As medical technology continues to evolve, the need for health facilities to adapt to changing trends increases. This is because advanced medical equipment facilitates the efficient delivery of services compared to outdated equipment. It also reduces referrals, as medical practitioners can handle most health cases.
Purchasing medical equipment can be costly for any organization to acquire. Through leasing, medical facilities can acquire up-to-date medical equipment. Here are a few key benefits of leasing medical equipment.
1. Low initial cost
Normally, leasing doesn’t require a down payment, so all costs are uniform across the leasing period. Purchasing advanced medical equipment such as a PCR system is costly, whereas leasing allows you to pay a low initial cost and pay the remaining balance in installments.
2. The liberty to upgrade
Technology is constantly changing, and a piece of equipment that was considered advanced five years ago may become obsolete in a few years. Leasing gives you the liberty to continue upgrading your equipment alongside these changes. In addition, you may consider upgrading your older equipment, giving you the ability to transform your health facility into a state-of-the-art institution without breaking the bank.
3. It helps save time and money
Even though the initial cost is low, leasing eliminates the burden of additional costs associated with purchasing medical equipment, such as procurement and servicing costs. In addition, upgrading current equipment saves you money that would otherwise be spent buying new tech. In addition, leasing saves you time when it comes to documentation and approval.
4. Quality care for less
A facility equipping itself through leasing provides relatively affordable and quality services to its customers. In addition, the fact that the facility is updated with the latest equipment enables it to attract a wider range of clients, helping to improve its revenue.
5. Flexible terms
Compared to loans, leases offer flexible payment terms and are favorable for people with bad credit scores. Additionally, you may negotiate for low installments that will take you longer to pay if you can’t afford the set amount.
At the end of a leasing period, you are offered three options. You may decide to buy the equipment, return it, or extend the leasing period. The fact that you can upgrade your equipment at any period during the lease term makes leasing a flexible option.
6. Tax benefits
Tax on leasing medical equipment is considered a deductible expense. Medical facilities may deduct lease payments from their income to lower their tax burden, reducing the lease cost.
7. Reduced maintenance and repair costs
Medical equipment maintenance costs can be very high, especially since parts are expensive to replace and technician fees are costly. When you lease equipment, the leasing company manages all the repairs and maintenance, which reduces overall costs and saves you money.
Endnote
Investing in changing medical technology impacts the healthcare industry. Since it can be financially challenging for an institution to purchase advanced equipment, leasing is a cheaper way to upgrade. You also get flexible terms and you can upgrade your equipment as technology advances, and you don’t have to cater for maintenance and repair costs.
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Over the past year, you’ve probably heard a fair amount about telehealth. Telehealth – the usage of technology to facilitate care when a patient and their doctor are not in the same place at the same time – has surged during the pandemic. It’s helped a lot of people get the care they need while allowing them to practice social distancing and reduce face-to-face contact with others.
While many experts are worried that some problems faced during regular in-person hospital visits might bleed over to virtual visits, medical identity theft CAN be prevented. RightPatient, for instance, is used to identify patients accurately at hospitals, and can also be used to authenticate patients during appointment scheduling. Fraudsters, thus, are red-flagged when they try to impersonate registered patients, preventing medical identity theft in real-time during both virtual and in-person visits.
Coming back to the topic at hand, one type of telehealth that you may not have heard as much about but that is also rapidly growing in popularity is remote patient monitoring (RPM). Sometimes referred to as “RPM,” This program allows a physician to leverage technology to monitor a patient’s vital health information, such as blood pressure, weight, and heart, from outside the confines of a typical office visit. To accomplish this, patients are provided with a device that tracks health information the doctor needs. Covered by Medicare as well as other insurance plans, RPM is most often used to track the symptoms associated with a number of different chronic health conditions, including, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, and heart failure, just to name a few. In all, the process is typically simple and straightforward and delivers significant benefits.
While the prospect of new technology can be daunting for some, many RPM devices are incredibly easy for patients to use. These devices transmit data to software utilized by the physician and their care team in one of three ways: via cellular data, Bluetooth, or the Internet, such as over Wi-Fi. Devices are typically plug-and-play, meaning there is little setup required on behalf of the patient. Some of the most common types of devices used in RPM include blood pressure monitors, glucose monitors, and weight scales.
Most devices you will find in an RPM program require active participation from patients, although not a lot of work. A patient will need to step on the scale or properly put the device on their body to capture vitals data. Once the readings are taken by the patient, they are then sent directly to the doctor. This allows the physician and their team to use that information to make assessments about a patient’s immediate health, thus eliminating the need for frequent in-person visits and potentially avoiding exacerbations of a patient’s chronic health condition.
How does RPM improve patient health?
RPM can help a healthcare team assess and treat concerning symptoms related to a wide variety of acute and chronic health conditions. The biggest benefit is that the data collected is sent in real-time, so the doctor can quickly identify concerning changes in a patient’s vital signs to make time-sensitive adjustments to treatment plans, thus avoiding potential health emergencies or helping a patient get the urgent care they need.
Aside from reducing health emergencies, five other significant benefits are as follows:
Increased communication between the patient and their doctor
With more frequent communication between office visits, RPM allows a patient and their doctor to function as a team, actively working together towards improving patient health.
Increased personal accountability and awareness
Since RPM captures real-time information, patients are more aware of “triggers” that might exacerbate chronic disease symptoms. Patients also have increased motivation to make healthy lifestyle changes permanent as they witness the impact of those changes with the increased collection of health information.
