General Hospital Hazards

Created by: Medical Billing and Coding

Infographic: The hazards of hospitals
Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But as this infographic shows, threats like superbugs, sloppy records and sleepy interns can make U.S. hospitals surprisingly dangerous.


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Radiation Breakthrough Gives Breast Cancer Patients Hope in Single Dose

Radiation Breakthrough Gives Breast Cancer Patients Hope in Single Dose
Never before offered in the U.S.

Radiation Breakthrough Gives Breast Cancer Patients Hope in Single Dose
Cancer crusader’s own sister is among first to receive Intraoperative Radiation Therapy on the Novac7

Philadelphia, Pa. (March 17, 2010) /PRNewswire/ — Technology never before offered in the U.S. that allows patients to receive one dose of radiation during surgery, as opposed to the current average of six weeks, was successfully delivered to several breast cancer patients last week – including the sister of the man responsible for bringing the technology from Italy.

The intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) Novac7 allows patients to receive radiation treatment, delivered with the same power and precision as other advanced radiation techniques, while still in the operating room undergoing surgery, often without any additional outpatient radiation treatment visits and with fewer side effects. IORT also offers patients better cosmetic results and improved quality of life as the need for additional radiation treatment is minimized or eliminated altogether.

After his mother passed away from breast cancer, Dr. Pablo Lavagnini, director of radiation oncology at CTCA, began fighting to bring the world’s best cancer-fighting options to patients. He became a crusader for IORT, a cost-effective treatment option widely used in Europe that helps patients get back to their daily activities sooner, with the same or better outcomes, fewer side effects and improved cosmetic results. Dr. Lavagnini celebrated the Novac7’s arrival at CTCA in October 2009. Since then he and his colleagues have overcome numerous logistical and licensing obstacles, remaining driven by the tremendous therapeutic and quality of life benefits that this treatment brings to breast cancer patients.

Since the Novac7 arrived in the United States, Dr. Lavagnini’s only sister, Asisé, discovered her own breast cancer diagnosis. She traveled from her home in Uruguay to seek a second opinion from her brother and, in a twist of fate, last week became the very first patient in the U.S. to receive IORT with the Novac7.

“It is as if my life’s work was leading up to this day,” said Dr. Lavagnini. “I never expected my sister to be my patient, but I am thankful that she was among the many women who will benefit from this technology, which is very different from the treatment that our mother received many years ago. I expect that IORT will change the standard of care for breast cancer over time.”

Other patients like Jackie Stevens, who traveled to CTCA from her home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to receive treatment on Wednesday, decided that IORT was the best option based largely on the time savings that it offered. “As soon as my doctors told me that I could get my radiation at the same time as my lumpectomy, I thought ‘Wow! What a blessing,’” said Jackie.

Any patient who is having surgery to remove a tumor has a high likelihood of benefiting from IORT. While IORT will offer significant benefits for breast cancer patients, it will also be a valuable tool for many patients battling other cancer types including: stomach, pancreatic, rectal, prostate, gynecological, head and neck, and soft tissue sarcomas (especially retroperitoneal). For patients who must receive additional radiation therapy following surgery, they can receive a “boost” of radiation during IORT, shielding the surrounding tissues from radiation damage while delievering a higher dose to the area requiring treatment.

More information about IORT and what it means to patients is available in the attached patient stories and fact sheet. Additional content and animation illustrating what occurs during the procedure is also available on cancercenter.com. Patients interested in learning more can call 1.888.353.7687.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America:
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.

Media Contact:
Julia Scherer
215.537.7469
Julia.scherer@ctca-hope.com

Nurse Practitioners to Patients: Can We Talk?

10 Mar 2010 13:05 Africa/Lagos


Nurse Practitioners to Patients: Can We Talk?

New Survey Shows NPs Want to Educate Patients About Dietary Supplement Usage

WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Eighty-five percent of nurse practitioners agree that one of the roles of healthcare professionals is to provide their patients with information about dietary supplements, according to new research from the "Life...supplemented" 2009 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study.


