Today's Hospitals: Innovations in Technology and Medical Care Part IV

Here's the last part of my topic : Today's Hospitals: Innovations in Technology.

Thanks for taking time in reading my posts. Your comments are welcome :)

 

Hospital Food is Getting Healthier

The hospital menus can be laden with high-fat comfort foods. There are some medical institutions that have even invited fast-food franchises to set up a stall on hospital premises. But today hospitals are becoming more positioned as models of healthy eating for patients and for employees. Diabetes-friendly, Heart-healthy and vegetarian selections are increasingly common. They also promote organic, and locally produce foods.

 

Patient Advocates Can Also Help

Consumer groups say your hospital stay will be safer and comfortable if there is another person there in your room to watch out for you and will be the one to ask questions on your behalf. Most often families assign and ask relatives or close friends to serve as patient advocates.

 

Patient Advocate's Strengths

Patient Advocates should be able to help you carry off your care, ask questions, express concerns on your behalf, and will be the one to do the research and keep track of your treatment options and medicines. Advocates are most helpful when they raise their concerns with a healthy dose of kindness and respect. There are families who hire professional patient advocates. Sometimes hospitals have patient advocates on staff already that will help you.

 

Quality of the Hospital Goes Public

There are some organizations that make hospital information public so that you can check out the hospitals' quality at anytime you want.There are several ways to find hospital information , including The Joint Commission's "Quality Check" program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' "Hospital Compare" tool, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. There are also states that offer hospital quality websites.

I am excited to read your thoughts! Just leave a comment on the comment section. Will be glad to read it. Thanks!!

How to Choose a Hospital?

We all get ill for various reasons,at any point of our lives and for that we should know ahead of time and be aware of the medical center that can give you imminent treatment or test. It is very important for a patient to know what the hospital's services are that will suit their requirements.

First you make a list of your preferred hospitals, which gives you treatment of your medical condition. For example, if there is someone who needs a heart surgery then it might be possible that a smaller or nearby hospital doesn't provide such surgery. There also hospitals that are unequipped or they don't have specialized doctors to perform the certain procedure.

So How to choose a good hospital?

I have here a few points that you might want to consider:

 

1. Health Insurance Security: You should check if your health insurance or medi-claim covers that hospital.

 

2.Doctor Preference: You may have a preferred doctor. In that case, you'll have to check if that doctor is connected with any of the medical centers in question.

3. Distance: Is the hospital located at a convenient distance from your residence? You do not want to choose a hospital which is located very far away. And that the travel would take long and make it difficult.

4. Security Question: Does the hospital allow an individual to attend by your bedside 24/7? It is very important that you check with the hospital authorities in case you want to look after your dear ones closely. 

5.Privacy Concerns: Do you want to be in private rooms? Does the hospital offers it? There are many medical centers that doesn't offer any private rooms; all they have are general wards. So, if you what to be in a private room because of your medical condition, inquire if your chosen hospital provides it. 

6.Safe or Unsafe: Does the hospital have a safe track record? Every state health department has a track record of every hospital. You can first review the hospitals on your list and find out which one you'd like to choose.

Remember not to forget to ask your doctor about their role in treating you at the hospital. Now, whichever hospital you select and howsoever long you stay; make sure you keep yourself safe.

Today's Hospitals: Innovations in Technology and Medical Care Part III

 

Safety Awareness

When performing complex procedures, even experienced hospital staffs can miss a step. However, to avoid these some hospitals are adapting new methods used in aviation and the military to help them improve patient safety. "Situation awareness" training –It is knowing what's going on with patients at all times .This helps staff in avoiding complications and reduce infection rates. Using checklists and time-outs for final verification before the start of every surgery reduces errors, too.

 

Fight against Infections

 

Hospitals are considered a place of healing. But 99,000 patients are estimated to die each year from dangerous infections acquired during their stay in the hospitals. These mainly include infections of the bloodstream, uti, and surgical sites. But here is the good news: Some hospital-acquired infection rates are dropping, like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which declined 28% from 2005 to 2008. The reasons for the drop include increased alertness, improved hand-washing hygiene, and other MRSA-prevention steps. 

Fighting Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

There are at least 50,000 of patients a year that dies from pulmonary embolism. This is a very dangerous condition to where blood clots most often in the legs travel to the lungs, where they cut off blood flow. The risk factors for DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis include surgeries and bed rest which is most common for hospital patients. Hospitals reduce this complication through the use of faster treatment and anti-clot medications before surgery, and by encouraging patients to move around after surgery. There are devices like the screening tools, compression stockings that helps the patients recovery. 

Specialty Hospitals Offering Options

There are already hospitals that has its specializations of surgeries, such as heart or spine surgery. Specialty hospitals often uses the very latest resources for their work. So more focused care also can mean acquiring quality care at lower costs.

Today's Hospitals: Innovations in Technology and Medical Care Part II

 

  The Rise of 'Rooming In'

 

Generations ago, newborns were taken away to nurseries while their moms recover elsewhere. Later, hospitals sent families home with bottles of formula. Today, labor, delivery, and recovery often occur in the same space, with mothers and infants staying together and benefiting from skin-to-skin contact. Breast milk is best for babies, unless the mother has a specific medical reason not to breastfeed. Experts say "rooming in" promotes this natural process.

