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There are times when a freestanding surgery center is not feasible. Some of the more significant reasons include:
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The three major gastroenterology associations released a statement in 2004 that said monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is not needed for routine colonoscopy procedures.
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In April, Aetna will join several other payers, including WellPoint and Humana, that say it isn't medically necessary to have an anesthesia professional present for average-risk individuals undergoing standard upper or lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic procedures.
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Doctors appear to disclose actual medical errors to their hospitals at a lower rate than their views on disclosure would indicate, according to a University of Iowa researcher.
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Some of the language of ethics doesn't come naturally to nurses, according to a nurse-ethicist. But an initiative by Indianapolis-based Clarian Health aims to make ethics training and discussion second nature to the 5,000 nurses working there.
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Hospital staff have a plethora of ethical duties while their patients are hospitalized under their care, but clinicians need to remember that their duty to provide ethical care extends right up to and even beyond the point of discharge, says Emory University ethicist John Banja, PhD.
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Have you hugged a patient today? Whether your answer is yes or no, there will be disagreement about the wisdom of your choice.
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Unnecessary hospital readmissions can be avoided by a "whole-family" approach to discharge planning. Medicare requirements and The Joint Commission focus on evaluating and meeting the patient's needs, yet engagement and active participation of the family or lay caregivers also is central to improving the patient's transition from hospital to home.
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When a patient is admitted to the hospital with a chronic condition such as pain, one of the key elements of assessment is to determine what medications including prescriptions drugs and nonprescription medications and supplements the individual is taking. It is not uncommon for some patients, particularly older adults, to take 10 or more prescription medications a day.
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Instead of handing patients piles of papers during the discharge planning process, case managers and social workers at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, simply refer them to the hospital's Valley C.A.R.E.S. web site, a resource with links to more than 2,000 agencies, facilities, organizations, and informational sites.