Medical Errors News and Research

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eCareSoft launches Meaningful Use Scorecard for hospitals

eCareSoft, Inc., a leader in cloud technology solutions for hospitals, announced the industry's first Meaningful Use monitoring and tracking tool tied to an electronic health records system, eCS Meaningful Use (MU) Scorecard.

9 Aug 2011

UC San Diego Health System named 'Most Wired' for sixth consecutive year

For the sixth consecutive year, UC San Diego Health System was named one of the nation's "Most Wired" by Hospitals and Health Networks, a publication of the American Hospital Association.

3 Aug 2011

Journalism fellows to gather in Los Angeles to explore community health issues

USC Annenberg announced journalism awards totaling $53,500 to support investigative and explanatory reporting projects on topics ranging from health in America's underserved communities to the challenges for health reform and quality medical care.

30 Jul 2011

Flying is riskier than hospital says World Health Organization

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) announcement this Tuesday, millions of people die each year from medical errors and infections linked to health care and going into hospital is far riskier than flying.

21 Jul 2011

Surgeons' behavior in operating room affects patient outcomes, healthcare costs

A surgeon's behavior in the operating room affects patient outcomes, healthcare costs, medical errors and patient- and staff-satisfaction, says a commentary in the July issue of Archives of Surgery.

19 Jul 2011

Medical residents should work no more than 16 hours without sleep

A group of 26 of the nation's leaders in medicine, health care, patient safety, and research today called for sweeping changes in the design, supervision and financing of U.S. hospital residency care programs to protect patients from serious, preventable medical errors, and end dangerously long work hours for physicians in training.

24 Jun 2011

Patients who receive poorly co-ordinated care more likely to report medication, treatment errors

Patients who received poorly co-ordinated care or were unable to afford basic medical costs were much more likely to report medication, treatment or care errors, according to an international study published in the July issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

20 Jun 2011

NPR: Medical errors in outpatient settings may exceed those in hospitals

It's been a dozen years since the Institute of Medicine shocked the public by estimating that as many as 98,000 people were dying annually because of medical mistakes in the nation's hospitals. But results from a study published in this week's JAMA suggest that outpatient care may be just as hazardous to your health.

17 Jun 2011

Hybrid operating rooms emerging as a major market segment within OR integration systems

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, hybrid operating rooms (ORs) are emerging as a major market segment within operating room integration systems.

16 Jun 2011

High number of adverse patient safety events occur in doctors' offices

However, a high number of adverse events, including major injury and even death, occur in private physician offices and outpatient clinics as well. In a new study -- the first of its kind -- researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College found that the number and magnitude of events resulting from medical errors is surprisingly similar inside and outside hospital walls.

15 Jun 2011

Medical malpractice claims in and out of hospitals similar: Study

According to latest findings, medical errors do not happen at hospitals alone. They are also seen in the doctor's offices as well. The study reporters note that about half of U.S. malpractice payments - a proxy for medical errors - from 2009 involved patients seen outside of the hospital.

15 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on medical errors; Lieberman on Medicare; The Massachusetts track record

There is no doubt that America has the world's most skilled doctors and nurses and its finest hospitals. Every day, many Americans receive care that is as good as or better than any in the world. But far too often, we fall short of that high standard when good people get trapped in flawed systems (Kathleen Sebelius and Sue Currin, 6/10).

10 Jun 2011

State roundup: N.J. plan would cut Medicaid by $500 million

States and territories are eligible for up to $40 million to strengthen and coordinate efforts to prevent chronic disease, the Health and Human Services Department announced Tuesday. The initiative is funded by the healthcare reform law and targets the nation's five leading chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and arthritis.

9 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 7, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post, Sandra Boodman writes: "Being in a hospital at night or over a weekend can be hazardous to your health, and even has a name: 'the weekend effect.' A raft of studies has documented higher rates of death, complications and medical errors affecting patients treated at night or on weekends".

7 Jun 2011

Medicaid no longer paying for hospital mistakes

Left a sponge inside the patient? Transfused the wrong blood type? Don't look for the federal government to pay for fixing the mistake. Medicaid will no longer pay hospitals or doctors for certain preventable illnesses and injuries, such as operating on the wrong body part, the Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday.

3 Jun 2011

Transitional care can improve health outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions

Currently, one in five elderly patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within a month. Seeking to address the human and substantial financial burden of revolving door hospital readmissions, the Affordable Care Act proposes a number of initiatives to improve care and health outcomes and reduce costs for the growing population of chronically ill people in the U.S.

3 Jun 2011

Nighttime heart and lung transplants do not affect patient survival

Despite concerns that surgeon fatigue is leading to dangerous complications for patients and data showing worse outcomes for many patients who undergo surgery at night, new Johns Hopkins research suggests that — in the case of heart and lung transplants — time of day has no affect on patient survival.

1 Jun 2011

Johns Hopkins announces establishment of new institute for patient safety and quality

Recognizing the urgent need to advance the science of reducing preventable harm and improve health care quality, Johns Hopkins Medicine is announcing the establishment of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, an organization whose work will benefit not only Johns Hopkins patients but those around the world.

27 May 2011

eCareSoft launches national preferred partner program for small hospital market providers

eCareSoft, Inc., a leading provider of healthcare IT solutions for the small hospital market, today announced the launch of its national "eCS Preferred Partner" program. The channel partner program provides support and training to best-of-class providers seeking an affordable EHR solution to expand their network of small and rural hospitals.

24 May 2011