...a review of the article titled The Enormous Cost of Medical Errors by Bernard Healey and Michele McGowan. The Institute of Medicine reports that as many as 98,000 patients die each year from preventable medical errors. Medical errors are a serious problem which have gotten very little attention by leaders in the health care industry. In many instances physicians and hospitals are actually reimbursed for having the error and then reimbursed again for rectifying the error if the patient lived. These errors included diagnostic and treatment errors, surgical errors, drug errors, hospital acquired infections and delay in treatment to name a few. When these errors are investigated the cause quite often is lack of communication among health care staff. The lack of cooperation among employees in health care delivery systems is one of the major reasons for the epidemic of medical errors in medical care; too many patients are the victims of preventable medical errors and infections that occur in the hospital. The article clearly supports the course material by citing the primary causes of medical errors and supporting them with statistical data. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (1999) released a study revealing that as many as 98,000 of the 33 million individuals hospitalized each year die and many more receive secondary infections because of poor quality health care while hospitalized. Medical errors are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death...
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...The medical industry is always evolving with new and improved technological developments. With the constant changes in technology, healthcare organizations need to stay up to date in order to be competitive and provide the best care. We will discuss a few various types and uses of technology in the medical field as well as the impact they have on the medical facilities. We will also go over the technology trend I believe will improve the quality of care that is delivered to the patients in our healthcare organization. One of the biggest technological advancements in the medical industry is the electronic health record (EHR). Thought of as the “hub of the medical facility”, electronic health records are a version of a patient’s medical record that can be created, managed and consulted by authorized medical personnel (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2013). Electronic health records can be seen and used by more than one health care organization. Since paper medical records are no longer used, medical facilities no longer have to deal with illegible, incomplete or missing records. Electronic health records contain all of the patients past and present medical information to include: medications, allergies and lab results. The patient’s medical information is available whenever and wherever it is needed. The electronic health record systems have a multitude of functions available. One function that helps when it comes to patient safety is the computerized provider order entry. Computerized...
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...financial success and failures in healthcare. Delivery of healthcare is synonymous with finance and the task related to quality improvement and quality initiatives that support accuracy in documentation and treatment. There is a strong correlation between providers and finance. Key words: Finance, Quality initiatives, Providers, Patient care. Financial Managers and Quality Initiatives It is clear that if good quality of services, successful outcomes and customer satisfaction are presented in a healthcare setting, then the financial stability may sustain. As financial managers collaborate to achieve health care quality, they know that there are several variable factors that must manifest in order to sustain and earn profits for their organization. Some variables include reduction in medical error, appropriate diagnostics, medical analysis, education programs, staff training, prevention, primary care, financial reimbursements, technological advancements and minimizing waste. Error and Accuracy Medscape reported that “Eight years ago, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) report To Err is Human revealed that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors. Medication errors alone are estimated to cause more than 7000 deaths annually, compared with 6000 annual deaths from workplace injuries. Although much of the discussion of medical errors has focused on the hospital setting, errors can occur in other settings, such as physician...
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...Yolanda Monk University of Phoenix HCS / 531 Health Care Organizations and Delivery Louis Kastner July 6, 2015 Evolution of Electronic Medical Records Electronic Medical Records plays a major part in the delivery of health care constantly evolving. An Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, is defined as "an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization" (AHRQ, 2015, page 1). Although there are some disadvantages of the EMR changing the quality of care, the many advantages of them, outweigh them all. Change in the Delivery of Health Care Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system changed the delivery of health care by producing efficiency and safety savings of $142.-$371 billion (content.healthaffairs.org). It is commonly thought in which worldwide web to use involving electric professional medical file (EMR) techniques will result in main medical care savings, lessen professional medical glitches, and also enhance wellbeing. Studies showing enhanced individual protection coming from EMR easy use in a hospital. Also, the ambulatory treatment mostly gives attention to alerts, pointers, and also other pieces computerized physician order entry (CPOE) (content.healthaffairs.org). Impact on the Quality of Care The Electronic Medical Records systems as with everything in life have some advantages and disadvantages that have...
