Reduction of Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay: The Case of Early Mobilization.

Bed rest or immobilization is frequently part of treatment for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with critical illness. The average ICU length of stay (LOS) is 3.3 days, and for every day spent in an ICU bed, the average patient spends an additional 1.

Use of Smartphones in Hospitals.

Mobile technology has begun to change the landscape of the medical profession, with more than two-thirds of physicians regularly using smartphones. Smartphones have allowed health care professionals and the general public to communicate more efficiently, collect data, and facilitate clinical decision making. The methodology for this study was a qualitative literature review following a systematic approach of smartphone use among physicians in hospitals.

Benefits and Barriers of Implementation and Utilization of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems in Transfusion Medicine.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is used by hospital supply chains to track medical products and monitor inventories. Hospitals have also begun incorporating RFID technology as part of their transfusion processes. The purpose of this review was to analyze how healthcare organization supply chains can benefit from the utilization of RFID systems in transfusion service departments.

Robotic joint replacement surgery: does technology improve outcomes?

Osteoarthritis is a common disease that leads patients to seek total joint replacement (TJR). Component misalignment leads to failure of TJR. Computer navigation enhances the precision of component alignment, but the addition of robotic guidance can boost TJR to a higher level of accuracy.

A house divided: cooperative and competitive recruitment in vital industries.

Aim: To propose a theoretical based model approach to address the nursing shortage problem of recruiting qualified applicants.

Background: Vital industries such as nursing and trucking face a large labour shortage.

Methods: A literature review focusing on recruitment and realistic job previews examines relevant theories and an indication of the focus of similar research.

Etiological Risk Factors for Sibling Incest: Data From an Anonymous Computer-Assisted Self-Interview.

Retrospective data from 1,821 women and 1,064 men with one or more siblings, provided anonymously using a computer-assisted self-interview, were used to identify risk factors for sibling incest (SI); 137 were participants in SI. In order of decreasing predictive power, the risk factors identified by the multiple logistic regression analysis included ever having shared a bed for sleeping with a sibling, parent-child incest (PCI), family nudity, low levels of maternal affection, and ever having shared a tub bath with a sibling. The results were consistent with the idea that SI in many families was the cumulative result of four types of parental behaviors: (a) factors that lower external barriers to sexual behavior (e.

Medicare fraud in the United States: can it ever be stopped?

The majority of the United States health care fraud has been focused on the major public program, Medicare. The yearly financial loss from Medicare fraud has been estimated at about $54 billion. The purpose of this research study was to explore the current state of Medicare fraud in the United States, identify current policies and laws that foster Medicare fraud, and determine the financial impact of Medicare fraud.

Electronic prescribing: improving the efficiency and accuracy of prescribing in the ambulatory care setting.

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) is an important part of the nation's push to enhance the safety and quality of the prescribing process. E-prescribing allows providers in the ambulatory care setting to send prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy and can be a stand-alone system or part of an integrated electronic health record system. The methodology for this study followed the basic principles of a systematic review.

Reduction of intensive care unit length of stay: the case of early mobilization.

Bed rest or immobilization is frequently part of treatment for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with critical illness. The average ICU length of stay (LOS) is 3.3 days, and for every day spent in an ICU bed, the average patient spends an additional 1.

Accountable care organizations: financial advantages of larger hospital organizations.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are groups of providers who agree to accept the responsibility for elevating the health status of a defined group of patients, with the goal of enabling people to take charge of their health and enroll in shared decision making with providers. The large initial investment required (estimated at $1.8 million) to develop an ACO implies that the participation of large health care organizations, especially hospitals and health systems, is required for success.

Massachusetts health care reform: is it working?

Before 2006, Massachusetts had more than 500 000 residents who lacked health insurance. Governor Mitt Romney enacted landmark legislation requiring all residents to obtain health insurance. Also, the legislation established a health insurance exchange for the purpose of broadening the choices of insurance plans made available to individuals in the state.

Sister-sister incest: data from an anonymous computerized survey.

Retrospective data were entered anonymously by 1,521 adult women using a computer-assisted self-interview. Thirty-one participants were victims of sister-sister incest, 40 were victims of brother-sister incest, 19 were victims of father-daughter incest, 8 were victims of sexual abuse by an adult female (including one mother), and 232 were victims of sexual abuse by an adult male other than their father before reaching 18 years of age. The rest (1,203) served as controls.

