Why White Coats Should Be Optional
Would my white lab coat be better put to use when I carve the Christmas roast than when seeing patients? After all, we know that… Read More »Why White Coats Should Be Optional
Five Steps to Innovative Solutions for Health Care Improvement
In my role as the patient safety innovation coordinator for the Armstrong Institute, I spend a lot of time helping clinicians improve processes in health… Read More »Five Steps to Innovative Solutions for Health Care Improvement
Turning Health Care Improvement Training into Results
Maybe you've had this experience: You attend a workshop or conference to build your skill set, you pick up new strategies and tools, and you… Read More »Turning Health Care Improvement Training into Results
To Engage Physicians in Cost Savings, Start with Quality
Like a pro golfer swears by a certain brand of clubs or a marathon runner has a chosen make of shoes, surgeons can form strong… Read More »To Engage Physicians in Cost Savings, Start with Quality
Potential Bias in U.S. News Patient Safety Scores
In this post, I present the case that U.S. News & World Report’s patient safety score, a component of its annual Best Hospitals rankings, has… Read More »Potential Bias in U.S. News Patient Safety Scores
The Patient Wish List
Since undergoing a double-lung transplant at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in December 2011, Podge Reed Jr. has had four medical admissions, two surgical admissions, eight… Read More »The Patient Wish List
Weighing the Need for Surgical Volume Thresholds
In May, three academic medical systems turned up the heat on a long-simmering debate about the link between surgical volumes and quality of care. Leaders… Read More »Weighing the Need for Surgical Volume Thresholds
The Surgeon Scorecard and the Need for Measurement Standards
Most of us would agree that there aren't enough valid and meaningful health care quality measures to guide patients' choices of hospitals and physicians. While… Read More »The Surgeon Scorecard and the Need for Measurement Standards
Walking in Another Caregiver’s Shoes
How many of our conflicts could be handled better or averted if we had the opportunity to spend some time in the shoes of the… Read More »Walking in Another Caregiver’s Shoes
Patient Safety Perils at 36,000 Feet
There are more than 50 in-flight medical emergencies a day on commercial airlines — or one for every 604 flights, according to a study published in… Read More »Patient Safety Perils at 36,000 Feet