Readers And Tweeters Revisit Surgery Centers, Think Twice About Single-Payer
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Patient Safety
81 - 100 of 135 Results
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Simple Surgeries. Tragic Results.
Lax Oversight Leaves Surgery Center Regulators And Patients In The Dark
A Kaiser Health News and USA Today Network investigation finds that a hodgepodge of state rules governing outpatient centers allow some deaths and serious injuries to go unexamined. And no rule stops a doctor exiled by a hospital for misconduct from opening a surgery center down the street.
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Missed Visits, Uncontrolled Pain And Fraud: Report Says Hospice Lacks Oversight
A new government watchdog report outlines vulnerabilities in Medicare's $17 billion hospice program, pointing to inadequate services, inappropriate billing and outright fraud.
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Simple Surgeries, Tragic Results
Medicare Reconsiders Paying For Seniors’ Spine Operations At Surgery Centers
After a USA Today Network-Kaiser Health News investigation, Medicare announced last week that it is re-evaluating whether these procedures pose a significant safety risk to patients.
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Mining A New Data Set To Pinpoint Critical Staffing Issues In Skilled Nursing Facilities
Low staffing is a root cause of many injuries in nursing homes. Kaiser Health News senior correspondent Jordan Rau explains how he connected the dots between manpower and risk at facilities nationwide, using a federal tool known as the Payroll-Based Journal.
By Jordan Rau -
1,400 Nursing Homes Get Lower Medicare Ratings Because Of Staffing Concerns
Medicare said those homes either lacked a registered nurse for a high number of days over three months, provided data the government couldnt verify or didnt supply their payroll data at all.
By Jordan Rau and Elizabeth Lucas -
Time For That Colonoscopy? Probe Your Doc First On How The Scopes Are Cleaned
Millions of Americans undergo procedures each year requiring medical scopes, but theres growing concern about the risk of infection from dirty devices. Be prepared to ask questions and bail if youre not satisfied with the answers.
By Emily Bazar -
That Living Will You Signed? At The ER, It Could Be Open To Interpretation.
End-of-life documents express your preferences for care but may not be binding medical orders. Heres how to better prepare for the unexpected that your last wishes wont be carried out.
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Medicare Takes Aim At Boomerang Hospitalizations Of Nursing Home Patients
One in 5 Medicare patients who leave the hospital for a nursing home end up back in the hospital. To discourage this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will soon give bonuses and penalties to facilities based on their rehospitalization rates.
By Jordan Rau -
Look-Up: Compare Nursing Homes Track Records On Boomerang Hospitalizations
Use this tool to see how skilled nursing homes in the U.S. performed on two metrics of quality.
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Study: Nearly Three-Quarters Of Commonly Used Medical Scopes Tainted By Bacteria
The scary findings show a discouraging lack of progress in cleaning the devices, despite more vigorous efforts in the wake of deadly superbug outbreaks, experts say.
By Chad Terhune -
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
KHNs newsletter editor, Brianna Labuskes, wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you dont have to.
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Safety Violations Compound Pain Of Painkiller Shortages
California and federal officials have cracked down on a major compounding pharmacy they say posed a threat to public safety, but their actions are worsening shortages of medications that doctors rely on to keep their patients out of pain.
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What We Know And Dont Know About Memory Loss After Surgery
Memory problems and trouble multitasking are among the symptoms of POCD, a little-known condition that affects a substantial number of older adults after surgery.
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Without Context Or Cushion, Do Online Medical Results Make Sense?
In some cases, information now available to people without talking to a doctor can be a source of confusion and alarm and the cause of more work for doctors because it comes without adequate guidance.
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The Other Opioid Crisis: Hospital Shortages Lead To Patient Pain, Medical Errors
A nationwide shortage of injectable opioid painkillers has left hospitals scrambling to find alternatives in some cases leading to dosage mistakes that may harm patients.
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User-Friendly Or Error-Ridden? Debate Swirls Around Website Comparing Nursing Homes
State says its new site is easier to navigate, though it remains a work in progress. Advocates for nursing home patients call it a huge step in the wrong direction that could endanger peoples lives.
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Simple surgeries. Tragic results.
As Surgery Centers Boom, Patients Are Paying With Their Lives
An investigation by Kaiser Health News and the USA TODAY Network discovers that more than 260 patients have died since 2013 after in-and-out procedures at surgery centers across the country. More than a dozen some as young as 2 have perished after routine operations, such as colonoscopies and tonsillectomies.
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Anthem Calls On Eye Surgeons To Monitor Anesthesia During Cataract Surgery
The insurer says it is not usually medically necessary to have an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist on hand during the common surgery.
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The Training Of Dr. Robot: Data Wave Hits Medical Care
Algorithms and other technologies are moving from research labs to hospitals and clinics to predict and combat disease.
By John McQuaid