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...Deborah Bennett 01/22/2013 HCA 240 Instructor Moiz Lalani Electronic Medical Records from a Business Perspective In this paper we shall analyze how Electronic Medical Records (EMR) impacts health care organizations from a business perspective, as well as how it may impact profit organizations (versus non-profit organizations) differently. In addition we shall discuss perspectives and responsibilities of the financial management staff, and the basic rules and regulations involved with EMR in which the health care financial management of the organization must address. Starting around 1991 the Institute of Medicine (IOM), known to be the leading innovators concerning medical advances, started encouraging those in the health care delivery system to see the future and accept it, by beginning preparation for instituting electronic medical records. Expounding on the many advantages EMRs would allow facilities and physicians alike; such as, providing for more efficiency, through instant access of a patient’s health history (including all labs, tests and meds prescribed by all doctors for the patient) that is stored on the computer and can be accessed throughout the country, and eventually the world. In turn this would also provide for more effective and less redundant care, and with certain software installed for guiding diagnosis and medicine interactions, could also promote error free treatment and care, avoiding life-threatening episodes in this regard (Haupt, 2011)...
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...coverage. This means that sicker people will require the up to date technology to care for them. Health Care Reform has been put into law by the government. There is still strong opposition, from the public about having insurance coverage for everyone. The health care industry has experienced a proliferation of innovations aimed at enhancing life expectancy, quality of life, diagnostic and treatment options as well as the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the health care system. Information technology has played a vital role in the innovation of healthcare systems (Omachonu & Einspruch, 2010.) Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is one of the world’s premier cancer centers. They provide exceptional patient care and leading edge research. Each year they treat 400 subtypes of cancers. With a Disease management program featuring 16 multidisciplinary cancer teams, patients are treated by as many different specialists as are needed for their particular type of disease, including surgeons, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, radiologist, pathologist, psychiatrists and nurses. In addition the Center offers a full range of programs to help patients and families throughout all phases of treatment, including supports groups, genetic counseling, help managing cancer pain...
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...The U.S. Health Care System Yusara Millan Phoenix University HCS/531 Kenneth Feldiman February 20, 2012 The U.S. Health Care System Today’s health care system is a constant focus of debate those who argue about the American system been the best health care system in the world but there is also the part that argues that the U.S. waste more in health care system than any other nation in earth and yet many Americans have not insurance coverage. The intention of this paper is to search the health care system of the U.S and identify as well as understand the structure of the health U.S. health care system. According to Chua, K. (2006) the United States has a very distinctive health care system; it is not like any other health care system in the world. The US health care system consists of private and public insurers in which the private component dominates the public component. Public Health Insurance Medicare is a federal program that covers disabled individuals as well as over 65 individuals, which is funding by federal income taxes, payroll tax shared by employers and individual premiums. According to Chua, K. (2006) the benefits of Medicare Part A covers all the hospital services, the Part B covers the physician services, and Part D offers prescription drug benefits. The Medicare Part C refers to Medicare Advantage, which is HMO’s that control Medicare benefits (Chua, K.2006). According to Chua, K. (2006) there is many breaches in the Medicare coverage, which...
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...Knowledge Area Module VI Contemporary Issues and the Ethical Delivery of Health Services Student: Harold Taitt, harold.taitt@waldenu.edu Student ID # A00293212 Program: Ph.D. Health Services Specialization: Health Management and Policy Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Hoye, robert.hoye@waldenu.edu Faculty Assessor: Dr. Jim Goes, jim.goes@waldenu.edu Walden University May 10, 2013 Abstract Breadth Component In this age of rapidly evolving technological advances, many of the legal and ethical issues that are challenging the delivery of health care and the health care profession are new. As we confront the legal, moral, and ethical aspects of health care, we are seldom faced with decisions that require or are resolved by simple right or wrong answers (Edge & Kreiger, 1998). In the Breadth component of KAM VI, I focus on several ethical theories and how those theories influence the way ethical issues and concerns are addressed and managed in the allocation and delivery of health care services. I critically assess and evaluate those theories, concepts, and derivative principles as they impact important decisions and the implications of those decisions within the context of social change and with special emphasis on health care management and policy. In addition, I discuss the key assumptions on which the selected theories are constructed, compare and contrast the writers’ interpretations across theories, and conclude by providing a critical commentary on the merits of the selected...
