Equipment safety and nursing care
The safety of medical products, which includes bedding, depends on three pillars: identification of mistakes, updating standards and training.
UK: Rosie's energy-saving programme saves £-thousands
In May 2006 the Rosie Hospital, in Cambridge, UK, launched a competition challenging staff to suggest ways to save energy or time. Many came up with energy saving ideas. This resulted in the creation of the Rosie Energy Awareness programme. Monitoring energy usage of various items of medical equipment within hospital, for example ultrasound machines, the energy statistics provided staff with a…
France: Ministry of Health initiative ensures emissions conformity
Following the Grenelle Environmental meeting in 2007, the French Ministry of Health has a specific mission: to set an example to the public as to what can be achieved by investing in energy saving.
Warning for hospital cleaners: 'Don't over-dilute disinfectants!'
USA - Bacteria can survive weak solutions of some disinfectants, by ridding their systems of the cleaning chemicals and thus boosting their resistance, which causes greater hygiene problems, according to a study published in Microbiology.
Europe's unequal healthcare
Christian Pruszinsky reports from the 11th European Health Forum Gastein in Austria: `Achieving the level of healthcare of the older EU member states will remain a long-term project for new members´ .
Further increase in number of exhibitors
The COMPAMED, the leading specialist international trade fair for suppliers to the medical manufacturing market, is held parallel to the MEDICA, the world's largest medical trade fair, each year and showcases the dynamism and innovative power of the medical technology sector. The COMPAMED 2008, High tech solutions for medical technology, will, with around 500 exhibitors from 30 nations, once…
First permanent international healthcare marketplace to open in New York City in 2013
The world's first permanent international healthcare marketplace and education center will open in less than five years, the key players driving the project said today, as plans for the Midtown Manhattan tower have been finalized and marketing has begun.
eHealth for safe, high quality and efficient cross-border healthcare
Health systems and health policies across the EU are becoming ever more interconnected which raises many health policy issues. On 2 July 2008, in the context of the Renewed Social Agenda, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a directive on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. Essential precondition for cross-border healthcare is the existence of electronic health record systems…
Scrub the scrubs
For several year, experts have been deploring the lack of physicians' and healthcare workers' attention to hand hygiene and equipment sterilisation. Now, hospital clothes are also in the line of fire. How dangerous are the scrubs really?
Management prize for German hospitals
A long overdue prize finally recognises successful management teams and concepts in German hospitals: the RFH Hospital Innovation Prize, jointly sponsored by the College for Applied Sciences, Cologne, and the Institute for Healthcare Economics and Medical Care Research. With 12,500 EUR the purse is not (yet) particularly stellar, but it's the thought that counts.
New ingredient in paints kills superbugs
Scientists found out that particles of titanium dioxide, which is e.g. contained in the white lines at tennis courts, can kill bacteria and destroy dirt when activated by fluorescent light. Added in paints, the nanotitanium can kill superbugs on all surfaces in hospitals.
Are nurses the better GPs in primary care?
"Should nurses replace GPs as frontline providers of primary care?" This question was discussed controversy by Bonnie Sibbald, Professor of Health Service Research, University of Manchester, (pro) and Rhona Knight, portfolio GP, Leicester, (contra) who alleged their reasons on the British Medical Journal website
Better care saves hospitals money
Researchers from the Center to Advance Palliative Care and from the National Palliative Care Research Center, New York, found out that US-hospitals can save more than $300 per day and patient receiving palliative care while even enhancing the quality of care. Palliative care programs provide a way for hospitals to meet the needs of these patients while staying financially viable.
Healthcare without borders
High-quality health services are a priority issue for European citizens. Rights to healthcare are also recognised in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. Health systems and health policies across the EU are becoming more interconnected than ever in the past.
German hospital groups launch new quality initiative
The “quality medicine initiative” aims at ensuring and improving the quality of diagnostics and therapy. It was launched today by six German hospitals and hospital groups and will be supported by the physicians' association of Berlin.
Normeditec: A new system fights hospital infections
To fight hospital infections and increasingly resistant bacteria Normeditec has developed Toul Mobile Laminar Airflow
bioMérieux: fight against healthcare-associated infections
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), offers the most comprehensive diagnostic solution on the market to help hospitals and healthcare facilities fight Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI).
Microban: Hospital furniture fight superbugs
Knowing that good hygiene practice is critical to the prevention of cross contamination, New Style Healthcare services are introducing a range of unique hospital furniture to the UK which incorporates Microban® built in antibacterial technology.
GE celebrates a decade of Vivid memories
At this year's European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting, GE Healthcare will celebrate a decade of achievements since it acquired Diasonics Vingmed Corporation.
PACS: Netcentric clinic services based on JiveX product line
Hospitals must digitally keep medical documents audit proof, which involves a lot of material and personnel efforts.
Update UniCel integrated systems
This summer, California-based Beckman Coulter Inc. began general distribution of its UniCel DxC 880i's integrated system in Europe.
Laboratory Outsourcing: What next?
A quiet revolution is occurring in clinical laboratory services. In any business model, laboratory services are cost centres, and cost centres can be moved around, services outsourced, amalgamated, contracted out. Globally, diagnostics and laboratory outsourcing are following the already trodden path of information technology.
Courses for future hospital managers
Today hospital managers have to meet varied and complex requirements. Their field of activities covers multiple disciplines and the decisions they make are of far-reaching significance for the future positioning and economic viability of their hospitals or hospital group.
Efficient processes in the Finnish hospital HUS
The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) is the biggest of 20 hospital districts in Finland. It provides specialised and university level health care services in and around city of Helsinki, with regional responsibility of 1.5 million people.
Leadership tools for healthcare managers
But how is this best achieved? Although various authors suggest methods to attain effective leadership, their approaches are not always uniform. Here he reviews some of the literature and authors' advice.