Sunday, October 12, 2008

medical quality

USN Current Issue

Pediatricians Would Admit Error Only Half the Time

Doctors often don't disclose less obvious mistakes, even if they cause harm, study finds. more >>

Now Hospitals Must Pay for Avoidable Complications

Starting tomorrow, Medicare won't pay for a list of complications that could be avoided. more >>

Health Buzz: Skin Cancer and Other Health News

Uninsured rates fall, Michelle Obama’s speaking finesse, and a new book from a former ER doctor more >>

Doctors' Group Leaves Secret Shoppers in the Waiting Room

AMA members question allowing undercover reviewers to probe patient care. more >>

Health Buzz: Kennedy's Brain Cancer and Other Health News

Rare disease, hospital quality, and hormone replacement therapy for women more >>

Taking a (By)pass on Surgical Volume

Conventional wisdom says deaths go down the more often a hospital does a procedure. Oh, yeah? more >>

Do Patients Plus Clinical Trials Equal Better Care?

Hospitals that sign up lots of patients for studies just might be improving the quality of care across the board. more >>

Interpreting the Supreme Court's Medical Device Decision

The ruling gives the FDA the final word, but legal experts say it's not as extensive as it appears. more >>

Rating Doctors: A Rank Practice?

Websites now let patients rate their physicians, despite opposition from medical groups. more >>

A Rectum, a Finger, and a Lawsuit in New York

The patient feels violated. Doctors feel it was necessary. A court will decide. more >>

Do Celebrities Get Better Care?

They may get special treatment, but it might not be the kind they want. Nor would you. more >>

Surgery Really Is a Numbers Game

Your first question should be: "How many have you done?" more >>

A Hospital Report With Holes

Yesterday's Web posting by the federal government of information that shows how well individual hospitals deal with heart attacks and heart failure was a big deal—in principle. It was the first dip of the federal toe into a pool of statistics called outcomes data. more >>

The Hunt for Health Report Cards

We'd like them. Experts say we need them. So where are they? more >>

How Patients Rate Doctors

Over the years, a fair number of consumers who have consulted our annual America's Best Hospitals rankings have gotten in touch with me (I direct the project) to ask why we don't rate doctors, too. If there were a fair and objective way to do that, we would. more >>

Pulling Back the Curtains

It was hard to keep from cringing as I leafed through the results of a physician survey centering on quality of care. They were just released by the American College of Physician Executives, whose members consist mostly of doctors with management responsibilities. more >>

What Does Quality Mean, Anyway?

If the quality and safety of your medical care fell short in some way, would you have any idea? Do you know where and when you should be on guard, what hospitals and clinics are doing to treat and protect patients better, and what steps do and don't work? All of that and more will be within the scope of this blog.. more >>

GIVE A GIFT

Subscribe today to U.S.News & World Report. Also available in our Digital Edition.

advertisement

NEWSLETTER

Sign up today for the latest headlines from U.S. News & World Report delivered to you free.

RSS FEEDS

Personalize your U.S. News with our feeds of blogs and breaking news headlines.

USNews MOBILE

U.S. News daily briefings are also available on your mobile device.

Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.