A Balancing Act: Methods to Even Out Healthcare’s Quality/Cost/Equity Equation
High cost does not necessarily equal high quality, as the United States’ healthcare record proves. Despite outspending every other Organisation for European Economic Co-operation and Development country on healthcare expenditure by nearly twofold, the U.S. has the lowest overall life expectancy and the highest incidence of chronic disease, suicide, and obesity.
Missed Messages
A lot has changed in healthcare since 2011, yet miscommunication is still the norm among clinicians. In its 2021 State of Healthcare Communication report, TigerConnect, a provider of collaborative communication tools, found that 35% of the more than 750 surveyed clinical and administrative respondents reported communication disconnects daily or multiple times a week.
Quarter of Physicians Report Experiencing Mistreatment at Work
The new research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, reports the results of a survey of nearly 1,400 physicians conducted from September to October 2020.
Probation, Not Jail Time, for Former Nurse RaDonda Vaught
Under Tennessee’s sentencing guidelines, Vaught could have been ordered to serve three to six years in prison for neglect and one to two years for negligent homicide. Instead, Vaught received a diverted sentence, which means that if she successfully completes her probation, the charges will be expunged from the record.
National Nurses Week Resources From PSQH
As National Nurses Week wraps up, we want to salute the valuable and courageous work done by nurses at all levels of care. We highlighted the efforts of nurses this week and will continue to do so.
Leapfrog Group: 33% of U.S. Hospitals Earn “A” Grade for Patient Safety
The Leapfrog Group released its latest grades for hospital patient safety. The analysis utilizes more than 30 measures, including the PSI 90 Patient Safety and Adverse Events composite, which features 10 component measures. The Leapfrog Group was founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers of healthcare. The nonprofit group publishes reports on hospital patient safety in the fall and the spring.
PSQH Quick Poll 2022: Taking the Pulse of Nursing’s Impact on Patient Safety
As part of National Nurses Week, PSQH reached out to our readers with a few questions about how nursing impacts patient safety and healthcare quality. The Quick Poll had a total of 212 respondents.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 53 – Making Sense of the Vaught Verdict
On episode 53 of PSQH: The Podcast, Crystal Glover, education consultant and professional development practitioner at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, talks about how nurses are reacting to the RaDonda Vaught verdict and what it will mean for nursing in the future. This episode is presented by Capella University as part of National Nurses Week.
The Impact of Cost on Medication Adherence
Some 50% of Americans don’t take their medications as directed by their doctor, for any of a host of reasons. This non-adherence leads to preventable hospitalizations and preventable deaths, and costs 16% or $500 billion of the entire U.S. healthcare spend every year.
Using AI to Address the Burden of Documentation
To preserve the well-being of clinicians who are fighting their way through these struggles, organizations are looking to innovative technology. Recently, the University of Michigan Health-West piloted an ambient clinical intelligence solution from Nuance, Dragon Ambient eXperience, that reduced the time physicians spent working on notes and decreased patient wait times.