Patient Rights
Editorial: Nurses prepare for tumultuous election
I was fresh out of the OR when I received a formal job offer from OR Manager. Although still hazy from an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy, I knew I would accept, reasoning the universe must be trying to tell me something. I also had no doubts about the other, very different…
Study: Are clinicians undervaluing patient diagnostic feedback?
Editor’s Note Lending greater weight to patient opinions could help clinicians diagnose certain conditions, according to a study published in Rheumatology on December 18. The study focused specifically on neuropsychiatric lupus, an autoimmune disease that is difficult to diagnose and includes symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and hallucinations that can…
Doctors with multiple malpractice suits become insurance company medical directors
Editor’s Note An investigation by the nonprofit organization ProPublica and the Capital Forum revealed many doctors with a history of malpractice cases now serve as insurance company medical directors—a role with major influence on decisions that impact patient outcomes. According to a December 15 article in ProPublica, the organizations used…
Disparity in core cancer services at hospitals serving Black, Hispanic patients
Editor's Note Hospitals that serve a high number of Black and Hispanic patients are much less likely to have advanced medical equipment and core services needed to provide effective cancer care. These research findings were published in JAMA Oncology on November 16. The researchers analyzed patient data from 4,373 hospitals,…
Concerted push for greater diversity in medical studies ongoing
Editor's Note Although Congress first required the National Institutes of Health to include more women and people of color in medical studies in 1993, progress has been slow until recently. Now, researchers are making a concerted effort to diversify medical studies, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) November 16 reports. According…
Hospital associations file lawsuit against HHS over new website tracking rule
Editor's Note A number of prominent hospital associations have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over guidance that seeks to prohibit them from using tracking tools to monitor visitors on their websites, the American Hospital Association (AHA) November 2 reports. A few highlights of…
Healthcare costs making Americans poorer, sicker
Editor's Note The high cost of healthcare is leading many Americans to skip care and forgo medications, according to the 2023 Healthcare Affordability Survey by the Commonwealth Fund published on October 26. Some highlights of the survey include: A large number of insured working-age adults surveyed admitted difficulty affording their…
UChicago Medicine receives 2023 Tyson Award for healthcare equity program
Editor's Note The University of Chicago Medicine has been awarded the 2023 Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity for the success of its Systematic Treatment and Management of Postpartum Hypertension (STAMPP-HTN) program, The Joint Commission October 25 reports. According to The Joint Commission news…
Patient perceptions of surgeon bias are influenced by race, gender
Editor's Note A new study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that Black patients are more likely to perceive bias from their surgeons compared to White patients. The study, titled "Patient preferences and perceptions of provider diversity in orthopedic surgery," was published on October 6. The study…
Report: Think tank ranking shows hospital segregation persists in some US cities
Editor's Note In a ranking of over 3,000 hospitals done by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank in Needham, Massachusetts, researchers found that while inclusion is being prioritized at some hospitals, segregated healthcare markets remain in cities like New Orleans, St. Louis, and Detroit. The findings were…
Free Daily News
- Legislation proposes to halt Medicare physician payment cuts
- Cigna ties executive pay to patient experience
- Proposed tax credit aims to bolster nurse preceptor ranks
- Study links financial conflicts of interest to favorable robotic bariatric surgery research
- Hospitals double down on ambulatory care expansion with major investments
- Study: Post-laparotomy incisional negative pressure wound therapy fails to reduce infection risk
- FDA announces multiple Class 1 recalls
- Study: ERAS protocol reduces opioid use after cardiac surgery
- Study: Prehabilitation reduces surgical complications, speeds recovery
- Commentary: Studies show how surgeon decisions follow the money