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Hospital emergency departments that implemented work principles used by Toyota reduced inefficiency and improved wait times for patients. The study of four hospitals said the more the emergency departments adhered to the “Lean” process principles, the better they performed, resulting in better patient-satisfaction ratings.
As Congress nears votes on legislation that would overhaul the health care system, many small businesses say they are facing the steepest rise in insurance premiums they have seen in recent years.
H1N1 cases are spreading from schoolchildren to the rest of the U.S. population, according to an analysis by Quest Diagnostics, which makes a test to confirm an H1N1 flu diagnosis. While children ages 5 to 14 have had higher overall rates of H1N1 cases, with a sharp increase seen in late August and early September, the U.S. now is seeing an increase delayed by several weeks in cases among the elderly, people ages 50 to 64 and children under 5.
Only one-third of hospitalized heart failure patients are sent home with recommended, inexpensive pills shown to reduce hospitalizations and deaths, despite being seen at hospitals participating in a program designed to encourage adherence to treatment guidelines. Researchers said a lack of marketing for the drugs and safety concerns may be behind the poor adherence.
Knowing how to quantify performance and being able to offer feedback to health providers are the key factors to achieving meaningful use of health IT, said Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health IT. Speaking at a conference, Blumenthal stressed that meaningful use of electronic health records involves not only introducing systems that allow information sharing but also health providers adopting changes to their operations and work sequences.
Entrepreneurs can spend so much time fighting fires that they miss the big picture, writes business mentor Jason Cohen. He offers two dozen suggestions for a fresh perspective, including learning more about one business metric you don't fully understand or collecting information about your customers.
The decisions a leader makes in a crisis aren’t the product of snap judgments; they’re the result of years of careful training and study, says Capt. C. Sullenberger, the US Airways pilot who safely landed his plane in the Hudson River after it malfunctioned this year. Sullenberger says his career amounted to “making small regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training” that he was able to draw on in a crisis. Sullenberger argues that leadership is a choice individuals have to make day-by-day and moment-by-moment if they want to make a difference
Editor’s Note: Leaders in case management can learn from this video and begin mentorships in their organizations so that we begin to grow the next generation of case management leaders.
Organizations should opt for a continuous employee appraisal system instead of an annual review model, Wally Bock writes. Managers should be trained to give specific and helpful feedback to workers “as soon as possible after an event,” he writes.
Editor’s Note: How do you feel about annual reviews? Do you learn anything from them or just hope you get a raise? Let me know via email at
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Pennsylvania and some insurers have begun rewarding doctors who switch to the medical home model. The lump-sum bonus helps pay for the necessary new technology and extra staff. Philadelphia’s Greenhouse Internists has redesigned its practice to give patients health education and care coordination, with better results for its diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol patients. But insurers need to see whether the program prevents unnecessary hospital stays and emergency department visits. |
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