News
Chemotherapy Does Not Improve Quality of Life with End-Stage Cancer
November 3, 2015
Clinical question: Does palliative chemotherapy improve quality of life (QOL) in patients with end-stage cancer, regardless of performance status? Background: There is continued debate about the benefit of palliative chemotherapy at the end of life.
News
Left Atrial Appendage Closure Favorable Over Warfarin for Atrial Fibrillation
October 29, 2015
Clinical question: Is there a favorable risk-benefit ratio for left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) compared to warfarin for prevention of stroke, systemic embolism, and cardiovascular death in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation? Background: LAAC with the WATCHMAN device was shown to be noninferior
Audio
Listen Now: Dr. Michael Murphy Discusses Use of Medical Scribes
October 9, 2015
Michael Murphy, MD, the co-founder and CEO of ScribeAmerica, talks about the business model that has led to the growing use of medical scribes. [audio mp3="http://www.the-hospitalist.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Murphy-Scribes_FINAL_0206151.mp3"][/audio]
News
Billing, Coding Documentation to Support Services, Minimize Risks
October 6, 2015
[caption id="attachment_11470" align="alignright" width="295"] Image Credit: ILLUSTRATION/PAUL JUESTRICH; PHOTOs shutterstock.com[/caption] The electronic health record (EHR) has many benefits: Improved patient care; Improved care coordination; Improved diagnostics and patient outcomes;
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News
Urinalysis Is Reliable Infection Predictor in Infants
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: In infants younger than three months of age with bacteremic urinary tract infection (UTI), how sensitive and specific are urinalysis (UA) findings? Background: Infants are commonly hospitalized with UTIs. The gold standard for diagnosis is considered to be urine culture.
News
High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy Noninferior to BiPAP in Post-Operative Respiratory Failure
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: In post-operative cardiothoracic surgery patients, is high-flow nasal oxygen therapy inferior to BiPAP for resolution of acute respiratory failure? Background: Acute respiratory failure is common following cardiothoracic surgery, and noninvasive ventilation often is used to avo
News
Supplemental Oxygen During STEMI Might Increase Myocardial Injury
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: Does routine oxygen supplementation in patients with STEMI increase myocardial injury? Background: Because of physiologic and clinical studies conducted before the era of acute coronary intervention, supplemental oxygen routinely is administered to patients with STEMI, regardle
News
Interdisciplinary Team Care on General Medical Units Does Not Improve Patient Outcomes
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: Does interdisciplinary care on general medical wards improve patient outcomes? Background: Patients on general medical wards might experience errors and/or preventable deaths.
News
Patient Satisfaction Scores, Objective Measures of Surgical Quality Have Positive Association
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: Is there an association between objective measures of surgical quality and patient satisfaction as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey? Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has tied financi
News
Extended Anticoagulation Therapy and Recurrent Rates of Venous Thromboembolism
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: Among patients with a first episode of unprovoked pulmonary embolism (PE), what are the benefits and harms of extending the duration of anticoagulation for secondary prophylaxis against recurrent VTE? Background: Optimal duration of anticoagulation after initial unprovoked PE i
