Eric Bass, M.D., MPH, professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, and president of the Society of General Internal Medicine. It is also an effort to consider the … [Read more...]
Choosing Wisely: Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Just the Facts Choosing Wisely is an effort to educate physicians and patients about commonly used tests and procedures that are often overused or misused, that make little or no difference in treatment or outcomes, and that can – in some cases – cause harm to patients, says Douglas Wood, MD, chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, UW Medicine, Seattle, Wash., and … [Read more...]
Choosing Wisely: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Take a Step Back Choosing Wisely is about practicing quality medicine, not merely pointing out tests and procedures that don’t change outcomes or clinical management, says Theodore Freeman, MD, who sits on the executive committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and who helped compile the Academy’s Choosing Wisely recommendations. What constitutes … [Read more...]
Choosing Wisely: American College of Physicians
A Quest to Deliver High Value Care “Choosing Wisely encourages physicians and patients to question the routine use of tests and treatments that are unlikely to help and may actually harm patients,” says Daisy Smith, MD, FACP, senior physician educator, American College of Physicians. As such, it fits with ACP’s mission, that is, “to enhance the quality and effectiveness of … [Read more...]
Choosing Wisely: American Association of Family Physicians
Conversation Needed “The most important goal of Choosing Wisely is to provide evidence-based suggestions that can help improve our patients' healthcare quality,” says Reid Blackwelder, MD, FAAFP, professor and director of undergraduate medical education, Kingsport Center, East Tennessee State University, and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Our … [Read more...]