Monday, June 21, 2010

AHRQ grants aim to improve patient safety, reduce costs due to malpractice fallout

AHRQ grants aim to improve patient safety, reduce costs due to malpractice fallout: "

In an attempt to curb the costs involved with lawsuits in malpractice cases nationwide, the Obama administration is enlisting the help of the New York State Unified Court System--and in particular city-based Judge Douglas McKeon, whose innovative idea of 'judge-directed negotiations' has saved hospitals as much as $50 million per year, reports the Associated Press.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is funding seven overall "demonstration grants" worth a total of $19.7 million. The projects are aimed primarily at implementing and evaluating evidence-based patient safety initiatives and medical liability projects. McKeon's idea--for which New York is being paid close to $3 million--is to reduce malpractice costs, not only through what appear to be more involved conflict resolution efforts, but also by ensuring that hospitals disclose their mistakes earlier and with more honesty.

McKeon says he brings what he calls "humanness" to the process of deciding his cases, talking to suffering plaintiff family members and asking more about the actual people involved in such instances, rather than simply focusing on settlement figures.

Ultimately, AHRQ director Carolyn Clancy believes ideas like McKeon's will help to improve patient safety by discouraging the practice of defensive medicine; such a practice tends to be more prevalent when doctors fear retribution, lawsuit style, for even the smallest of blunders.

'This will get us better evidence of what works both to reduce costs, and to improve basic patient safety,' Clancy said, according to the AP. "That will be a critical part of future solutions."

Along with the seven demonstration grants, the AHRQ also is disseminating $3.5 million worth of "planning grants," which will be spread to 13 different entities nationwide. The ultimate goal of the planning grants is to "create detailed plans for patient safety and medical liability reform," according to the AHRQ's website. None of the 13 individual grants is worth more than $300,000.

To learn more:
- read the AP article
- here's the AHRQ's summary of the demonstration grants
- here's the summary of the planning grants

Related Articles:

Medical students learning to practice medicine defensively, survey finds
Cardiologists admit to practicing defensive medicine
Doctors' fear of lawsuits takes a hefty financial toll
The philosophy behind Michigan's 'I'm Sorry' program

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

New knowledge of radiation risks prompts FDA, providers to make changes

New knowledge of radiation risks prompts FDA, providers to make changes: "
The United States accounts for half of the advanced procedures that use radiation in the world. But the CT scans and chest X-rays that have proven convenient and popular among doctors looking for quick answers to provide patients and their families have also led to a six-fold increase Americans' exposure to dangerous radiation over the last 20 years.
Amid recent attention to the previously unseen risks of cumulative doses of radiation on individuals as well, as errors in adjusting machine for a patient's age and size, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken steps to address the problem, including possibly requiring device makers to print the radiation dose on each image and getting doctors to set standard doses for common procedures, reports the Associated Press.
Individual healthcare providers also are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of too much radiation, particularly for younger and female patients, and have implemented their own process changes. For example, the diagnostic imaging team at Yampa Valley Medical in Colorado uses a technique called ALARA, which means a radiation dosage 'as low as reasonably achievable.'
This means that when a physician orders a CT scan, the order is reviewed by a radiologist before the radiographer sets the imaging equipment based on the patient's body weight so that the correct dosage of radiation will be used, explains an article in Steamboat Today. In addition, YVMC has a physicist calibrate its radiology equipment annually to ensure it is within the manufacturer's specifications and national standards.
The most overused tests, according to the International Commission on Radiological Protection, include routine chest X-rays when people are admitted to a hospital or before surgery; imaging tests on car crash victims who don't show signs of head or abdominal injuries; and lower-back X-rays in older people with degenerative, but stable, spine conditions.

To learn more:
- read this Associated Press article on Yahoo! News
- see this piece in Steamboat Today

Related Articles:
Study: Imaging tests almost double Americans' radiation exposure
Most CT scans may be unnecessary
FDA looking to reduce radiation exposure to patients
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