HealthManagement, Volume 16 - Issue 2, 2016

Every week, HealthManagement.org publishes top healthcare management, leadership and best practice news in dedicated newsletters. We know you’re busy, so we do all the work and pick the best stories to send you. Read on for a variety of topics that piqued record interest recently.

 

5 Ways to Improve ICU Rounds

Based on a survey of practice in 111 Canadian ICUs, the authors of a study published in PLOS One have recommended 5 ways to improve ICU rounds, and produced a 1-page patient care rounds guide for intensive care teams. It includes points such as team composition, managing interruptions, role of patients and families, incorporation of teaching during rounds and developing evaluation measures. Team make up and time and length of rounds also played a role in the study. See more at https://iii.hm/30f

 

IT Lack of Resources Frustrates Healthcare IT Security

Electronic health records (EHR s) and digital clinical systems have widely been deployed in healthcare without strategic data and IT infrastructure security planning, a report by HIMSS Analytics and Symantec Corporation said. Out of 115 hospital IT and security personnel polled, the majority devote less than 6 percent of IT budgets to and seventy-two percent of respondents said they have five or fewer IT employees allocated for data security. See more at https://iii.hm/3ay

 

Robots in Healthcare “in 20 years”

A robotics designer has said within 20 years robots could be serving in a number of fields including healthcare. Meanwhile, parts of the science community have expressed worries about how artificial intelligence could threaten humanity in the next millennia. Google has set up an ethics board to oversee its work in artificial intelligence being developed by several robotics companies it owns. The objective is to ensure projects are not abused. See more at https://iii.hm/3az

 

Can Worksite Intervention Reduce Cardiac Risk?

The Trans-Atlantic Network to Study Stepwise Non-invasive Imaging as a Tool for Cardiovascular Prognosis & Prevention (TANSNIP), the Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis trial began in January and will evaluate whether worksite interventions result in a reduction in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors that are related to lifestyle. HealthManagement.org spoke to the study’s chair, Prof. Valentin Fuster, who said the study uses the BEWAT (Blood pressure, Exercise, Weight, Alimentation, Tobacco) score to measure outcomes, because it gives the information required without the need to take blood. See more at https://iii.hm/3b0

 

Donning Scrubs for Teamwork

Administrators, board members and reporters donned scrubs for a typical working shift at Mission Health's innovative Immersion Day programme to create new paths for key stakeholders to better understand the real challenges and opportunities facing health systems. Called "Immersion Day – Transforming Governance and Policy by Putting on Scrubs,” the programme – now in its third year – has improved insights on how to lead, regulate and report on the most complex health care issues. See more at: https://iii.hm/2yb

 

Body Language Critical During Breast Cancer Chemotherapy

A new study is tracking the development process and efficacy of the Italian translation of the Derriford Appearance Scale 24 (DAS 24), an important clinical tool in identifying quality-of-life issues for breast cancer patients. Experts have expressed the need for a ‘gold standard’ when measuring a patient’s distress towards their appearance. See more at https://iii.hm/3b2

 

Cardiologists: Second Highest Paid Physicians

A new compensation report shows that cardiologists are the second-highest-paid physicians earning approximately $410,000 annually. However, fewer than half of them believe they are paid fairly. Orthopaedics ranked the highest in pay, making an average of $443,000 annually. Also, male cardiologists earned $81,000 more than female cardiologists, but this gender inequality was found among physicians overall. See more at https://iii.hm/3b1

 

Telemedicine Trial: New Scanning Technology Benefits Diabetic Eye Care

In a national clinical trial led by Joslin Diabetes Centre’s Beetham Eye Institute, ultrawide field (UWF) scanning technology significantly improved the ability of experts at a remote central location to identify diabetic retinopathy in a patient, and to assess further care. With UWF, doctors can see 82 percent of the retina. See more at https://iii.hm/3b4