Electronic medical records in long-term care.

Long-term care (LTC) facilities possess unique characteristics in terms of implementation and utilization of electronic medical records (EMRs). The focus of LTC is on a population requiring care encompassing all aspects associated with quality of life rather than simply acute treatment. Because this focus is of a larger scale than traditional medical facilities, the priorities in the implementation and utilization of EMRs are higher in accessing patient history information.

Uncompensated care and quality assurance among rural hospitals.

Health care disparities in rural areas remain significant in the U.S. health care industry.

Pharmaceutical counterfeiting and the RFID technology intervention.

Both nationally and internationally, pharmaceutical counterfeiting has become a problem that is threatening economic stability and public health. The purpose of the present research study review was to analyze the scope and severity of pharmaceutical counterfeiting and to establish if the implantation of the Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) model can more efficiently be used within the pharmaceutical supply chain to reduce the problem counterfeit drugs impose on public health and international economic stability. Results indicated that implementing the RFID model for tracking drugs at the item level in the pharmaceutical supply chain has potential to alleviate the scope of the counterfeit drug problem.

A comparison of the behavioral observation system (BOS) with clinician ratings of psychosis and mania.

This study investigated the relationship of the behavioral observation system (BOS; LePage & Mogge, 2001) and clinician ratings of psychosis and mania. Fifty interviews with psychiatric inpatients using the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and the Young Mania Rating scale were completed. Paraprofessionals completed a BOS on the patient during the same day of the clinician's interview.

Attitudes and behavior of african-americans regarding the consumption of herbal products--an exploratory study.

Herbal product consumption has gained increasing attention by consumers over the past several years. Many assume that herbal products are natural and hence cannot do any harm. However, there is no doubt that the consumption of herbal products has often been influenced by an individual's cultural and racial backgrounds.

Let's reach all of the market for health administration education: design, development, and delivery issues in distance delivery.

Web-based distance learning is an up and coming form of education. Web-based education delivered via a Web browser through the Internet has been found to be less expensive, more efficient, and sometimes more effective than classroom training. In the distance learning environment, the traditional "lecture and chalkboard" classroom pedagogy is completely absent.

Pharmacy layout: What are consumers' perceptions?

The physical layout of a retail pharmacy can play a significant role in the development of the customers' perceptions which can have a positive (or negative) impact on its sales potential. Compared to most general merchandise stores, pharmacies are more concerned about safety and security issues due to the nature of their products. This paper will discuss these aspects as well as the physical and professional environments of retail pharmacies that influence the perceptions of customers and how these vary whether chain, independent, or hospital pharmacies.

Anesthesiologists and anesthetist: are we paying for outcome or process?

The concept of Value Exchange is fundamental to any discipline that focuses on interactions between providers and consumers. In both the study of Marketing and the study of Economics, one learns that a producer and consumer will engage in an exchange relationship only so long as the value/cost relationship is positive. Once the cost of the exchange is equal to the value of that exchange, further economic activity is irrational.

A critical examination of team-teaching of health care administration courses: student, faculty, and administration perspective.

There are several teaching techniques adopted by faculty in order to provide information to students in the most effective manner. One of the relatively new teaching techniques is known as team-teaching. It has been observed that over the recent years this form of teaching has been gaining increasing interest and popularity among academicians.

Consumer's perceptions of and experiences with automated health related information services: an exploratory study.

Almost all health care related organizations, including hospitals and pharmacies, have installed some sort of automated telephone system. Most of these organizations have installed this system to eliminate personnel, while at the same time promoting the fact that they will be helpful to the consumer. This study (comprising of 255 respondents) was designed to assess the consumer's perceptions and experiences with such automated systems.

Utilization of performance appraisal systems in health care organizations and improvement strategies for supervisors.

Performance appraisal systems that are designed to objectively evaluate an employee's performance and then outline measures to be taken for improvements are essential for an organization to move ahead. These systems are often organization specific and health care organizations are no exception. However, health care managers seem to be more vocal and have often expressed dissatisfaction with the use of their company's performance appraisal system.

Practicing health promotion through pharmacy counseling activities.

Dramatic changes in the U.S. health care system have emphasized the need to promote good health.