The Quality Incentive Payment Program (QIPP) was designed to push elder care facilities to improve healthcare standards. The federal government-funded program did this by doling out more than $1 billion to the owners of 860 facilities, 540 owned by government...
Nearly 40% of COVID-related deaths occurring in eldercare facilities
The holidays were not a good time for the elderly. Even though some were able to see loved ones for the first time in months, there are widespread reports that morale in elder care facilities is low. Healthy staff members are exhausted by the ongoing crisis. Of...
Doctors’ prejudices can hurt — and possibly kill — patients
It's widely recognized that there are serious discrepancies in the availability and level of medical care based on economic factors as well as racial ones. There are other disparities based on deeply ingrained and often unconscious biases among doctors and the medical...
Why it’s crucial to be honest with your anesthesiologist
One of the most important members of any surgical team is the anesthesiologist. These doctors practice a highly specialized type of medicine. If they don't do their job correctly, the results can be serious -- even fatal. If you're having surgery -- even a minor...
Misconceptions about melanoma can be deadly
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. If it's caught and treated early, it doesn't have to be fatal. However, even in 2020, there are still a lot of misconceptions about this third most common form of skin cancer. These misconceptions too often keep people...
Reasons people claim medical malpractice in Texas
As a patient, you put your faith in the medical staff when you go to a hospital or clinic, and you expect to come out healthier than you went in. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In some of these cases, the medical practitioner, or hospital or clinic, may...
Study uncovers reasons for medical errors
Roughly 6% of patients in Texas and throughout the country will be impacted by medical errors during their lifetime. In 12% of those cases, a medical error will result in a significant disability or death. This is according to a study from a team of researchers that...
5 tips for preventing adverse drug events
Many residents of San Antonio take prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs. The American Academy of Family Physicians says that four out of five U.S. adults do so every week. Not only that, but one-third of adults also take five or more medications at the...
Hospitals routinely ignore their obligation to report bad doctors
It seems like everyone you know has some kind of horror story about medical-care-gone-wrong. It isn’t really surprising that medical mistakes are the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Despite this, only half of all American hospitals have ever...
Nurses’ cellphone use can result in a medication error
San Antonio residents who are seeking medical care for an illness or injury will expect the medical professionals to pay strict attention to what they are doing. However, like the world in general, people are constantly checking their cellphones. Those in health care...
