Media reports reveal a disturbing practice at nursing facilities who use “chemical straitjackets” to maintain patients who may have no need for the powerful medications given to them. A recent investigation by The New York Times suggests a startling number of nursing facilities across the country are using questionable diagnosis of psychotic disorders in order … Continued

Diagnostic errors made in the Emergency Department (ED) can lead to dangerous escalation of a disease, injury, or death. Emergency medicine is a specialized form of medical care that requires relative speed, thoughtful diagnosis, and appropriate testing in order to move a patient into an appropriate treatment setting or outcome.  For the most seriously ill … Continued

New treatment guidelines may reduce and deter the sometime serious impacts of infection with Clostridoides difficile (C. diff). A bacterium that causes inflammation of the colon (colitis) and severe diarrhea, C. diff can be serious at any age.  It more often impacts patients on antibiotic treatment, those who are immune compromised, individuals who have had … Continued

A recent study points to distraction as a contributing factor behind unintended retention of foreign objects (URFOs). Consider this – a patient undergoes surgery which is uneventful and helpful.  One year later, increasing pain sends the patient back to their healthcare provider.  Ultimately, imaging studies reveal a surgical sponge entombed within the pelvis of the … Continued

Among 10 equivalent developed countries, a recent survey again rated the United States health system last when measured across different domains of healthcare service. The COVID pandemic revealed gaps and strengths in healthcare systems around the world with regard to infection control, treatment, and public health resilience. The Commonwealth Fund is a foundation that supports … Continued

Telemedicine continues to make inroads into the practice of medicine.  A new study suggests telehealth may provide needed care to consumers while reducing demand on emergency departments. Though in use prior to the COVID pandemic, telehealth vaulted to the forefront of the practice of medicine as social distancing became a health practice due to contagion. … Continued

A 71-year-old Virginia physician will see his life out in prison after conviction on health care fraud and other charges. In November 2019, Javaid Perwaiz was named in a criminal complaint involving health care fraud and arrested the same day.  In 2020, Dr. Perwaiz was convicted by a jury on 51 counts of fraud and … Continued

More profit to physicians for higher quality medical care seems like a good incentive. A new research study of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) provides only limited support for the validity of the program. Over time, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) have developed and tinkered with quality improvement programs to assist … Continued

Informed Consent is a critical aspect of healthcare too often ignored by patients and providers alike. Informed consent is a process by which a patient is provided information and the opportunity to discuss a medical procedure or service with their physician and others with whom they would like to talk before undergoing the procedure. Basically, … Continued

Two important settlements in the opioid litigation have been brokered with Big Pharma recently. While billions of dollars in community relief are promised, money does not reduce the ongoing loss and sorrow caused by rising overdose deaths across this country. The headline in The New York Times reads, “It’s Huge, It’s Historic, It’s Unheard-of’: Drug … Continued