News
Institute of Medicine Report Examines Medical Misdiagnoses
November 30, 2015
In the latest report in its series on quality and patient safety in healthcare, the Institute of Medicine addresses the challenge of errors in medical diagnoses. Authors of the IOM’s “Improving Diagnosis in Health Care” report cite problems in communication and limitations in electronic health re
News
Quality Improvement Initiative Targets Sepsis
November 30, 2015
A quality improvement (QI) initiative at University Hospital in Salt Lake City aims to save lives and cut hospital costs by reducing inpatient sepsis mortality. Program co-leaders, hospitalists Devin Horton, MD, and Kencee Graves, MD, of University Hospital, launched the initiative as a pilot pro
Opinion
Early Mobility Program
November 30, 2015
“I didn’t get out of bed for 10 days” —Anonymous patient admitted to a skilled nursing facility post-hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation Readmission penalties, “Medicare spending per beneficiary” under value-based purchasing, and the move to accountable care are propelling hospitalists to do
News
Younger Type 2 Diabetics Face Greater Mortality Risks
November 11, 2015
NEW YORK - People with type 2 diabetes are 15 percent more likely to die from any cause and 14 percent more likely to die from a cardiovascular cause than non-diabetics at any given time, according to data from several Swedish registries. The rates are significantly lower than previous estimates.
News
Society of Hospital Medicine Resources Provide Quality Improvement Tips
November 4, 2015
Whether you’ve been tasked with leading a major quality improvement program or simply want to make a few things better for your patients, SHM has resources for every scale of quality improvement initiative, all created by national experts in their fields. 1.
News
Policy Changes Hospitalists May See in 2016
November 4, 2015
The year 2015 brought the repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and new rules for advanced care planning reimbursement.
News
Revolutionizing Quality Improvement in Hospital Medicine
November 4, 2015
As the senior physician advisor to SHM’s Center for Hospital Innovation and Improvement, Eric Howell, MD, SFHM, bridges the gap between clinical expertise and project support and development. The Hospitalist recently had a conversation with Dr.
Audio
Antimicrobial Stewardship Resources Often Lacking in Hospitalists’ Routines
November 4, 2015
The best antibiotic stewardship programs weave improvements into the routines of hospitalists. But at the end of the day, developing and overseeing these important programs does require some level of time and money.
News
Thrombosis Management Demands Delicate, Balanced Approach
October 22, 2015
The delicate balance involved in providing hospitalized patients with needed anticoagulant, anti-platelet, and thrombolytic therapies for stroke and possible cardiac complications while minimizing bleed risks was explored by several speakers at the University of California San Francisco’s annual Man
News
“Wish List” Outlines Patients’ Expectations for Hospital Stays, and Some Easy Fixes
October 20, 2015
Even before HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), hospital leaders and clinicians were striving to provide not only high quality care, but a place patients choose to meet their future healthcare needs.