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Deciding whether patients should be in observation or inpatient status always has been a challenge for hospitals and now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has embarked on a nationwide program to audit for overpayment, placing patients in the correct status is more critical than ever.
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Strategies that include developing close relationships with post-acute providers; meetings to explore options for extended-stay patients; and collaboration between nurse practitioners, hospitalists, and the interdisciplinary care team have helped Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, NC, reduce the number of patients who stay more than 15 days.
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Ask the next patient who comes in your office, "What is the most effective reversible contraceptive?" How many of them will name the intrauterine device (IUD)?
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Review your patient charts for the past month. If national statistics are any indication, chances are many of those cases include a diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI).
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Use of the cervical cancer vaccine may soon expand: Merck has filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use of Gardasil (Merck & Co.; Whitehouse Station, NJ) in use in women ages 27 through 45.
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Your next patient is a healthy, fit 45-year-old nonsmoking woman. She says her menstrual periods are now less regular, and she reports having intermittent hot flashes. Newly divorced, she is now sexually active and wonders which contraceptive is right for her. What's your recommendation?
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While women now have more contraceptive options, many still struggle with achieving success with their chosen contraceptive method. What can clinicians do to improve method success?
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The American Public Health Association (APHA) has just issued a policy statement calling for schools of public health, pharmacy, and medicine to include specific education around the adverse impact of douching on reproductive and maternal outcomes.
