A growing number of community hospitals are forming alliances with some of the nation’s biggest and most prestigious institutions. But for prospective patients, it can be hard to assess what these relationships actually mean.
These young adults are looking for medical care that is convenient, fast and offers cost transparency. They frequently seek treatment at retail clinics, urgent care centers or other options.
En los 煤ltimos a帽os, hospitales y consultorios han instado a los pacientes a inscribirse en los portales, para tener acceso r谩pido y continuo a sus registros. Pero a veces los resultados llegan antes que la voz del m茅dico.
In some cases, information now available to people without talking to a doctor can be a source of confusion and alarm and the cause of more work for doctors because it comes without adequate guidance.
Algunos consumen hasta 27 p铆ldoras por d铆a, recetadas por distintos especialistas. M茅dicos lideran un movimiento para suspender medicamentos innecesarios.
Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people ages 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions. But some doctors are trying to teach others about 鈥渄eprescribing鈥 or systematically discontinuing medicines that are inappropriate, duplicative or unnecessary.
Es una pr谩ctica com煤n en hospitales universitarios, pero ahora defensores de los consumidores y expertos opinan que puede no ser segura para el paciente.
Simultaneous surgeries have ignited an impassioned debate in the medical community.
For patients killed or maimed by medical errors, doctors and hospitals still often deny wrongdoing. But newer programs offering prompt disclosure of medical errors, an apology and compensation for them or their families are growing.
The 鈥渞eps,鈥 who are there to answer any technical questions that arise during surgery, also often cultivate close relationships with the doctors, leading to questions about how much influence they wield.
Fertility specialists say that egg donation is safe and involves the same process as in vitro fertilization, but there are sporadic reports of cancers, some fatal, and subsequent fertility problems among egg donors. Because of a lack of research, it isn’t known whether these problems are linked to the process or are the result of chance.
The prestigious facilities are seeking to improve patient safety by getting surgeons and hospitals to pledge to meet minimum thresholds for 10 high-risk procedures.
CT scans, which are administered more than 85 million times a year, are an important diagnostic tool, but just one can be equivalent to 200 X-rays. Some doctors warn that health providers are not considering possible consequences when ordering the tests.
The nation鈥檚 internists urge doctors to quit performing the invasive exam for most women, but gynecologists argue that it is important.
The problem, which is often preventable, is estimated to cost more than $143 billion annually and disproportionately affects people older than 65. It is often misdiagnosed as dementia.
Often considered less important than technical skills, having a good bedside manner is important to helping patients and can lead to better outcomes.
The recent death of Joan Rivers, who suffered cardiac arrest at a center in New York, highlights some of the concerns among consumer advocates.
Medibid, a four-year-old Internet service, can help people get non-emergency medical services outside of costly hospitals, but critics note that the service provides no guarantee of quality or safety.
Reviving bedside medicine is becoming a new priority at some medical schools after technology has hurt some doctors’ abilities to use physical exams to make accurate diagnoses.
The chance to finish medical school early is attracting increased attention from students burdened with six-figure education loans. Medical school administrators and policymakers see it as a way to produce doctors faster and as a response to the looming shortage of primary care physicians.