On dynamic clinical care teams – ACP Policy Paper
On Monday ACP published the dynamic clinical care teams policy paper. My comments are informed through my participation in the origins of the paper and my position in ACP.
Here are some concepts that I find particularly relevant:
Definition of Clinical Care Team
A clinical care team for a given patient consists of the health professionals—physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, other registered nurses, physician assistants, clinical pharmacists, and other health care professionals—with the training and skills needed to provide high-quality, coordinated care specific to the patient’s clinical needs and c...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - September 18, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
Buyer Beware
Gertrude wasn't able tell me herself. She was ninety years old and moderately demented. It was her daughter who called. She pleasantly greeted me as I picked up the phone.
We had a good working relationship, Gertrude's daughter and I. We navigated a heart attack and stroke, multiple hospitalizations, and many discussions concerning end of life care. Gertrude was well taken care of. She was lucky enough to have a group of helpers who were under the doting, watchful eyes of her daughter.
In fact, the last pneumonia and urinary tract infection were both treated successfully at home without need for hospitalization. I guess ...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - September 18, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Jordan Grumet Source Type: blogs
Incidence and Cost of Hospital-Acquired Infections High but Trending Downward
Hospital acquired infections don't get a lot of attention in the lay media. However, a recent article was fascinating because of the level of detail about this complication and its cost (see: Hospital infections cost U.S. $10 billion a year). Below is an excerpt from It:
Infections acquired in the hospital cost the U.S. health care system $10 billion a year, new findings show. Past studies have pegged the annual cost of treating those infections at $20 billion to $40 billion, so the new numbers show progress is being made.... According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in every 20 ...
Source: Lab Soft News - September 14, 2013 Category: Pathologists Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Healthcare Business Healthcare Delivery Hospitals and Healthcare Delivery Medical Consumerism Medical Education Source Type: blogs
Reducing hospital acquired infections to reduce costs
What's one of the best ways to reduce health care costs? Stop hospital acquired infections.JAMA posts an article outlining the costs of the most common such infections. An excerpt:On a per-case basis, central line–associated bloodstream infections were found to be the most costly HAIs at $45,814, followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia at $40,144, surgical site infections at $20,785, Clostridium difficile infection at $11,285, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections at $896. The total annual costs for the 5 major infections were $9.8 billion, with surgical site infections contributing the m...
Source: Running a hospital - September 3, 2013 Category: Health Managers Source Type: blogs
Dementia Patients More Likely to Suffer from Urinary or Fecal Incontinence
Patients with a diagnosis of dementia have approximately three times the rate of diagnosis of urinary incontinence, and more than four times the rate of fecal incontinence, compared to those without a diagnosis of dementia.
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
One of the things that Alzheimer's caretakers must understand is that urinary incontinence leads to urinary tract infections (UTI). UTIs in persons living with dementia often lead to difficult, challenging, or "heartbreaking" behavior.
Some assume that challenging and difficult behavior are a part of Alzheimer's disease. This is not true in the vast majority of cases. N...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - August 29, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs
I Wish I’d Known Earlier…I Still Need a Primary Care Provider Since Most Headaches Aren’t Brain Tumors
This article originally appeared on The Center for Advancing Health, Prepared Patient Blog (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care)
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - August 15, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Cancer Chronic Conditions Source Type: blogs
Drug store retail clinics for primary care? Not so fast
A version of this column was published in USA Today on July 3, 2013.
One recent day in my primary care clinic, I had a full schedule and was unable to see a patient for her cough. She instead sought medical care at a local drugstore, where she was treated for bronchitis. Normally housed in pharmacies and department stores like Target or Walmart, such retail clinics have grown in popularity, numbering over 1,400 nationwide today. While convenient for minor ailments like sore throats or urinary tract infections, some of these clinics want to do more.
