Doctor-patient relationships are Improving with Health IT For healthcare vendor management and hospitals, quality of care, access and cost effectiveness are critical goals, and thanks to advances in Health Information Technology (IT) and prime examples of it—like telehealth—these goals are getting easier to meet. Health IT gives patients extended access to care in more remote areas, without the expense of building major medical centers in every city. The bottom line? Patients are healthier and requiring less service recovery. When done right, service recovery preserves the reputation of healthcare facilities should glitches arise—but with exciting developments in Health IT these “glitches” are on the decline. If you’d like to know how, just ask Kaiser Permanente—a leading healthcare provider in 9 U.S. states that published results of their study on 34,423 patients in their Southern California location; these patients had diabetes, hypertension or both, and used secure patient-physician messaging to communicate with their doctors —you can watch a video of telemedicine in action here.

The results showed that when patients use e-mail to discuss changes in their conditions, request new prescriptions or adjustments to medication, they were up to 10% less likely to schedule a doctor’s visit—as well as 14% less likely to [+]

What to expect if the program comes to your Rehab Hospital Today, 42 states in the U.S and two continents abroad, the United Kingdom and Australia, are diversifying healthcare staffing in their Rehab hospitals with Project Search—a program for adults with significant disabilities who want to enter or re-enter the work force, but need on-the-job training or job coaching. This September, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital—a leading medical facility in the Main Line Health (MLH) family—will launch its own Project Search; it will be developed in a partnership between the Malvern, Pa. hospital, its parent organization (MLH), and the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehab. Project Search at Bryn Mawr marks a special occasion for Rehab Hospitals in Southeastern, Pennsylvania, as it is the first staffing initiative of its kind for this state. It works like this: applicants with documented disabilities or mental handicaps are chosen by a selection committee; then given the opportunity to participate in a nine-month education and job training rotation program. The program focuses on job preparation for clerical positions in a variety of departments, i.e., food service, environmental services, materials management, patient services, information and support services. Project Search participants are “interns,” attending [+]

Join the World Health Organization in its initiative to control infectious disease The World Health Organization (WHO), leads the massive international efforts to control Tuberculosis (TB)—a disease that is caused by various strains of mycobacteria, Registered nurses know that many cases of TB are diagnosed in asymptomatic patients, with 1 in 10 latent Tuberculosis cases progressing into an active and potentially deadly disease with its classic symptom of a chronic cough with a blood-tinged spectrum. Since TB spreads widely in poverty stricken and unsanitary environments, the call for help in attaining a world free of TB between 2015 and 2050 has been placed—not just in the hands of healthcare professionals, but also on governments who can improve the economy, education and living conditions of third world and developing areas. The peer reviewed medical journal, The Lancet has published a series on tuberculosis, committed to, as they put it, a “New Stop TB Strategy” and global plan to turn the tide against tuberculosis; they believe the cure lies, not just in medication, but in positive developments that change socio-economic landscapes. By clicking here, registered nurses, home health nurses, and travel nurses can read intriguing opening lines on papers and [+]

A guide for registered nurses in the ER and Staff Nurses Welcome back to our 3 part series on handling patient grievances in different healthcare settings. In previous weeks, we brought you the most common complaints in physicians’ offices and outpatient centers, then sore spots most heard in nursing home facilities, and now this final installment offering constructive responses to some of the most commonly voiced hospital complaints. Because rating systems and well-publicized top provider lists are old hat in the medical community, “report cards” motivate doctors and registered nurses alike to improve nurse patient relationships and patient doctor communication. The general public is more aware than ever, of how one hospital  measures up against another; how ER nurses and staff nurses compare from one medical center to the next, and who to share these experiences with—albeit positive or negative—that inevitably effects a hospital’s bottom line. When it comes to hospital complaints, effective service recovery requires a compassionate ear, smart solutions and, in the best-case scenario, both of these things. Communication is everything; when it’s done right, patients exude trust and confidence, and they are more likely to cooperate with a treatment plan, ideal because its been supplemented by listening intently to what [+]

A registered nurse’s strategy guide for difficult patients Welcome to the second post in our three part series Common Complaints in Healthcare Facilities , where we highlight some of the most common patient “sore spots” in nursing home facilities and show you how to address them with caring professionalism. Whether your nursing home healthcare profession falls under case management jobs, a member of the rehab team, a physician, or you are working the front lines as a registered nurse or ancillary home health registered nurse, medical experts share the different categories in patient satisfaction. Access: Are your nursing home patients being given access to services without perceiving barriers? Environmental: Is the nursing home immaculate enough to assure the patient feels confident and safe? Service Quality: Are the processes and people delivering services pleasant and efficient? Quality of Care: Do your patients understand and participate in their care? Communication: Are your conversations and written instructions clear and concise? Billing: Are your nursing home patients billed without error and well treated regardless of their financial status? RN jobs depend on maintaining high ratings in all of these areas; an experienced registered nurse understands how to equalize the balance of power in nurse-patient [+]

What to say to mend fences and provide excellent quality of care Complaint management in the healthcare industry is critical to maintaining healthy doctor-patient relationships and nurse-patient relationships; without service recovery, trust and confidence amongst patients and their families is harder earned, and treatment is met with more resistance and slower healing. Satisfied patients make healthcare employers, Case Managers and medical staff breathe easier, smile more and work better as a team. What is Service Recovery? Reassuring a patient by letting them know they are important to you, as well as getting to the bottom of what caused the problem and how to right it, is at the heart of service recovery—which means responding to what ails with not just medicine, but solid assurances and solutions in the fast paced, hectic environment of most physicians practices and physician outpatient centers, hospitals or home health care settings. About this Three Part Series Welcome to the first in a 3 part series of how to rectify patients’ complaints with words that are time-tested by the healthcare experts. We have assimilated information from medical literature, as well as our own healthcare expertise to provide allied professionals, nurses, and doctors [+]

Healthcare Talent Management Solutions Why Use Candidate Direct? Here. There. Everywhere. Hiring managers at healthcare organizations nationwide are being pulled in far too many directions. Candidate Direct Marketplace provides an easy to use web-based solution to source, recruit, procure and manage contingent and direct hire needs. Our web-based workforce management solutions and outstanding client support provide exactly what's needed all in one streamlined package. Imagine just how simple the hiring process can be: Get access to highly experienced, contingent and permanent staff at the best value. [+]