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...head of information systems (IS) for Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reviewed progress toward the launch of the hospital’s new computerized physician order entry (POE) system. The committee overseeing the project consisted of an across-the-board selection of hospital representation, including physicians, pharmacy staff, nurses, administrators, and IS operations staff. The POE system was scheduled to ‚go live‛ on a pilot basis in the middle of October in the hospital’s labor and delivery unit. It had not been difficult to mount support for the project. POE systems had been demonstrated to reduce error rates, and medical errors were widely recognized as a large and serious problem in health care. A landmark study published in 19911 estimated that 1.3 million injuries occurred annually in U.S. hospitals, 69% of which were at last partially due to errors in patient management. The study found that 13% of injuries resulted in patient death, ‚a rate that if extrapolated to the United States as a whole suggested that approximately 180,000 deaths a year were, at least partly, the result of injuries received during the course of care.‛2 This study also found that adverse drug events (ADEs) accounted for nearly 20% of total injuries (making them the largest injury category) and that 45% of ADEs were the result of errors. A later study at two Boston hospitals found that 6.5% of admitted patients suffered an ADE, and that 28% of these were due to errors.3 1 L.L. Leape...
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...Abstract Patient safety and Medical errors are one of the major concerns of healthcare industry. Our group decided to throw more light on the present situation of this issue. In this paper we have given a clear picture about the types of errors, how these errors occur and towards the end we have discussed on how to prevent these errors. The implementation of the actions to prevent errors discussed in our paper will help in improving and reducing them. In doing so, we can be leaders in an effort to provide the best care possible to all Americans. We have also discussed about the importance of patient safety. Reducing errors and improving how we respond to error is but a subset of the all-important issue of quality of care. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………... 5 Regulatory Authority……………………………………………………………………. 5 Patient safety ……………………………………………………………………………. 6 Medical Errors ………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Why medical errors occur? .............................................................................................. 8 When errors are not reported ………………………………………………………….. 8 Types of Medical Errors ………………………………………………………………… 9 Sentinel Events ……………………………………………………………………….. 9 Diagnosis or evaluation ………………………………………………………………. 9 Medical decision-making …………………………………………………………… 10 Treatment and medication …………………………………….…………………..… 10 Dispensing ……………………………………………………………………………11 Procedural complications...
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...Journal of Management and Marketing Research Hospital management reform: a step to healthcare reform R. Peter Heine Stetson University E. Nick Maddox Stetson University Abstract Recent intensive dialogue and debate regarding healthcare reform has led provider administrators to renew their search for “best practices” around the country. Many organizations, particularly hospitals, because of their complexity, are seeking new paradigms that will improve their efficiency and effectiveness regardless of the outcome of the current reform debate. This paper suggest that implementing an organizational change model, specifically, socio-technical systems design, can lead to more teamwork, communications and improved patient service delivery in all areas of hospital operations. Within the STS frame, staff records detailed steps or unit operations in their patient care processes, and then engage physicians in determining what could go wrong in each of these unit operations. Finally, changing what happens or improving the way these steps happen can become a team effort involving both social (people) and technical solutions. The authors acknowledge the extreme difficulty of changing the dominant physicianfocused culture which would be the result of such a successful OD intervention. Keywords: hospital management, healthcare reform Hospital management reform, Page 1 Journal of Management and Marketing Research Introduction The healthcare industry is the subject of intense debate. Forces...
