Tatum Anderson assesses the range of international hospital accreditations available on the global market today – looking at what each of these signifies in terms of international patient care – and how benchmarks can vary between standards, regions and private versus public hospitals Look up a hospital website, and the best in the world will boast a stream of accreditation standards. … [Read more...]
About 46 million Americans can’t afford quality health care, according to Gallup
Quality health care is unaffordable for an estimated 46 million Americans, according to a new study from Gallup and health care research firm West Health. A web survey of 3,753 adults living in all 50 U.S. states conducted from Feb. 15-21 via the Gallup Panel, a research panel built to be representative of the entire U.S. population, indicated that an estimated 46 … [Read more...]
Black Patients Often Treated at Hospitals With Poorer Safety Records: Report
Compared with white patients, Black adults are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to hospital safety in the United States, a new report warns. Black patients are significantly less likely to gain access to "high-quality" hospitals, an Urban Institute analysis found. As a result, they're much more likely to undergo surgical procedures in facilities with relatively poor safety … [Read more...]
Doctors Overwhelmingly Harbor Negative Views Of Those With Disabilities, Study Finds
The vast majority of doctors across the nation believe that people with significant disabilities have worse quality of life than others, according to a first-of-its-kind study. Researchers surveyed 714 physicians practicing in various specialties and locations on their feelings about patients with disabilities. More than 82% reported that such individuals experience subpar quality of life … [Read more...]
Is digital medicine a cure for the issues of health care cost, quality and access?
Health care policy proposals tend to aim at three major goals: improving quality of care, enhancing access to care and containing health care cost. Many experts believe progress toward one of these goals requires a tradeoff, with sacrifices for the other goals. For example, providing access to health care for more people may only be possible by either increasing health care cost or through cuts in … [Read more...]