2008 Salary and Trends Survey
The Case in Point 2008 Salary and Trends Survey will begin fielding questions on the Case in Point website, www.caseinpointmagazine.com, starting the week of June 2.
Patient’s perception of care is not always linked to spending
A survey by the University of Massachusetts of more than 2,500 Medicare beneficiaries shows that in many cases spending more money on health care is not related to a patient’s perception of the quality of care they received. Seven of the 10 quality-of-care measures considered were not related to expenditures. Make sure you click on the link at the end of the article for important teaching information on how patients can better understand quality. Click here for more.
Health insurers to provide out-of-pocket estimates to members
Due to the shift of risk to the consumer for the cost of health care, the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans reports that 17 member plans, including 13 of the state’s largest health insurers, will begin giving people estimates of their potential out-of-pocket costs. The pledge comes as more people opt for high-deductible policies and want cost information up front. Click here for more.
Retired Florida physicians give back to the community
Retired physicians in northeast Florida are volunteering to help patients who are poor and to teach other health care providers. The state of Florida and a former malpractice insurer offer them legal protection, which in turn allows the physicians to help many underserved areas. Click here for more.
Personalized cancer treatment holds promise
We are not there yet, but studies such as these provide hope for customized treatment for cases in the future. Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that metastatic lung cancer patients screened for epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and given Iressa — an EGFR inhibitor — showed tumor shrinkage and median progression-free survival of about nine months, according to a clinical trial funded by AstraZeneca. A cancer researcher not involved with the study said the findings are “a giant step forward” for personalized cancer treatment, which aims “to take a molecular fingerprint of someone’s tumor and assign treatment based on molecular defects.” Click here for more.
Nurse-coordinated program reduces MRSA rates 21%
The University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore has implemented an aggressive program that includes more screening and surveillance in its 10 ICUs, as well as faster lab results to allow staff to isolate patients sooner. One year into the hospital-wide initiative, MRSA infections developing more than 48 hours after admission decreased by 21 percent. Click here for more.
