News
Displaying Prices to Providers May Reduce Overall Ordering Costs
January 12, 2016
Clinical question: Does price display impact order costs and volume as well as patient safety outcomes, and is it acceptable to providers? Background: Up to one-third of national healthcare expenditures are wasteful, with physicians playing a central role in overall cost, purchasing almost all te
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Prophylaxis and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Cancer Patients
January 12, 2016
The Case A 62-year-old woman with a past medical history significant for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung presents to the ED with complaints of fever and shortness of breath. She has recently completed her first cycle of carboplatin, pemetrexed, and bevacizumab.
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Nick Fitterman, MD, SFHM, Discusses Population Health and Hospital Medicine’s Role
January 6, 2016
[caption id="attachment_12613" align="alignright" width="202"] Nick Fitterman, MD, FACP, SFHM[/caption] Nick Fitterman, MD, SFHM, vice chair of hospital medicine for the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine in Hempstead, N.Y., and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Par
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Move to Allow Patients to Request ‘Refund’ Appealing and Risky
December 30, 2015
We’ve all seen hundreds of commercials from companies advertising products and services with a money-back guarantee. The Men’s Warehouse, for example, has been promising men across the globe for over a decade, “You’re going to like the way you look.
News
What Should Hospitalists Know about Surgical Tubes and Drains?
December 30, 2015
Case A 45-year-old woman was admitted with choledocholithiasis. Two days prior, following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), she had gone to the OR for cholecystectomy. The procedure was completed laparoscopically, though the surgeon reported a difficult dissection.
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Criteria for Appropriate Use of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters
December 28, 2015
Clinical question: What are criteria for appropriate and inappropriate use of PICCs? Background: PICCs are commonly used in medical care in a variety of clinical contexts; however, criteria defining the appropriate use of PICCs and practices related to PICC placement have not been previously esta
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Value of Ultra-Brief Cognitive Assessments in Predicting Negative Hospital Outcomes
December 28, 2015
Clinical question: What is the value of ultra-brief cognitive assessments in predicting hospital outcomes? Background: Cognitive assessment tools can be used to predict patient outcomes in the hospital setting.
News
ACP Guidelines for Evaluation of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism
December 25, 2015
Clinical question: What are best practices for evaluating patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism (PE)? Background: Use of CT in the evaluation of PE has increased across all clinical settings without improving mortality.
News
Early Palliative Care Can Save Money
December 25, 2015
Clinical question: Does time to consult after admission change the effect palliative care consultation has on cost of care? Background: Studies have shown that early palliative care involvement improves quality of life and survival among cancer patients while reducing the cost of care.
News
Parental Perceptions of Nighttime Communication Are Strong Predictors of Patient Experience
December 23, 2015
Clinical question: How does parental perception of overnight pediatric inpatient care affect the overall patient experience? Background: Restrictions on resident duty hours have become progressively more stringent as attention to the effects of resident fatigue on patient safety has increased.