Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Every year, about 140, 000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and more than 50,000 people die from it. Know your risks, learn the symptoms and get informed about colorectal screenings.
Visit the Center for Disease Control for more information on colorectal cancer prevention today!
An recent article published by Becker's Hospital Review highlights the history of healthcare reform throughout the years. In this article Jerry W. Taylor from Stites & Harbison, breaks down healthcare reform beginning with the post-war era of President Truman, all the way to the present day Obama administration. Taylor offers great non-partisan insights into the never ending journey of healthcare reform. Below is an excerpt from Taylor's article.
"A Brief History on the Road to Healthcare Reform: From Truman to Obama
Written by Jerry W. Taylor, JD, Stites & Harbison | February 11, 2014
A brief history of healthcare reform in the U.S., through the years.
The healthcare and insurance industries, and all of us as healthcare consumers, are experiencing the birth pangs of the difficult roll out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The natural inclination is to view the PPACA as unique in its scope, impact and political implications. But such a view is myopic, for the road to healthcare reform in America is well traveled. Every American presidential administration following the end of World War II has, to some extent, proposed or supported changes to the healthcare system in this country. And many of those previous reforms have been eerily similar to some of the provisions in the PPACA."
To continue reading the entire article visit Becker's Hospital Review.
Transdermal delivery systems or medicated patches such as the Exelon patch can require alternative anesthesia plans during surgery. Read and excerpt from the Anesthesa Patient Safety Foundation titled,
Rivastigmine (Exelon) Patch May Complicate Use of Nueromuscular Blocking Drugs, to find out how the Exelon patch can affect patients during surgical procedures when mixed with Nueromuscular Blocking Drugs (NBD).
(Photo courtesy of Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation article)
Do you or the facility you are employed use text messaging or a mobile device to transfer or share patient information? If yes, please be aware that you may be violating the HIPAA privacy rules.
The HIPAA privacy rule provides an individual with the right to access and amend protected health information (PHI) about the individual that is maintained in a designated record set. The designated record set includes PHI "used, in whole or in part, by or for the covered entity to make decisions about individuals."
If text messages are used to make decisions about patient care, then they may be subject to the rights of access and amendment. If the electronic device cannot provide patients with access to or amend such text messages there is a risk of noncompliance with the privacy rule.
Texting is a rising concern in the place of employment.
Individuals should not use non-hospital or facility devices to share patient information.
If devices are provided by the facilities to transport patient information between clinicians in and out of the facility then those devices need to be registered with IT and encrypted. On the resignation of a clinician or an electronic device then the device must be “cleaned” of all pertinent information.
Protected health Information (PHI) should not be transmitted on personal electronic devices and this should be relayed to all clinicians within health networks and private facilities.
Policies should be written to reflect these guidelines and the disciplinary actions that will be sought if personal electronic devices are found to be carrying PHI.
Source: 1. HIPAA, Public Law 104-191, 45 CFR §§ 164.524, 164.526.
If you have any trouble with ampules breaking off/shattering when opening Propofol please read the attached safety alert from Hospira.