TIP OF THE WEEK
How to work with a hospitalist
Your patients may find themselves under the care of a hospitalist in the hospital: a physician who manages care in the hospital, then transfers responsibility back to the patient’s primary care physician after discharge. Although some clinicians worry that this system may disrupt the traditional doctor-patient relationship, many agree that hospitalists can better attend to the needs of hospitalized patients and more effectively navigate the increasingly complex hospital system. However, close communication between the hospitalist and a patient’s primary care physician is crucial, reports the December 2006 issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch.
The term “hospitalist” was introduced 10 years ago to describe “a new breed of physicians” that provide care only in the hospital setting. Now, it’s the fastest growing medical specialty in the United States. Hospitalists complete medical school and postgraduate training in internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics.
While a hospitalist is likely to provide up-to-date and efficient treatment, ensuring communication and continuity of care takes extra effort—by everyone.
TIPS FOR HOME HEALTH PATIENTS
For home health patients who are at high-risk for hospitalization, prepare them with the following information:
- Know the signs and symptoms to look for – including symptoms that should be reported to your home health agency and signs that you may need to go to the hospital.
- Keep your doctor’s contact information with you, so you or your hospitalist can call with updates.
- While in the hospital, keep a record of major procedures, surgeries, complications, and medication reactions.
- At discharge, get a list of all your medications and a discharge summary to give to your regular doctor.
- Call your doctor’s office after a hospital stay to update your list of medications and to ask for a follow-up appointment.
The impact on the quality of care is not easy to determine, notes Harvard Women’s Health Watch. There’s no evidence so far that quality of care has suffered, but larger-scale and longer-term studies are needed to weigh the impact on patient care and the patient-doctor relationship.
Source: Harvard Women’s Health Watch
IN THE NEWS
ELDERLY DYING FROM FALLS MORE OFTEN
November 16, 2006 - - Newsday - - The death rate from falling has risen dramatically for elderly people since the 1990s, said federal health officials, speculating that it's because people are living longer with chronic conditions like cancer and heart disease.
"Since people are not dying as much from chronic diseases, they're more likely to die from a fall," said Judy Stevens, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Falling is the 14th leading cause of death among the elderly. Read more >>
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DEMENTIA PATIENTS AND THEIR CARERS
November 16, 2006 - - EurekAlert - - Occupational therapy can help to improve the ability of people with dementia to perform daily activities and can also reduce the pressure on their caregivers, says a British Medical Journal study published today. Read more >>
AS MEMORIES SLIP AWAY, IT'S STILL A 'WONDERFUL LIFE'
November 17, 2006 - - NPR - - Five years ago, Ken Morganstern was told he had early-stage Alzeheimer's disease. Since then, his memory has gotten worse -- and he has lost some of the stories of his own life. But he hasn't lost the idea of who he is. Read more >>
STROKE MORE COMMON AMONG THE POOR: STUDY
November 24, 2006 - - Reuters - - Socioeconomic status may account for some, but not all, of the increased risk of stroke African Americans face, a new study shows.
Among men and women living in the Greater Cincinnati area, blacks were 69 percent more likely to suffer a first-time stroke in 1999 than whites, Dr. Dawn O. Kleindorfer of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio found. Adjusting for the effects of socioeconomic status reduced some of the effects of ethnicity, but not all of them. Read more >>
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY STUDY EXAMINES CHANGING ROLES, EMOTIONS IN CAREGIVING
November 27, 2006 - - EurekAlert - - The early stages when a spouse or an adult child becomes a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of progressive dementia is fraught with a tug-of-war of emotions from resentment to protectiveness, according to a new study from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. Read more >>
WAL-MART, INTEL, BRITISH PETROLEUM TO COLLABORATE TO PROMOTE USE OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
November 27, 2006 - - Kaiser Network - - Wal-Mart Stores, Intel, British Petroleum and other companies next week will announce a plan to provide and promote usage of portable electronic health records for their employees, the Wall Street Journal reports. Last summer at the request of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wal-Mart and Intel joined together on the plan after meeting separately with the agency to discuss individual company efforts to reduce health costs. Read more >>
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Best Practices for Improvement in Pain Interfering with Activity
December 7, 2006 - 11:00-12:15Lisa Gorski, MS, APRN, BC, CRNI, FAAN Dec 14, 2006 - 10:00-11:00
Sparkle Sparks, MPT, HCS-D, COS-C
INDUSTRY EVENTS
It's Flu Season! Access the CMS Preventive Services Educational Products.
CDC Adult Immunization Update Webcast -- December 7, 2006 12:00-2:30pm
