Patient management

From managing appointments to admittance and coordination of treatments to billing – patient management is a complex field in which everything revolves around the patient. Keep reading for the latest developments and application examples.

News • Emergency medicine

Triaging patients: no job for AI (alone)

Overcrowded EDs and the escalating workload of nurses are pressing challenges in emergency medicine. While AI might not solve these problems, it could help staff mitigate them, new research suggests.

News • How much does it hurt?

‘Monetizing’ pain for more accurate assessments

Asking people how much money they would accept to experience pain again can provide a more accurate and comparable measure of pain levels than the familiar 1–10 scale, according to new research.

Article • Complexities of doctor-patient communication

“Very rarely a chance of heart attack or death” – Wait, what?

Hospitalists frequently discuss the risks associated with tests, treatments, and/or surgical procedures with their patients. But is everyone in the clear on what a “slight risk of complications”…

Article • Opioid and alcohol-related disorders in healthcare

Managing inpatients with substance abuse disorders

The number of patients with substance abuse disorders who are admitted to hospitals as inpatients has been steadily increasing. Hospitalists attending SHM Converge 2025, the annual meeting of the…

News • Autonomous imaging systems

Virtual avatars inspire trust in ultrasound robots

An ultrasound examination performed by a robot can cause distress in some patients. Munich researchers have now developed a VR avatar system that makes the process feel more human.

News • Focus on health-related quality of life

Pushing for a more patient-centered approach to advanced cancer care

Currently, cancer treatment evaluation focuses heavily on survival outcomes, but doesn't adequately consider how treatments affect quality of life. A new policy review aims to change this.

Article • Hospitalists explore diagnostic and therapeutic adjustments

Dual challenge: Managing critical care of the pregnant inpatient

Hospitalists face a dual challenge when a critically ill pregnant patient is admitted to a hospital: providing safe and effective treatment for both mother and fetus. Pregnancy causes physiologic changes as well as anatomical ones, which complicates the assessment and medical management of pregnant women. At the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) in Las Vegas, an expert…

News • Research into socioeconomic factors

Why poor patients often have poorer surgical outcomes

Lower income, higher BMI, less time and fewer resources to improve their health: A new study links social and environmental factors in patients from deprived areas to poorer outcomes in surgery.

News • Environmental control, ePR interaction, and more

Digitizing rehabilitation with ‘intelligent bedside terminals’

‘Intelligent bedside terminals’ installed at the upcoming NHS National Rehabilitation Centre in Loughborough are designed to help patients engage in their ongoing rehabilitation.

News • Lifetime risk thresholds for mastectomy

Breast cancer: When should clinicians offer surgical options?

When should preventive mastectomy be offered for women at higher risk of breast cancer? A new evaluation model defines thresholds at which risk reducing surgery should be recommended.

News • Commentary on obesity treatments

Medical tourism for weight reduction surgery: Experts urge for regulation

Saving money, at a cost: To undergo bariatric and weight reduction surgery, more and more patients turn to institutions outside their home country – potentially putting their health at risk.

News • Emergency hospitalisation driver

Polypharmacy: hidden risks for older patients

Too many medicines, too many hospital visits: Inappropriate polypharmacy is a major driver of emergency hospital admissions among adults aged 65 and over, according to a new study.

Video • Empathetic avatar

Virtual AI receptionist “Cassie” to improve healthcare communication

A virtual medical receptionist named “Cassie,” developed through research at Texas A&M University, is designed to transform the way patients interact with health care providers.

Article • Diagnostic and care support

Atrial fibrillation: digital technology to the rescue?

Machine learning (ML) for personalised care, large language models for empathy training of cardiologists, wearable sensor data for better screening, and more: Digital technologies hold great potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). At the ESC 2024 cardiology congress in London, four experts explored the benefits of new solutions and pointed out…

News • From same-day to several years

Childhood cancer: stark inequalities in diagnostic waiting times

Childhood cancer diagnosis times span from immediate to delays of several years, according to a new study. Young bone tumor patients are among the most affected by these delays.

News • Predicting obstetric complications

New method to reduce risk of severe birth injury

A new method for predicting the risks of severe injuries during childbirth could improve care and reduce long-term complications for women.

News • Appeal for tailored care approaches

Breast cancer: Study reveals ethnic differences in development and outcomes

When it comes to breast cancer, ethnic differences matter, putting some women at a significantly higher risk, a new study finds. Genetic ancestry should therefore be considered as a risk factor.

News • From RRMS to SPMS

Multiple sclerosis: AI detects crucial transition point

Multiple sclerosis often transitions from a relapsing-remitting to secondary progressive form, which requires different treatment. Now, an AI model can determine this change with 90% certainty.

Prof. Dr. Agnes Kant

‘Side effects are not a side issue’

Discovering knowledge about side effects needs to be faster and better. In her oration, Prof. Dr. Agnes Kant, Professor by special appointment of Innovation of Pharmacovigilance, calls for more research on side effects. She also pleads for a fund for independent research on side effects.

News • Healthcare communication

Don't call it diabetes: Campaign for life-saving name change

Arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) is a rare condition affecting the body's water management. However, it is also known under a different name – this can lead to fatal mix-ups.

News • Cardiac event marker

Coronary artery calcium score: useful regardless of age

A large new study of more than 40,000 patients finds that a zero coronary artery calcium score continues to be an accurate indicator of a low risk for a coronary heart event even as a person ages.

News • Behavioural intervention study

Want to boost bowel cancer screening response? Add a deadline

Screening for colorectal cancer has proven effective for reducing mortality, but response rates are lacking. A new study finds that putting on the pressure can provide the necessary encouragement.

News • Uncovering human prejudice

How AI can help detect and reduce bias in emergency medicine

Generative AI can detect and quantify cognitive biases of human caregivers during medical emergency situations. This way, LLMs could help reduce the impact of bias based on gender, age, or ethnicity.

Article • A hard farewell from the lead apron

Radiation protection: Were we wrong all along?

For more than a year now, patients in Austria are no longer required to wear a lead apron during radiological imaging procedures such as X-ray and CT scans. However, the new recommendation, issued by the country's five specialist societies for radiation protection and imaging, has sparked mixed reactions among radiology technologists. At the annual congress of the specialist society…

News • Appeal for clearer patient communication

Do CAT scans really involve cats? (and other ways children misunderstand medical jargon)

"Negative" results are good, and CAT scans are taken without felines: Medical jargon can be confusing for children, so pediatrics experts call for clearer language to avoid invoking fear.

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