 

Connecting with Rural Hospitals

The rural hospital experience is now transforming because of modern technology.There are already robots who helps specialists rapidly diagnose stroke cases and consult on treatment in multiple far-flung hospital locations. Unlike the usual video conferencing, robots can approach the bedside along with the attending physician. Similar technology is emerging in cancer and other highly specialized fields.

 

Medication Errors Prevention

Now, hospitals can employ several methods to make sure the right medicine reaches the right patient. These include computerized medication orders rather than handwritten notes, "smart" IV pumps that alert nurses to unsafe dose levels, and computer-controlled storage cabinets that use barcode scanning and other safety features.

Today's Hospitals: Innovations in Technology and Medical Care Part I

What Lands You in a Hospital Today?

How do you Land in a Hospital Today?

Based on a study ,more than 34 million Americans are being discharged from hospitals each year.The most common reasons are pneuomonia, congestive heart failure, pregnancy or childbirth,coronary artery disease and osteoarthritis. While some other reasons for those who seek hospital care remains fairly constant, hospitals are now using technology to improve the experience of patience in their recovery and wellness.

Medical Records are now Digital

Hospitals are now gradually shifting from paperworks to electronic medical records to minimize errors, comply with hospital regulations, and to enable scattered care providers to share data/information. Record systems can vary widely. There are hospitals that allow doctors to write their prescriptions online, access test results, and view medical images. However, many hospital systems are not yet fully integrated with the physician offices.

Robotic Surgery

We all know that robots will never replace actual human surgeons in hospitals. But these high tech devices can move with great precision and can hold instruments steady for long periods. The surgeons are the ones who guide the robotic “hands” from the same room or from a remote location. Surgeries that uses robotic systems include hip replacement, reversal of tubal ligations, removal of prostate, gallbladder, or kidney, kidney transplant, and many gastrointestinal procedures.

 

 

Smart Design Matters

The environment in hospitals greatly affect patient outcomes. Some of the hospital designs are intended to incorporate to the new technology. Strategically located sinks , better air filtration will help reduce infection risk. There are also Noise control which improves sleep and recovery , especially for young children. Music, access to sunlight and nature view can also enhance the stay of patients. The improvements lead to more staff satisfaction as well.

 

Welcoming Families

There are already some hospitals already that are moving away from semi-private rooms and imposing strict limits on visitors in favor of family-friendly designs and policies. New designs might include more private rooms to encourage family members to stay overnight.

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ps: i dont own the photos

Modern Hospital Equipment

In modern age , almost anything is improving thru developments of high-tech gadgets. The healthcare industry is also acquiring the innovation to cope up with the rise of technology.

Hospital Equipment and Hospital beds is now modern in its design and is used and is available globally.

Medical Equipments that is used daily such as treatment on couches and bandage trolleys have also been updated thru the modern technology being offered in the market today.

The beds in the hospital that were designed years ago has been overhauled with patient comfort and is giving easier nursing care at the forefront of our minds. And also the Beds now have moveable parts that will allow a patient to have a degree of comfort in their own home.

In today's time people with serious health issues for both the young and elderly can now be accommodated by hospitals with modern equipments with full trust that they will be given the excellent treatment.

It is important that hospitals will acquire the fast changing developments,from the hospital design down to its maintenance, not only with the private hospitals but as well as with the government hospitals.

6 Factors of Patient Safety in Hospitals

Patient safety in any hospital or healthcare treatment facility is one of the primary concerns around the world. Hospital designs and Hospital maintenance should be taken into consideration.

Here are some of the things that contributes to patient safety:

• Hygiene
• Fire Safety
• Security
• Waste Management
• Equipments
• Positive Patient Identification
  

Hygiene

Globally at least 1.4 million people are suffering from infections that is caused by improper hygiene in a hospital, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Proper hygiene consist of making sure that all the surfaces such as the walls, the floors and the table-tops are always clean and sterile. Tthe linens of hospital beds should always be fresh and that all medical staff should sterilize their hands in the proper manner, before and after seeing every patient.

Fire Safety

In a healthcare design, it is very necessary to have a properly functioning fire system in place that meets industry standards and is up-to-date on inspections. Patients at a hospital cannot encounter a greater risk to their health than a fire occurring while they are incapacitated in a hospital bed. Their should be Fire exits and it should be clearly marked and the procedures for a fire-risk emergency is posted to the public.

Security

Security safety is important for several reasons. Secure-area intrusions, theft, fighting and kidnapping are not uncommon and should not occur due to poor security measures. Locked doors to sensitive areas, personnel identification, secured medical supplies and properly trained security staff is necessary in order to avoid such mishaps as mentioned above.

Waste Management

Hospital maintenance includes the disposal of dangerous waste material which is crucial and that hospital should ensure no patients or any unsuspecting person in a medical facility comes into contact with it. For example: Contact with a used needle could transfer diseases such as aids to someone who is accidentally pricked . The Disposal of medical waste needs to be handled on a daily basis and is guided according to a strict procedure. All medical waste should be disposed and destroyed at once.

Equipment

The hospital equipments in the hospital should function properly and those who are operating the equipment should be properly trained and certified to work with it. There were recorded cases that there were deaths or injuries due to medical negligence that happened because of alleged equipment “malfunction”, only to find out that the medical staff operating it is not certified and did not received the correct training.

Positive Patient Identification

In any hospital the patients need to be accurately marked and that the hospital should have full patient file on hand before any procedure be undertaken or drug will be administered to a patient. It is uncommon that people have had unnecessary surgeries performed on them or an incorrect drug is being administered to them because of mistaken identity.