Walgreens recently announced that their clinics would manage chronic con...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - August 14, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Kevin's Take Primary care Source Type: blogs
Smart Diapers to Help Parents Spot Disease in Crying Babies
Babies can be frustratingly difficult to diagnose and monitor because they cry for a variety of reasons, fight against even being weighed and measured, and can’t explain what they’re feeling. There are a number of conditions that babies are often stricken with that can be detected through the use of urine test strips, but strips are cumbersome to use, especially with young kids who don’t pee on command.
Enter the Smart Diapers from Pixie Scientific, a new company out of New York City, that essentially have the test strips built-in. As the child urinates at its convenience, the liquid makes contact with a...
Source: Medgadget - July 10, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Editors Tags: Pediatrics Source Type: blogs
Blueberry Syrup for Treating Urinary Tract Infection Naturally
Urinary tract infections are painful and sometimes even annoying due to the constant urination that comes along with them. The good news is, they can be treated naturally with a homemade blueberry syrup that taste good and is highly effective.Contributor: Elise MariePublished: Jul 02, 2013 (Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content)
Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content - July 2, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Source Type: blogs
How to Get An Alzheimer's Patient to Take a Bath
Doctors recommend older adults shower or bathe a minimum of twice a week to reduce the chance of infection including urinary tract infection.
By Carole B. Larkin
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
Is this how your loved one looks
while taking a bath?
Many Alzheimer's caregivers face this common problem, how do you get a recalcitrant dementia patient to bathe or shower?
It is not uncommon for a caregiver to want to "pull their hair out over this one".
Here are a list of tips that might help the task of bathing go easier.
Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
Email:
Doctors recommend older adults shower or b...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - June 21, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Carole Larkin Source Type: blogs
Being Kind to Your Kidneys: Preventing Problems
By Amy Campbell
Now that you know a little more (or have refreshed your memory a bit) about diabetes and kidney disease, as well as the tests you need to see how healthy your kidneys are, you're ready for the most important part: what you can do to prevent kidney problems from happening in the first place.
Focus on blood glucose control.
It's no surprise that keeping your A1C and your blood glucose levels in a safe range is the first step. In fact, doing so can help reduce your risk for all of the complications related to diabetes. In case you need reminding, your A1C level should likely be less than 7%. However, your goal...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 17, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Palliative care has become the last bastion of health care sanity
I couldn’t really blame the social worker. He was just doing his job. The skilled nursing facility (SNF) connected to the hospital was full of flailing patients. So he thought he would ask for a palliative care consult (after getting an okay from the primary team). It was his third request of the day. He spoke slowly as he tried to untangle the twisted path the patient had taken.
“Dr. X was managing poor old failure to thrive before he came to the hospital. But then Dr. Y, the hospitalist, admitted him and treated the urinary tract infection. Dr. Z was covering Dr. W on the cardiology side. And...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - June 17, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Physician Palliative care Source Type: blogs
Delirium Versus Dementia
Delirium, which occurs suddenly, is not the same as dementia, although individuals with dementia are more susceptible to developing delirium during hospitalizations or from infections.
By Bob DeMarco
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
Delirium causes severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.
Delirium usually causes a serious disturbance in a person's mental abilities that results in a decreased awareness of one's environment and confused thinking.
The onset of delirium is usually sudden.
Delirium results in an alteration in mental status and ...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - June 16, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs
Being Kind to Your Kidneys: Kidney Function Tests
By Amy Campbell
A big part of "being kind" to your kidneys is taking charge early on. In discussing diabetes, we often talk about "knowing your numbers," such as your A1C and blood pressure. These are important numbers, of course, but what's often overlooked is your kidney numbers. These numbers may or may not be something that your doctor talks to you about — if you don't know about your kidney test results, ask! In the meantime, here's a rundown of some common tests, often called kidney function tests, that you should be familiar with.
Microalbumin test
The microalbumin test is a urine test that checks for very sma...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - June 10, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Preventing Urinary Tract Infections
There are a number of home remedies that may prevent and or cure urinary tract infections. Seniors in particular need to take precautions., as aging immune systems may make us more susceptible to infections.Contributor: Cheryl E PrestonPublished: May 22, 2013 (Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content)
Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content - May 22, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Source Type: blogs
