New International Health Survey of Sicker Adults: Those with a Medical Home Fare Better

Chronically and seriously ill adults who received care from a medical home—an accessible primary care practice that helps coordinate care—were less likely to report medical errors, test duplication, and other care coordination failures, according...

UK Health Secretary Andrew Lansley Launches Call for New Ideas for Health Apps

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has launched a call for new ideas for health apps that would help patients make informed decisions about their care.

Hospice Improves Care for Dementia Patients And Their Families

Hospice services substantially improved the provision of care and support for nursing home patients dying of dementia and their families, according to an analysis of survey responses from hundreds of bereaved family members. The research comes as hospice...

Talking About Faith Increases Hospital Patients’ Overall Satisfaction

Hospitalized patients who had conversations about religion and spirituality with the healthcare team were the most satisfied with their overall care. However, 20 percent of patients who would have valued these discussions say their desires went unmet,...

Men Dying of Prostate Cancer Referred Too Late to Hospice Care

More than half of men dying of prostate cancer use hospice care — a significant increase over the last two decades — but most wait too long to enroll and can’t take full advantage of the palliative care that could make their deaths easier, a...

Relationships Hold Key to Spiritual Care

Relationships hold the key to giving terminally ill patients the spiritual care they need. However, researchers have pinpointed a mismatch between patients’ expectations and understanding when it comes to spirituality, and what medical and family...

Oregon Hospice Pays $1.83 Million to Settle False Claims Act Liability

Kaiser Foundation Hospitals – Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest and Northwest Permanente P.C., Physicians & Surgeons (collectively, Kaiser NW) has agreed to pay the United States $1,830,322.41 to...

Public Citizen Report Claims Basic Patient Safety Reforms in the U.S. Would Save 85,000 Lives And $35 Billion a Year

A report issued recently by Public Citizen proposes 10 cost-cutting, patient safety measures that they claim would save an estimated 85,000 lives and $35 billion a year.