HealthLeaders Media: Peer Messengers Help Docs Get Back on Track

A program at VUMC is making significant inroads in helping physicians turn around their practices or behaviors after patients complain about them, either because of the doctors' actions or their clinical work.

Joe Cantlupe, October 24, 2013

If you are having trouble with your patients or not cutting it in clinical matters, you may get a visit from a "peer messenger." Often the news they bring isn't great.
And that's the idea.

Often, you don't have a clue you aren't passing muster, but the hospital has the data that shows you are not doing as well as you think. To help physicians get on track, The Center for Professional and Patient Advocacy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville several years ago designed the "peer messengers" program.

Read the rest at healthleadersmedia.com.

NYT: Should Medical School Last Just 3 Years?

Pauline W. Chen, October 24, 2013

Sandwiched between three mind-numbing years of basic science courses and hospital rotations and the lockdown years of residency training, the fourth year of medical school has long been a welcome respite for future doctors. It is the only time in their medical education when students have few requirements and a plethora of elective course offerings – and the time to go on vacation and spend time with friends and family.

“Do it now,” a mentor said as I was about to start my last year, “because you may never get the chance again.”

Read the rest at well.blogs.nytimes.com.

MSPs and “Making hospitals safer for patients”

Lindsay Pullen, NAMSS’ Senior Coordinator for Marketing & Communications – October 21, 2013

Joe Kiani, founder of The Patient Safety Movement Foundation, recently testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee and laid out steps to help eradicate preventable patient deaths. In his article “Making hospitals safer for patients,” he outlines several of these steps, including “Create a system of transparency,” and respecting “patient dignity.”

These efforts are crucial in ensuring patient safety, and we applaud the Patient Safety Movement Foundation for their efforts to ensure that all hospital patients receive safe, high-quality care. We’d also like to add another item to Kiani’s list: Ensuring that each and every practitioner in a facility is properly credentialed and proven competent.

As the gatekeepers of patient safety, MSPs are a crucial part of all efforts to eliminate preventable patient injury or death. With the approach of Medical Staff Services Awareness Week (November 3-9, 2013), it’s important to remember what a vital role MSPs play in ensuring the safety of every patient who passes through a facility.

HealthLeaders Media: Med Schools Failing on Conflict of Interest Policies

John Commins, October 14, 2013

"While medical schools have had clear guidelines for conflict of interest policies since 2006, many fall short of meeting the policies set forth by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Institute of Medicine, and others, research shows.

The nation's medical schools have made progress over the last five years developing clinical conflict of interest policies but they all still have a long, long way to go, a study shows." 

Read more from healthleadersmedia.com.

FSMB Seeks to Streamline Interstate Physician Licensing Process

Interstate Compact for Physician Licensure Moves Forward with Consensus Principles
 
FSMB Press Release, October 7, 2013

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) announced today substantial progress in an effort by state medical boards to develop a new system for streamlining medical licensure for physicians who wish to practice in multiple states.

Read the rest at fsmb.org.

A Post from NAMSS' Conference Committee Chair, Susan DuBois

As the Chair of NAMSS’ Conference Committee, I want to thank those of you who were able to attend the 37^th Annual NAMSS Conference -- in person or virtually.  This year’s conference provided outstanding educational opportunities including several pre-conference sessions and a multitude of breakout sessions covering credentialing and privileging, leadership, legal, and compliance.   Members who were onsite at the beautiful Westin Diplomat enjoyed excellent networking opportunities and an outstanding selection of vendors to visit in the exhibit hall.  If you haven’t completed the online evaluation of your conference experience, please take a few minutes to share your input by completing this survey.    

We are already planning the 38^th Annual NAMSS Conference, which will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, October 4-8, 2014.  I would love to hear your ideas on how to improve the conference experience, so please email me susan.dubois@imail.org with your ideas and feedback.  If you were unable to attend this year’s Annual Conference, we certainly hope to see you in New Orleans next year!    

Sincerely,

Susan DuBois, CPCS

Chair, NAMSS Conference Committee

Check Out NPDB's Monthly Online Newsletter

NPDB just issued its October newsletter, which includes information on the 2014 ITP Sunset and transition to QRXS, details the Data Bank's user-centered design process, provides helpful hints to updating the Self-Query instructions and the report and query form's auto-complete enhancement.


October's issue, along with those from previous months, can be accessed here.