A new report from the American Medical Association (AMA) paints a bleak picture of physicians’ experiences with medical liability claims and bolsters the case for national and state level reform. A key finding from the report is that, among physicians surveyed by the AMA, there was an average of 95 medical liability claims filed for every 100 physicians, almost one per physician.
The report has data not available anywhere else, including information on medical liability claims’ impact by age, gender and practice arrangement for physicians. Highlights in the report include:
Nearly 61 …
By Michelle Andrews
Kaiser Health News
For most people, picking a doctor is hardly a scientific process. They ask friends or family members to pass along names of doctors they like and trust, or rely on another doctor’s referral.
Increasingly, health plans and independent groups are making physician information available online to help consumers make these choices more methodically. But experts caution that most doctor-rating systems are still rudimentary, and a four-star rating or other high-performance designation may not reliably reflect a doctor’s abilities. While ratings can provide helpful information, consumers still need to …
It’s official. Physicians love the iPhone. In fact, most smartphone-using-docs use the iPhone as their main mobile communication device. So says a study published by The Spyglass Consulting Group, a healthcare and technology market research firm.
The study focused on how physicians across the United States are rapidly adopting mobile communications at point of care to improve communications and collaboration, streamline productivity, and enhance patient care and safety. The purpose of the study was to identify the needs and requirements for mobile communications at point of care through discussions about: Existing workflow inefficiencies in communicating with …
By Patricia A. Costante
In recent months, there have been several reports published that have forecasted dramatic physician shortages in New Jersey. The New Jersey Physician Workforce Task Force Report published by the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals projects a shortfall of more than 2,800 physicians by the year 2020. Even more alarming is the fact that the 2009 report of the Resident Exit Survey (an annual report prepared by New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals) shows a precipitous decline in the number of graduating medical residents who are choosing …
By James W. Saxton, Esq. and Maggie M. Finkelstein, Esq.
Risk management strategies have been a key factor to the success of a physician practice for over a decade now; however, the focus has traditionally been on the benefit to reducing liability risk. Now, risk management takes on a new importance as healthcare practice is increasingly tied to quality, transparency, and safety. New factors at play in the healthcare environment, particularly national healthcare reform, will make the need for incorporating risk management strategies even greater. A few significant issues include:
Physician shortages
Physician …
by William C. Mohlenbrock, M.D. and Thomas M. Kish
The economic challenges of the past decade have placed hospitals under unrelenting pressures to reduce costs while maintaining quality. With most of the stray dollars already found, any further cost cutting initiatives will likely bring with them the danger of compromised quality of care.
What healthcare organizations need to successfully respond to these challenges are new tools and new thinking with which they can maintain or increase their clinical quality and efficiencies. And more than ever before, physicians are the key. The next …
CSC today announced the CSC Meaningful Use Community, the first open and interactive online community for healthcare providers seeking to achieve meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). The community will provide an open forum for healthcare professionals to learn, connect and share guidance with others who have successfully implemented meaningful use of EHRs. Members also have access to CSC experts and other industry leaders for advice and information about the federal government’s criteria and insights on how to implement meaningful use of EHRs in a timely manner.
Click here to see …
In an increasingly electronic and accessible medical world, physicians and patients have more and more channels of communication available to them. But when it comes to their own records — particularly doctors’ notes — very few patients take the opportunity to read them even though they have the legal right to do so.
Researchers believe that sharing physicians’ notes with patients “could improve understanding of their health, foster productive communication, stimulate …
By Chris Sullivan
Many small and midsize healthcare providers are interested in the advantages offered by information technology, but find it difficult to move forward with actual deployment. Some fear they don’t have the in-house expertise to implement and manage the technology on an ongoing basis. Others believe they do not have the time or money to make such projects happen. But small healthcare offices can significantly grow their practice, ease workflow and improve the patient experience by adopting solutions, like electronic medical records or a server designed specifically for small …
By Robert A. Watson, III, M.D.
Abington Memorial Hospital’s Comprehensive Heart Failure Program provides a full spectrum of care for individuals with heart failure. Working in close collaboration with the patient’s cardiologist, the Heart Failure team is highly skilled in treating individuals with early to late stage disease.
The Program consists of a specialized inpatient heart failure nursing unit, a subspecialty medical Heart Failure Service, outpatient Heart Failure Center and heart failure trained visiting nurses. By this team approach, the Program manages heart failure with a patient- centered approach which utilizes multiple disciplines …
