Better healthcare ought to contain health professionals operating Saturdays and Sundays

A doctor’s work is never done, it seems. But change is needed. Within the New York Times, Peter Orszag writes that medical professionals much do more to help the health care system. Physicians must work Saturdays and Sundays and hospitals fully commit to brand new health info technologies concerning care evaluation and record-keeping.

Health care reform is why bankers need diverse hrs

Thinking of healthcare reform and quality patient care, Orszag illustrates the discrepancy as follows: What would happen if a hospital did not have to have uniform care evaluation or if a drugstore closed on weekends? He says the U.S. healthcare system could be compared to these. It is simple.

Considering the former, studies indicate that doctors ought to work weekends. According to The newest England Journal of Medicine, 10 additional people passed away on the weekend than did during the weekday with each and every 1,000 heart attack patients admitted to the hospital in 2007. Invasive procedures took longer to approve for weekend patients, which amounted to precious time lost. It also would be much easier if individuals were able to go to the doctor on weekends instead of having to wait until the weekday when the office is open. Orszag thinks that costs would go down if hospital resources did not sit idle and rather were used to their full capacity.

Measure, control and improve

Establishing clear, uniform metrics for care statistics would go a long way toward improving patient care, as all hospitals within the United States would know exactly how they would be evaluated and could focus their energies into those key areas. There must be more that can be done than just giving cash advances from the government. Updating medical records and procedures into the 21st century via available health data technology will help fight inefficiency. This causes things to happen like people not getting their routine procedures done until later within the day. This involves things like having a catheter. Many individuals are kept in the hospital longer when they’re ready to leave. Beds are getting used too long by individuals. The hospital loses money on this. And the potential new patient who requires that bed is made to wait.

Information from

New England Journal of Medicine

nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa063355#t=articleTop

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/10/04/opinion/04orszag.html?_r=1 and ref=opinion