Better hospitals = lower risk of dying (Morning Read)

Highlights of the important and interesting in the world of healthcare:

5-star hospitals = lower risk of dying. An independent study by HealthGrades of patient outcomes at America’s hospitals found that patients at 5-star rated hospitals had a 72 percent lower risk of dying when compared with patients at 1-star-rated hospitals — an enormous gap that has held steady over years even as overall mortality rates improved.

Minnesota docs defend drug company payments. Some Minnesota doctors are defending payments of $100,000 or more from drug companies, a revelation by a national investigation led by ProPublica, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

Pradaxa gets FDA green light. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals’ Pradaxa capsules (dabigatran etexilate) to prevent strokes and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Federal aid to rescue health IT. A workforce shortage in the health IT sector could hinder the widespread adoption of electronic medical records, but federal aid is on the way, says David Blumenthal, the national health IT coordinator, according to FierceHealthIT.

Washington nurses sue hospitals. Nurses in Washington have sued four hospitals for not providing rest or meal breaks, which are essential to prevent fatigue and fatigue-related medical errors, the Washington State Nurses Association said in a FierceHealthcare report.

You: disconnected from your doctor. There’s a mobile disconnect between physicians and their patients according to a PwC Health Research Institute study, Becker’s Hospital Review reports.

Alzheimer’s affects more women. Maria Shriver, whose father has Alzheimer’s disease, says women suffer from the debilitating disease more than men, according to NPR.