Rather than reverse the problems they purport to fix, these unwarranted procedures can often lead to greater health problems and even death. A 1995 report by Milliman & Robertson, Inc. concluded that nearly 60 percent of all surgeries performed are medically unnecessary, according to Under The Influence of Modern Medicine by Terry A. Rondberg. Some of the most major and frequently performed unnecessary surgeries include hysterectomies, Cesarean sections and coronary artery bypass surgeries. Coronary bypasses are the most common unnecessary surgeries in America In a nation plagued by heart disease, it often seems that the knee-jerk reaction of American doctors is to treat heart problems with surgery. However, many of the heart surgeries performed each year are unnecessary procedures that could be putting the patients' lives at greater risk.
An Institute of Medicine report estimates that medical errors cost the nation 17 billion dollars in preventable medical errors each year (“A Guide,” 2011). In addition, these errors rob the medical community of the trust and confidence of its patients. This paper will explore: why the Joint Commission goals are important, examples of problems that have been experienced, potential hindrances to meeting these goals, and strategies to help maintain adherence to these goals. It goes without saying that it is of paramount importance to the safety and well-being of a patient to be correctly identified and to have medications administered safely. There are hundreds of patients in a hospital; and at any given time there may be several with the same last name.
organizational Responsibility and Current Healthcare Issues Health Law and Ethics HC/545 March 3, 2014 Instructor: Dr. Frederiksen Medical Error The healthcare industry is facing many issues in today’s modern world due to the complexity of America’s healthcare system. Medical error is one of the biggest healthcare issues, rising as one of the leading causes of death in America. “An article published in the September issue of the Journal of Patient Safety estimates that there are between 210,000 and 400,000 deaths per year associated with medical errors in hospitals” (Gaunce, 2013, para. 1). Preventable medical error is defined as failure in the treatment by a healthcare provider.
However, because thousands of new drugs have been developed recently, because the health care environment is increasingly complex, and because the patients are older and often sicker, there is increasing risk for medication errors in hospitals. They occur most frequently at the prescribing and administration stages. Medication errors occur in all health care systems; and often result in serious patient harm or deaths are the focus because this is an issue for most hospitals. Serious errors harm patients and expose health professionals to civil liability and sometimes-criminal prosecution (NHS Jan 2004, p.9). The statistics of medication error consistently increases in health care sector.
Vulnerable Populations 1 HCA430: Special Populations Chronically Ill and Disabled Chiqita Solomon Instructor: Sandra Rebeor September 3, 2012 Vulnerable Populations 2 Reducing and eradicating inequalities in the United States is a ongoing goal for the discrepancies within healthcare. Substantial discrepancies, with risk factors, healthcare access, illness, and some cases death, remain latent in these at risk populations. “Vulnerable populations are groups that are not well integrated into the health care system because of ethnic, cultural, economic, geographic, or health characteristics. This isolation puts members of these groups at risk for not obtaining necessary medical care, and thus constitutes a potential threat to their health (urban.org)”. The chronically ill and disabled is a vulnerable population that I personally work with in my healthcare career.
There are arguments to support that many older people leave hospital less able to function or mobilise than when they were admitted (de Morton, Keating & Jeffs 2007). This is due to the occurrence of deconditioning, a risk for many elderly patients admitted to an acute hospital setting. Deconditioning refers to the significant decline in the functional ability of patients, and is generally associated with prolonged bed rest and immobility (Kortebein, 2008). The term is used to describe the physiological changes caused by inactivity, with virtually every body system affected (Eliopoulos, 2010), and it also incorporates functional losses in mental status, ability to accomplish activities of daily living (ADLs) and a decrease in muscle mass and strength (Gillis, MacDonald & MacIsaac 2008). Hospitalisation is often the cause of deconditioning, particularly due to the focus on bed rest in order to recover from illness, or the limited mobility resulting from surgery.
Errors and Compliance in Coding The cost of health care is sky rocketing over the recent years. One of the reasons for this is because of medical billing errors. One-third of medical billings have errors in them. (National Public Radio, 2006) This is why it is important for patients to look over their bills very closely and not hesitate to ask questions to the health care facility and your insurance provider. These errors are not always easily discovered.
Throughout the centuries, many patients of this deadly disease died without being cured at very young age. However, due to advanced medical treatment in this era, the lifespan of many patients with cystic fibrosis were prolonged and some of them were cured. This paper aims to study the genetic basic of cystic fibrosis, its incidence and its effects on human, in order to have a better understanding on this deadly disease. Thus, it is undeniable that cystic fibrosis is an inherited life-threatening genetic disorder that has high incidence in large Caucasian population countries and detrimental effects on human body systems, however it can protect human being from certain diseases due to selective advantage. Mutation is the main cause of cystic fibrosis.
But for the patient who becomes critically ill during surgery, being in a facility with an ICU and extensive resources for the very sick patient can make a tremendous difference in the outcome. Here are some of the risk factor that included with cosmetic surgeries: * Poor Cosmetic Outcome: This may be the greatest fear of a plastic surgery patient: a result that not only fails to improve appearance, but actually makes one's appearance worse than before the surgery. * Scarring: One of the greatest risks to achieving an attractive outcome, scarring is not always predictable, but can be controlled in most cases. (Lickstein, 2013) Patients can decrease the risk of scarring by not smoking and following
Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Falls are a problem for most of the elderly population in the home, acute care setting, and long term care setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC;2013), there is one out of three people over the age of 65 who have fallen and suffered serious injuries and even death. This has become a problem for patients, families, and healthcare facilities that can be prevented through education and awareness of surroundings. Falls can be devastating to patients due to increased hospital stay and decreased mobility. The purpose of this paper is to discuss data associated with falls, and identify risks and prevention strategies.