Wednesday, May 30, 2012

amednews.com: Challenges to peer review confidentiality rising

Physician organizations say court rulings that release files could deter doctor participation in the process.

Alicia Gallegos, May 28, 2012

Physicians historically have enjoyed state protections when discussing a colleague’s behavior or analyzing an adverse event in peer review committees. At least 45 states prevent disclosure of what is said during such meetings to facilitate open communication and foster better health care.

But a recent rise in legal challenges against peer review protections is putting doctors’ confidentiality — and the process itself — at risk, legal experts and physicians say.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Monday, May 21, 2012

HealthLeaders Media: Medical Boards Step Up Disciplinary Actions

Cheryl Clark, May 18, 2012

The number of bad doctors who were punished by their state medical boards increased 6.8% between 2010 and 2011, with significant increases in high population states such as Florida, California, Ohio and Texas, according to the latest annual summary from the Federation of State Medical Boards.

The number of disciplinary actions of all types rose from 5,652 to 6,025. These actions include the most severe penalties, in which a physician loses the license to practice or loses certain privileges, to less severe or "non-prejudicial" actions or public reprimands.

Read the rest here.

Friday, May 18, 2012

FierceHealthcare: Joplin hospitals share lessons on disaster planning

Karen M. Cheung, May 16, 2012

Hospitals in Missouri coped well with natural disasters last year after a blizzard and floods in January 2011, but they were not as prepared for the overwhelming patient surge from the EF-5 tornado that wiped out Joplin in May, according to a Missouri Hospital Association report.

As one of the deadliest tornados in American history, the tornado caused 161 fatalities and approximately 1,371 injuries.

Read more here.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

HealthTech: Need a Doctor? Just Text or Call and a Prescription Is On The Way, with Telemedicine

Generation Y may feel it’s a real pain to visit the doctor in person, preferring instead to look things up on their smartphones or just skip medical care doctor altogether. But when you’re really sick, only a doctor will do.

But you still may not have to go in person. Enter telemedicine. Youths are using their mobile devices to be “examined” – or at least explain what’s troubling them medically to get prescriptions and care instructions – right over the phone.

Read the rest here.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

amednews.com: Physician interest in online CME is strong

A survey looking at physicians’ technology use finds that the majority prefer online learning that can be accessed anywhere, anytime.

Pamela Lewis Dolan, May 14, 2012


There is a demand among physicians for continuing medical education training that can be accessed on the go.

A survey by ON24 and MedData Group found that 84% of physicians would prefer attending CME events online. Among the benefits physicians expect from Web-based CME is the ability to view the content “on demand” while avoiding the hassles and costs of traveling.

ON24, a virtual communication technology vendor with headquarters in San Francisco, and MedData Group, an interactive content and database marketing services company based in Topsfield, MA., surveyed 971 physicians across a variety of specialties about their digital behaviors. The survey found that physicians are “more mobile than ever before,” and that is impacting the way they want to access educational materials.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Monday, May 14, 2012

FSMB: Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery adopts Uniform Application

The Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery is the most recent state board to adopt the FSMB's Uniform Application for Physician State Licensure (UA). The board is the 17th FSMB member board to use this tool, which was designed to enhance license portability. Through the UA, member boards utilize common application elements while capturing unique state requirements in an addendum customized to meet a state's specific needs.

Click here for more information.

Friday, May 11, 2012

HHS Finalizes New Rules To Cut Regulations For Hospitals and Health Care Providers

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced significant steps to reduce unnecessary, obsolete, or burdensome regulations on American hospitals and health care providers. These steps will help achieve the key goal of President Obama’s regulatory reform initiative to reduce unnecessary burdens on business and save nearly $1.1 billion across the health care system in the first year and more than $5 billion over five years.


Read the rest here.

FierceHealthIT: State med boards group issues social media rules for docs

Dan Bowman, May 8, 2012

Healthcare providers with an interest in using social media must be cognizant of patient privacy and personal boundaries, according to new guidelines from the Federation of State Medical Boards. The guidelines, developed by the FSMB's Special Committee on Ethics and Professionalism, point out that despite the potential of social media for patient care, that potential must be reached within the "proper framework of professional ethics."


Read the rest here.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Medscape: Can a Hospital Say, "Only Thin Doctors Can Work Here"?

Arthur L. Caplan, PhD

To put it bluntly, should hospitals hire employees who are overweight?

A hospital in Texas, Citizens Medical Center, has said that it is not going to hire anybody -- doctors, health staff, nurses -- who is overweight. For them, that means a body mass index of over 35 kg/m2; or in other words, for a 5'10" man, if you weigh more than about 250 lb, you wouldn't get hired at this particular Texas facility.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Monday, May 7, 2012

BNA: Hospitals, Doctors Agree With CMS Decision Not to Change Major EMTALA Requirements

Nathaniel Weixel

Stakeholder groups support the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' decision not to change current requirements for hospitals under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

EMTALA, also known as the patient anti-dumping statute, was passed in 1986. It is meant to ensure that an individual with an emergency medical condition is not denied essential lifesaving services, regardless of the individual's insurance coverage status.

A hospital failing to fulfill its EMTALA obligations may be subject to termination of its Medicare provider agreement, which would result in the loss of Medicare and Medicaid payments, according to CMS.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Friday, May 4, 2012

HHS: Data Bank Updates Research Data and Resources

The Data Bank expanded its research offerings on April 30, 2012 to include additional data analysis and output capabilities. Our intent is to build upon the recent map-based reporting tool currently on our website by offering a data analysis tool that facilitates independent analysis of the more than 800,000 reports contained in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).

Located on the Data Bank’s website, the new statistical application permits users to perform specific data analyses and create their own customized data tables.

Read more here.

HHS: Data Bank Updates Research Data and Resources

The Data Bank expanded its research offerings on April 30, 2012 to include additional data analysis and output capabilities. Our intent is to build upon the recent map-based reporting tool currently on our website by offering a data analysis tool that facilitates independent analysis of the more than 800,000 reports contained in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).

Located on the Data Bank’s website, the new statistical application permits users to perform specific data analyses and create their own customized data tables.

Read more here.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

WSJ Health Blog: Aviation Is an Inspiration for Improving Patient Safety

Laura Landro

Searching for ways to reduce medical errors and keep patients safe?

Look up.

That’s the idea of some patient-safety experts, who today will discuss the formation of an independent patient-safety agency modeled on the National Transportation Safety Board, and other strategies to reduce errors at a summit in Washington.

Many of the safety and error-prevention strategies used in aviation are applicable to health care, such as investigating the root causes of accidents and developing programs to reduce fatalities, experts say. One pilot who will share lessons from aviation’s best practices at the summit: retired US Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who coolly brought down stricken Flight 1549 into the Hudson River with no loss of life.

Read more here.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

FSMB Centennial Moment

From FSMB:

First published in 1956 and now updated every three years, the FSMB policy, Essentials of a Modern Medical and Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, is intended to (1) serve as a guide to those states that may adopt new medical practice acts or amend existing laws; and to (2) encourage the development and use of consistent standards, language, definitions and tools by boards responsible for physician regulation.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

FSMB CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

More than 700 members of state and territoral medical boards, physicians, physician assistants, medical students, medical school deans, board attorneys and investigators, and FSMB leaders and staff were on hand yesterday for the Opening Ceremony of our Annual Meeting. Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, Surgeon General of the United States and former Chair of the FSMB, and former Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, MPP, were among the featured speakers.

The morning's presentations were webcasted worldwide and are now available on FSMB's website.