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...Economic in the U.S. healthcare system: The $765 billion price tag on wasteful spending Our country aims at continuing to increase the quality of patient care but medical services are being overused at an alarming rate causing great concern. The health spending of this country’s gross domestic product or GDP is 17.6% which is more than any other country (Feldstein). A report from CMS in 2010 states that the total health spending in the U.S. was roughly $2.6 trillion which is twice as much per capita of the average for any other nation yet delivers a lesser amount of care. These figures translate to $8,402 per person. (CMS) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services predicts that this figure will reach $4.6 trillion by 2020 which translates to almost 20% of our GDP. Table 1. Health care spending as % of GDP in 2010 Source: OECD; The Economist, 2009 Out of the trillions of dollars spent in healthcare, the 2009 PricewaterhoseCooper’s report The price of excess: Identifying waste in healthcare spending estimates that $1.2 trillion is wasted. This is equivalent to more than half of what is allocated towards health spending in the U.S. and the figures are broken down in various categories. The report attributed health wastefulness in the following areas: 1. $765 billion towards issues related to healthcare reform debate (6 major areas...
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...Medication Management Infection Control Communication All these priorities focus on the national patients safety goal as the most important in patient management and treatment, and guide the hospitals toward appropriate policies and protocols to follow and to minimize any possible mistakes or patients harm. I choose the priority focus area of Communication to discuss the current compliance status of our organization concentrating on the standards, which did not meet the Joint Commission requirements, and then suggest a corrective action plan to reach the goal of full compliance with the Joint Commission Accreditation. Communication Focus Area Compliance: Current Compliance Status: Despite the written policy and emphasis on the communication between all medical staff, patients, families, some elements did not meet the Joint Commission standards including the following: 1. Reporting Critical Results within 60 minutes: Goal is 100% compliance. • • • The importance of this element in patient management makes it so critical to have a better outcome and reduce complications and bad outcomes. Our institution compliance averaged 56% to 82% depending on the month. Some of the reasons for delayed reporting was identified as follows: i. Delay in delivering samples to the laboratory due to lack of personals ii. Lack of appropriate education about the dangers of some critical results in the mind of laboratory staff, specifically after hours. iii. In radiology departments: most of delays related...
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...of Veterans Affairs is the biggest healthcare system in the United States, and serves in many ways to veterans of all branches of our armed forces and the VA main function is to provide healthcare, primary long care instead of acute care in each VA facility around our nation and in some countries around the globe. The VA has other functions such as payments to veterans and dependents and also provides a dignified burial to those brave men and women who served with dignity and valor during peace and wartimes (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014). The VA takes care to approximately 5.8 million patients annually in more than 900 sites, including 152 medical centers and more than 700 community-based outpatient clinics. Annually, it provides primary care to more than 5 million patients, “Its hospitals, health care centers, ambulatory care centers and community based outpatient clinics are organized into 21 regional networks, known as VA integrated services networks, or VISNs, which control the management and funding of local hospitals and clinics. Many of the VA’s tertiary care centers are affiliated with academic medical centers, which, according to VA estimates, enable the health system to train at least 75 percent of the nation’s physicians—either as medical students or residents (The Commonwealth Fund , September 2011).” The VA healthcare system was created around the Civil War and is considered the oldest healthcare system in the United States. It was created to provide...
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...cause of medical error. Patients are entitled to receive safe care including receiving the correct medications. The administration of medication is a daily routine for nurses therefore, it is vital to remember the “Five Rights” of medication safety. The other issue that we are facing on the medical surgical floor is stress. The last issue is that staffs are being interrupted in medication room. Many different things can go wrong when it comes to the administering medication, for example communication between the patient and the nurse could go wrong, or the labeling of the medication, even the dosage can cause improper usage of the drug. The question is what role do nurses play when it comes to medication safety? Nurses play many different roles in the world of medicine; however the most important role is to assure that patients are receiving their medication safely. One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “Five rights: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time” (Choo, Hutchinson & Bucknall, 2010). Verifying the patient’s identity ensures that the correct patient is receiving the medication, confirming that the medication written on the order is the same medication being prepared, ensures the right drug, dose and route is given. Some medications must be given at specific time, so it imperative to provide the medication to the patient at the correct time. One of our problems on the medical surgical...
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