Admin, Author at The HJN Blog

Workplace Drama Affects Patient Care and Is Seldom Addressed

Research shows workers feel they can’t discuss workplace problems, but that good management helps.

A new study by VitalSmarts shows that workplace drama, and the fact that it is seldom addressed, is yielding substantial reductions in patient safety and quality of care. “While most employees and physicians frequently witness these interpersonal concerns, few address the problems,” the company said.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Research on the PA Profession: The Medical Model Shifts

In an era where demand for medical services is outstripping supply, a good idea born in the 1960s is emerging as a medical innovation domestically and globally.

from JAAPA

Physician assistant (PA)-focused research arose in response to the idea that an assistant to the busy physician could improve healthcare delivery. The process of answering questions about the profession has involved multiple approaches and various scholarly disciplines. In the course of this undertaking, what emerged were three stages of examination of PA behavior. The bibliographic span from this period contains about 2,400 studies that advance some notion of PA benefit to society. On the 50th anniversary of the PA profession, a question arises as to what research has shown. The answer is that PAs are providing care at significant levels of quality and quantity and their presence is enriching many challenges in healthcare delivery. In an era where demand for medical services is outstripping supply, the good idea born in the 1960s is emerging as a medical innovation domestically and globally.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Do NP, PA Ordering Habits Lead to Higher Healthcare Costs?

A study found that primary care provider ordering habits may result in higher healthcare costs versus the habits of nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

from RevCycleIntelligence

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants did not contribute to higher healthcare costs by ordering more ancillary or expensive services compared to primary care providers, a recent American Journal of Managed Care study uncovered.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been, a Bad Doctor?

Anonymous online reviews of physicians are used to judge physicians, putting their careers and livelihoods on the line.

from KevinMD

While I was in full-time practice, as far as I can tell, I received one bad anonymously written online patient review. It was on one of the numerous sites that exist but allows written reviews. The star rating is not much better since here you have no idea what the complaint is. However, the weight these reviews carry will increase, so we better take heed. Plus, given the fact that so few patients actually respond on any of these sites, a single bad review can have a devastating impact.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Blowing Smoke

Profit motive—and scant evidence—propel dire warnings about surgical fumes.

from STAT

The claims sound terrifying: Just breathing the air in an operating room where hot surgical tools are being used to slice and cauterize tissue—emitting puffs of caustic smoke in the process—is said to be the equivalent of smoking up to 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day. The smoke contains an array of carcinogenic toxins. And nurses regularly exposed to it report they are twice as likely as the general public to suffer congestion, coughing, and asthma.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Schools Ban Fidget Toys as Classroom Distraction

Fidget spinners are toys designed to enhance concentration, but schools are starting to see them as a distraction.

from Chicago Tribune

The latest craze in classrooms and on playgrounds comes in the form of brightly colored, hand-held trinkets that spin, have buttons to push or otherwise keep hands occupied.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Star of New Comic Book Has Down Syndrome

In a first, a new comic book debuting this summer will feature a superhero with an extra 21st chromosome.

from Disability Scoop

Comic book publisher Lion Forge said they will introduce a character named Jonah, a teenage boy with Down syndrome, in a new series called “Superb.”

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

How Pharmacists Can Lead an Opioid Exit Plan

Managing post-op pain is a team effort—and who better to lead the team than a medication expert?

from ModernMedicine

A paper in JAPhA highlights the important role pharmacists can play in leading an opioid exit plan (OEP). The paper, “Opioid exit plan: A pharmacist’s role in managing acute postoperative pain,” is a case study of how the pain management team at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, operates. St. Joseph’s developed a pharmacist-led OEP that has been successful in helping to manage postoperative pain and provide patient education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

FDA Clears New ALS Drug for US Market

The arrival of Radicava for ALS marks the first new drug in the market for this rare disease since 1995.

from BioPharmaDive

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Radicava (edaravone) in the U.S. as the first new drug in two decades to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This will be marketed by MT Pharma America, a division of Japanese company Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes

Existing Health IT Is Meant to Help. Too Bad It Doesn’t

The American Association of Family Physicians says that needs to change, and points to the kind of technology that actually enables better care.

from HealthcareITNews

It’s a hard reality: Technologies that hospitals are using today do not adequately support the health of Americans, according to the American Association of Family Physicians.

“We believe that new types of information and new kinds of technology are needed,” AAFP wrote in the Annals of Family Medicine. “Technology has great potential to help foster connections and relationships among healthcare professionals, individuals, and communities, and to be a catalyst instead of the barrier it frequently is today.”

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

0 likes