The health care manager
-
The health care manager · Oct 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyHospital bed utilization by teaching and nonteaching medical services.
A study was undertaken to determine whether hospital bed utilization is different between teaching and nonteaching hospitalist services. During a 2-year period, the average length of stay (ALOS), case-mix index, readmissions within 30 days of discharge, and percentage of 1-day stays were compared between these services. To ameliorate confounders, the ALOS was recalculated (ALOS revised) after excluding patients with length of stay of more than 20 days and those originally admitted to the intensive care unit. ⋯ The mean percentage of readmissions within 30 days of discharge and 1-day stays were not significantly different between group 1 and groups 2 and 3. Hospital bed utilization in the teaching service was superior to the nonteaching hospitalist services. Further research should explore the reasons for the differences between these models of care.
-
The health care manager · Jul 2012
Diagnosing and improving functioning in interdisciplinary health care teams.
Interdisciplinary teams play a key role in the delivery of health care. Team functioning can positively or negatively impact the effective and efficient delivery of health care services as well as the personal well-being of group members. Additionally, teams must be able and willing to work together to achieve team goals within a climate that reflects commitment to team goals, accountability, respect, and trust. ⋯ These are the following: a common team goal, the ability and willingness to work together to achieve team goals, decision making, communication, and team member relationships. High-functioning interdisciplinary teams must exhibit features of good team function in all key domains. If a team functions well in some domains and needs to improve in others, targeted strategies are described that can be used to improve team functioning.
-
Most health care employees experience and are bolstered by compassion satisfaction as they deal with patients in need. However, the more empathetic a health care provider is, the more likely he or she will experience compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a negative syndrome that occurs when dealing with the traumatic experiences of patients, and examples of symptoms include intrusive thoughts, sleeping problems, and depression. ⋯ Compassion fatigue is a rapidly occurring disorder for primary health care workers who work with suffering patients, whereas burnout, a larger construct, is a slowly progressing disorder for employees who typically are working in burdensome organizational environments. Managers can mitigate problems associated with compassion fatigue with a number of interventions including patient reassignments, formal mentoring programs, employee training, and a compassionate organizational culture. With burnout, health care managers will want to focus primarily on chronic organizational problems.
-
The health care manager · Jul 2011
International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision: it's coming, ready or not.
The current diagnostic and inpatient procedure coding system, International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), has been used in the United States since 1979. The coding system has become insufficient because of many medical and technological improvements that have occurred since then. On September 20, 2013, the US health care system will assign the final ICD-9-CM code. ⋯ Although October 2013 is the implementation deadline, facilities should start preparing for the change at this time. A thorough understanding of the new official guidelines is key to a successful transition from ICD-9-CM to International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification, Procedure Classification System. As we are embracing 1 of the greatest health care changes in 30 years, specific considerations are offered for initiating implementation and ensuring a smooth transition.
-
The health care manager · Jul 2011
A framework for cultural competence in health care organizations.
Increased racial and ethnic diversity in the United States brings challenges and opportunities for health care organizations to provide culturally competent services that effectively meet the needs of diverse populations. The need to provide more culturally competent care is essential to reducing and eliminating health disparities among minorities. ⋯ Organizations should assess cultural differences, gain greater cultural knowledge, and provide cultural competence training to deliver high-quality services. This article develops a framework to guide health care organizations as they focus on establishing culturally competent strategies and implementing best practices aimed to improve quality of care and achieve better outcomes for minority populations.