Fascinating Data Life Expectancy and Health Expenditure of USA v Developed Countries

And this stunning graph that should raise a few eyebrows. (What are Americans spending their tax revenues on?) Firstly, all countries in this graph have followed an upward trajectory (life expectancy increased as health expenditure increased), but the U.S. stands out as an exception following a much flatter trajectory; gains in life expectancy from additional …

Part 2 – Identities Revealed – You are what you eat

Which products are the perpetrators on the crowded shelf? The most questionable claims and safety involve weight loss products, products to improve sexual performance, and body building products. Many of these so called natural supplements have been found to contain prescription drugs or steroids. Liver and kidney function, blood pressure can be adversely affected as …

Caveat Emptor: To Eat or Not to Eat – dietary supplements

Let’s start this article with a riddle. What do more than 50% of Americans spend billions of dollars on yearly, and is the most popular alternative health therapy in the nation? If you answered dietary supplements instead of Disney World you are correct. What goes on behind the shelves and shelves of products with 1000 …

JC New National Patient Safety Goals

The Joint Commission anticipates the new and revised National Patient Safety Goals will improve patient safety and quality of care by reducing morbidity and mortality, as well as health care costs and length of stays associated with CAUTIs. The R3 Report is available here.

It‘s Not Just Old Age – Depression in the Elderly

The following scenario is played out with increasing regularity in the nation: An elderly person, let’s call her Edith is living alone because she has lost her husband. Due to one or more chronic conditions she has decreased independence. Maybe she can’t drive any more and needs to use a walker or wheelchair. Her condition …

Texting Patient Orders Still up in the air with Joint Commission

The new policy unraveled in May of this year put out by the Joint Commission would have opened the door for texting to be used as an effective communication tool to exchange patient orders. Initially, the policy what is welcome news because it would’ve made sharing patient info easier. Summarized, it stated, along with some …

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare release Oro™ 2.0

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare has released Oro™ 2.0, an online assessment and resource library designed to assist hospital leaders with determining their organization’s level of maturity in multiple components of high reliability and striving for the goal of zero preventable harm. Oro 2.0 is a Web-based assessment for hospital leadership that is …

Joint Commission launches Speak Up™ Antibiotics campaign

Speak Up™ is an Antibiotics campaign targeted to the public in an attempt to educate on the appropriate and safe use of antibiotics, as well as the risks associated with antibiotic overuse. From JC: Each year, an estimated 2 million people in the United States become infected with bacteria that antibiotics cannot treat because the …