July 31, 2011 |  1
In part three, I will speak to why the watchful eye of hospitalists must not stray from the hospital’s balance sheet; more so in assertive facilities, i.e., those possessing market power that have a history of securing favorable rates from insurers.
July 30, 2011 |  4
“Don’t get sick in July!” We’ve all heard patients and family members say this – part declaration, part wishful thinking – in reference to the perceived summertime risks of teaching hospitals. When I hear it, I usually respond with comforting bromides like “robust supervision” and “cream of the crop.” But deep down, if I had […]
July 26, 2011 |  0
In this quasi-experimental trial of medicare beneficiaries, patients that received Care Transitions “coaching” had significantly lower 30 day readmission rates than those that did not (13% versus 20%). The coaching involved a visit near hospital discharge, a home visit within a few days, and 2 follow up phone calls before 30 days. The 4 pillars […]
July 25, 2011 |  1
Today’s Archives of Internal Medicine has two interesting and instructive studies on readmission prevention.
July 22, 2011 |  0
Found this at the bottom of my “in-box”, also from the Levinson Institute, things to remember that help us connect to the people we work with: The Universal Sources Of Stress 1. We all feel inadequate – the self image never meets up to the ego ideal 2. We all age – and with aging comes […]
July 19, 2011 |  0
The NICE has published guidelines on the prevention of delirium in hospitalized patients. These include recommendations for assessing and modifying issues that may precipitate delirium, including cognitive impairment / disorientation, dehydration or constipation, hypoxia, infection, immobility / limited mobility, several medications, pain, poor nutrition, sensory impairment, and sleep disturbance. These common sense, multi-disciplinary guidelines are […]