"Supplements can be overlooked, but they shouldn't be," says Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP with Women's Physicians in Mountain View, Calif. and advisor to the "Life...supplemented" program. "Nurse practitioners are very interested in integrative healthcare options, looking at the overall wellness picture, and figuring out how we focus on health maintenance and preventive approaches. I recommend my patients start with the basics: eat right, incorporate vitamins and other supplements, and exercise regularly."


Nurse Dehn is not alone. According to the study, nurse practitioners are personally incorporating the three pillars of health into their own lives: 84 percent said they try to eat a balanced diet, 95 percent take dietary supplements, and 64 percent exercise regularly.


Ninety-six percent of nurse practitioners recommend supplements, and their reasons are varied--most often for bone health (63 percent recommend for this reason), overall health and wellness (47 percent) and to fill nutrition gaps (44 percent).


Not only are they recommending supplements to their patients, but they're talking about them. Eighty-one percent of nurse practitioners personally inquire about which supplements patients are taking (and only three percent state that no one in the practice inquires about supplements). When asked who brings up the subject of supplements most often, 55 percent of nurse practitioners say they personally ask, with 28 percent crediting nurse practitioners and patients equally, and only 17 percent crediting solely the patient.


Eighty-three percent of nurse practitioners say their patients are generally comfortable telling them about their supplement usage, but a smaller percentage (70 percent) feel their patients are generally honest and forthcoming about their use of dietary supplements.


"That dynamic has to change," says Nurse Barb, of the latter statistic. "I hope that patients know how open we are to hearing about their supplement use, especially if they're on medications. This is so we can ensure they're aware of potential interactions with their drugs, but equally as important, so we can help address any nutrient depletions caused by medications. At the same time, nurse practitioners, doctors, and all healthcare professionals have to do a better job being open to listening to patients when it comes to supplements. These are mainstream products, and it's our job to help our patients figure out which supplements best meet their individual needs."


So which supplements are nurse practitioners taking? Some examples include: multivitamins (79 percent) and calcium (63 percent); specialty supplements, such as Omega 3/fish oil (48 percent) and glucosamine/chondroitin (18 percent): and herbals/botanicals, such as green tea (23 percent); and fiber (17 percent).


"Patients should feel free to initiate the conversation about living a healthy lifestyle. Taking a proactive stance towards personal wellness is the best way to ensure optimal health for the future," says Nurse Dehn.


Consumers can take that first proactive step by filling out "My Wellness Scorecard," an online, free interactive tool that, once completed, provides an initial personalized wellness assessment with realistic steps to take toward better health. Individuals can take their results to a nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional, who can help develop a wellness regimen that works for them.


Methodology: Results from the 2009 "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study went public in December 2009 and comprise three separate surveys - (300) nurse practitioners, (300) pharmacists and (300) registered dietitians. Margins of sampling error at a 95 percent confidence level are +/- 5.7 percentage points for each of the groups of healthcare professionals surveyed. A nominal honorarium was given to each healthcare professional for completing the survey. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the survey online. The first "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study of physicians, OB/GYNs and nurses was conducted online in November 2007. The second study of cardiologists, orthopaedic specialists and dermatologists was conducted online in September 2008.


About the "Life...supplemented" HCP Impact Study: The study is part of the "Life...supplemented" consumer wellness campaign, which is dedicated to driving awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral part of a proactive personal wellness regimen that combines a healthy diet, supplements and exercise. The study evaluates the personal attitudes and use of dietary supplements by healthcare professionals and whether their attitudes toward supplements affect their clinical behavior and recommendations to patients. The "Life...supplemented" campaign is managed by the CRN Foundation, an educational affiliate of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry. For more information: www.lifesupplemented.org.


Source: Life...supplemented

CONTACT: CRN, Erin Hlasney, +1-202-204-7684, ehlasney@crnusa.org; or
CRT/tanaka, Kelly Bucher Sakalas, +1-757-640-1982 x28,
ksakalas@crt-tanaka.com


Web Site: http://www.lifesupplemented.org/