HMC Connections - Current Articles http://www.hmccentral.com Articles of Interest is a forward-looking discussion on a broad range of healthcare and performance improvement topics. Your input helps determine the popularity of articles; so vote, comment and submit new stories. Participate in the ongoing article-based discussions – you just might discover something new! en-us Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:26:01 GMT Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:26:01 GMT Crusaders for Quality, a Health-Care Intangible Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:12:59 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=156 Surgical Errors Cost Almost $1.5B per Year In order to improve care and reduce costs, hospitals need to lead with quality. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:12:24 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=155 Should a Surgeon Be Punished for Operating on the Wrong Side? Paul Levy, Beth Israel Deaconess’ CEO, took on a tricky question. Should the surgeon be punished for the error? Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:36 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=154 Trying to Save by Increasing Doctors’ Fees Cutting health costs by paying doctors more? The idea is that by paying family physicians, internists and pediatricians to devote more time and attention to their patients, insurers and patients can save thousands of dollars downstream on unnecessary tests, visits to expensive specialists and avoidable trips to the hospital. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:33:10 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=153 Weighing the Costs of a CT Scan’s Look Inside the Heart Has CT proved itself as a useful tool to screen for heart disease? Does the benefit justify the cost and increased radiation risk? Determining appropriate utilizaiton in a society obessed with the latest innovation & newest technology creates tension among physicians, payers & patients. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:54:38 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=152 W.H.O. Issues a Checklist to Make Operations Safer The World Health Organization issued its first guidelines on Tuesday aimed at reducing complications and deaths from the rising numbers of operations now being performed. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:39:35 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=151 The eBays of Hospital Debt Collection Online auctions are a proven method for matching buyers and sellers. Voila: Online sites where hospitals can sell patient debt at auction. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:03:33 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=150 Google Unveils New "Google Health" Service Google on Monday launched a beta test of its Google Health service for archiving medical records and finding medical services. The site, which is currently available for healthcare purposes in the US only, is a personal portal that can be used to upload, store and view personal information; retrieve records from partners; investigate health matters; set alerts such as a reminder to take medication; and run applications that can, for example, keep track of how many miles a person has walked Tue, 20 May 2008 15:24:16 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=149 What IBM Has to Do With Consumer-Driven Health Care Georgia will pay Big Blue $5.2 million to build a Web site that will let consumers compare hospitals on cost, quality and ratings by patients. Mon, 12 May 2008 14:32:58 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=147 Six Rules of Doctor Etiquette Not every doctor’s going to be the sweetest person in the world. But as a patient, you don’t have to be Emily Post to expect a basic level of courtesy from your doctor. Mon, 12 May 2008 14:37:00 GMT http://www.hmccentral.com/articles/feeds/nf_view.a4d?id=148