Under the microscope
The Netherlands needs greater integrated care and fuller governmental co-operation with healthcare professionals.
Security
Article • In vitro fertilisation
Watch out for IVF identity fraud
Hospitals and fertility clinics across Europe are to be warned that safeguards must be implemented to prevent impostors gaining access to IVF treatment.
Low nurse levels cause deaths
Geneva - Inadequate staffing is reaching crisis levels in all regions, according to the International Council of Nurses (ICN). Among studies reviewed, one showed that an increased workload from four to six surgical patients resulted in a 14% increase in the chance of a patient in that nurse's care dying within 30 days of admission.
Intelligent textiles
The latest textile technologies go along with fabric integrated sensors, or computers, to measure e.g. the functioning of a patient's cardiovascular system.
Developing the electronic health card
For a number of years, both the Communications and Medical Solutions Groups of Siemens AG and the Bamberg-based firm DOCexpert Computer GmbH have been actively involved in creating IT-based end-to-end solutions for medical practices, medical care centres, clinics and integrated care networks.
Learn from other's mistakes
Every day, critical events occur in hospitals but do not harm patients. Anonymous reporting to increase patient safety
UK nurses in revolt
There is growing unrest in the nursing profession in the UK following announcements of planned job cuts in the NHS.
Security alert
Security in hospitals is not easy. Thousands of patients, visitors, members of staff, as well as delivery and removal people, come and go, and with so many strangers inevitably on the scene, a perfect cover for opportunistic thieves is created, so the theft of small items is not uncommon.
Managing complex healthcare organisation
Managing a modern healthcare organisation is complex. Complexity stems from the variables that need to be entertained, which are highly unpredictable.
The European Commission, DG Information Society and Media
The European Comission was on of the first funding agencies ...
Performance measurement to improve quality
Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals have long expressed an interest in performance measurement to support quality improvement efforts and to provide a valid base for local, national, and international comparisons.
Work analysis
The problem is ubiquitous: Due to their workload, medical teams cannot accomplish their tasks to everyone’s satisfaction during regular working hours. Is the solution to raise staffing levels? More politics? At a political level a framework could be created but its actual implementation must occur within a facility, because that is where work schedules are drawn up, writes Denise Hennig,…
IT slows you down So why bother?
Are the benefits of the IT invasion those we actually perceive?
Respected not rejected
The Hartmann European Care Award 2004 has been presented to Dagmar Erdkönig, Petra Makara and Claudia Reicher of Austria.
Prion filter for red cells
Scientists at biopharm firm Pathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies Inc* (PRDT) recently confirmed their identification of lead ligands capable of specifically targeting certain 'challenging' viruses.
Mobile iris recognition
Iris recognition is thought to be the highest-accuracy, single-factor biometric identification in the world, and could have many uses.
Patients link with mobiles
Another new system introduced at Bad Reichenhall's city hospital, allows nurses to talk with patients and ascertain whether their calls are due to an emergency or for a non-urgent request.
CE approved
The Biotronik Home Monitoring Service, which gained CE approval in May, has now monitored over 1,500 patients worldwide. Studies indicate that 88% of patients claim an increased sense of security due to the service.
Insurers balk at medical risk cover
As in the United States, European hospitals now face an inevitable result from escalating compensation payments made to medical injury patients - in the near future, premiums are expected to rise 25-100% in some EU countries.
Patients in five countries reveal healthcare deficiencies
Disturbingly high rates of medical errors, lack of care co-ordination, poor communication between doctors/patients, and barriers when accessing care, are experienced by patients in the United States (US), Australia, Canada, NZ (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Taxus
France - Four studies of three TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stents have demonstrated their safety and efficacy, according to the maker, Boston Scientific Corporation of Natick, Maryland, USA.
Virtual patients for MIS training
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS), carried out through very small incisions, minimises patient trauma and shortens rehabilitation time.
Artificial hibernation and aortic surgery
2,871 aortic surgery procedures were carried out in Germany last year. 317 of these were on the aortic arch - and particularly dangerous.
Hygiene: pre-surgical hair removal
Preoperative removal of hair from an operative site is important measures for avoiding postoperative wound infections.
Advances in blood group serology
Todays test formats (gel technology, micro test plates), plus laboratory electronic data processing and automation, have changed the classic format of blood group serological examinations significantly - and reduced the danger of life-threatening errors.