A recent article published in the American Journal of Critical Care found that eliminating visitation restrictions to the ICU improved family satisfaction.
Antibiotics, when used as indicated, can save lives in the hospital setting. However, antibiotic misuse and overuse are contributing to the problem of antibiotic-resistant infections and serious side effects such as Clostridium difficile.
It is safe to say that the government has taken off the kid gloves regarding HIPAA penalties. One only has to review the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) press releases and website to see the substantial fines levied for HIPAA violations over the last two years.
Five people, including the CFO of a Long Beach, CA, hospital, have been charged in connection to a long-running kickback scheme that involved thousands of illegal referrals and millions of dollars in fraudulent billings.
The FDA issued a 39-page report in November, titled “The Public Health Evidence for FDA Oversight of Laboratory Developed Tests: 20 Case Studies,” which addresses bad outcomes that result from certain laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), which are increasingly important, considering their use can lead to a patient’s diagnosis and surgery.
