Surgery and Birthdays Don't Mix
A recent study found that older patients who underwent surgical procedures on a surgeon's birthday were more likely to die within a month of the procedure compared with those who were operated on any other day.
One possible reason may be surgeons feeling rushed to complete operations on their birthdays to accommodate post-work plans.
Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospitals spend millions of dollars and much attention combatting nosocomial infections, i.e., infections acquired in a hospital or other health care facility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports they're making some progress:
-- Bloodstream infections, typically caused when a pathogen enters the body through a catheter, are down 7%.
-- Urinary tract infections caused by bacteria entering via a catheter are down 8%, 12% in ICUs.
-- Infections caused by the bacterium C. difficile are down 18%.
Digital Divide
Health care via internet-based technology is growing rapidly, but not without aches and pains. A new survey by the health care financial company Cedar says 28% of patients switched or stopped going to a health care provider due to a poor digital experience.
Almost one-third complained that online payment processes were inadequate, and half said they wished their digital health experience was as seamless and intuitive as Netflix or Amazon. On the other hand, given the pandemic, more than half said they would consider switching to online providers for the sake of electronic paperwork or virtual care.
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