Current medical news and unique business news for anyone who cares about healthcare.
Too much healthcare? Four out of 10 doctors feel that their patients are getting too much care, according to a survey of 627 physicians. Three-fourths of surveyed docs blamed worry over malpractice suits for their aggressive treatment strategies. Forty percent said having inadequate time with patients led them to order tests or write referrals to specialist rather than pursue less-aggressive forms of care.
Hospital privacy may go hand-in-hand with infection. In a world where cutting infection rates is a priority for hospitals, news comes that an unlikely culprit, the privacy curtains that separate care spaces in hospitals, are often bacteria-laden and prone to being touched by caregivers before touching patients. 41 out of 43 curtains swabbed during a recent study tested positive for contamination at least once during the three-week study.
Behavioral Health, Interoperability and eConsent: Meeting the Demands of CMS Final Rule Compliance
In a webinar on April 16 at 1pm ET, Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion with executives from DocuSign, Velatura, and behavioral health providers on eConsent, health information exchange and compliance with the CMS Final Rule on interoperability.
Will work for doctor visit. True North Hospital in Maine is getting crafty about dealing with patients without insurance. Through the Portland Hour Exchange program, patients can earn “time hours” by doing tasks like cleaning, yard work or caregiver support that translate into free visits with their doctor.
Small fixes. From a blood test that uses paper to nectar poison used to kill mosquitos, small, inexpensive innovations that could save lives are happening all around the world. The New York Times is running a series that highlights some of the brightest.
Novartis job cuts. Swiss pharma giant Novartis will cut 2,500 jobs as it prepares to face generic competition for Femara, its breast cancer drug, Diovan, its blood pressure drug. Like many other name-brand drugs, both will have their patents expire soon.