Reduced need for traveling
Many chronic health conditions require close monitoring and frequent follow-up with a physician. Since RPM can be done from essentially anywhere, it can help significantly cut the number of time-consuming trips needed to a doctor’s office. By reducing the number of trips, also saves the money that would have been associated with those trips (e.g., gas, tolls, taxi, parking, babysitting, pet sitting) and eliminates the need to coordinate traveling for those office visits.
Better access and improved quality of care
Instead of regular trips to see a physician, RPM patients receive wraparound care services and 24-hour a day access to their healthcare team. Since health information is frequently sent directly to their doctor and care team, it’s easier to react quickly when health concerns arise, granting the patient precision-focused quality care.
Patients can take more control of their chronic disease
RPM helps a physician focus on their patient’s specific healthcare needs. This allows a doctor to provide better and more timely feedback, support, and education. Armed with this information, patients can take better control of their health through active adjustments to their lifestyle.
Big-Picture Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring
RPM is a great way to help keep patients healthier. It reduces the need for hospitalization, reduces hospital readmissions, can reduce the length of stay if a patient does not need to be admitted to the hospital, reduces healthcare costs, and permits older or disabled individuals to remain in their homes for longer. RPM is truly a win-win-win for patients, doctors, and our healthcare system.
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The world is a technological hub, and we live in a tech bubble. Everything around us has digitalized, and this revolution is the backbone of every industry today. Technology fuels business and organizational ambitions. These ambitions help create a well-knit world that can be reached out at the click of a button. Co-operation and collaborations among industries are the growing trends. Technology provides efficient ways to bridge gaps and create a holistic and sustainable outlook. The necessity for technology and the need for organizations and industries to adapt it has risen now more than ever in the covid pandemic era. In a world where social contact is prohibited, and complete isolation is a survival method, it is almost impossible to imagine communities sailing through if it wasn’t for technology. It is historic how Individuals of the 21st century battled the pandemic and carried on with portable, hand-sized devices in their hands.
The pandemic also highlighted the need for an efficient healthcare infrastructure that can tackle high demands, as it witnessed apocalyptic times. The surge of patients, demand for doctors, dispersal for treatment, everything saw bumpy roads. In tough times technology resolved a lot of issues. Owing to digitalization in healthcare mechanisms, seeking doctor appointments, query, consultations, etc. have shifted to online platforms, that even includes social media platforms. Technological change in medical services is focused on patient-centered ways to deal with medical care. It will help medical care suppliers smooth out activities, get what the patient requires, construct dedication and trust and offer a superior client experience. A healthcare digital marketing agency helps in amplifying the needs of the healthcare sector and plays a big role in transforming the industry on the whole.
The advancements of digitalization in healthcare incorporate searching through relevant clinical information sites/blogs, working with clinical help, checking the nature of care, and planning and observing the spread of communicable illnesses, and following supplies of medications and antibodies, vaccines, etc.
The developing trends prevalent in today’s technological health revolution, especially during and post-covid era, can be explained as:
Telemedicine: Many online platforms such as apps and websites provide real-time consultations with the doctor at the comfort of their home with no physical contact. Creative forums are changing the manner in which patients communicate with medical services experts. From looking through a specialist to booking a virtual arrangement and speaking with specialists by video or voice call, telemedicine empowers individuals to access wellbeing experts on request. Booking appointments and conducting payments are hassle-free. Usually, in every telemedicine forum, an extensive profile of the doctor is mentioned, along with a consultation fee. The forums or applications provide absolute transparency in their functioning.
However, many experts fear that the issues with regular in-patient visits might occur during online consultations as well – especially healthcare fraud. Fortunately, RightPatient prevents medical identity theft cases during telehealth visits and in-person visits as well. The touchless biometric patient identification has a vast amount of experience in preventing fraudsters from assuming patients’ identities, making it ideal for telehealth sessions.
Big Data Usage: Medical care is one of the promising enterprises where big data can work on preventable illnesses, improve personal satisfaction, decrease therapy expenses, and estimate waves pandemics. A massive amount of data is used to plan strategies in extensive healthcare sectors. Big data helps professionals to comprehend trends and make predictions for the betterment of society. Data is also used to interpret patterns that can serve as valuable insights to provide better care to patients, for example, administration, staffing, scheduling appointments in a clinic or any online forum. Clinical Decision Support Software is used with the help of big data to analyze medical data and provide health practitioners with appropriate resources to make informed decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled medical device data or wearable device data can easily be tracked by the health care professional, and this assists in real-time alerting. Human errors are also omitted with the use of technology.
Virtual Reality: Augmented Reality is an innovation that uses digitally produced reproduction of a 3-D picture or climate that permits an individual to hear, see and collaborate by using unique gear, for instance, headsets. The innovation establishes a reenacted environment where clients can communicate and interact. In contrast to customary UIs, VR takes clients inside a virtual encounter rather than just showing a screen. The Healthcare business is embracing augmented reality to convey better consideration to patients. It is used in pain reduction therapies and making physical therapies less stressful and more interactive. Virtual reality can also create stimulation in which doctors, caregivers, or any health care professionals can better understand a patient’s experiences.
Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is widely used to implement error-free diagnoses and produce pathological images with utmost clarity. Artificial intelligence is under discussion for being used in drug creation and vaccine generation. Health care clinics can also use AI systems for storing records. From discovering links between hereditary/genetic codes to guiding a medical procedure by robots, studying persistent infections, etc., AI is rethinking and renewing current medical services through machines that can appreciate, foresee, learn and act.
Internet of Things: The Internet of things is a network of physical objects (things) that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet. A collection of fitness bands, wearable devices, and more, help health care professionals, hospital administration, patients, and customers to develop a well-connected information bubble where patient-centric data is analyzed and used to enhance understanding and deliver first-class care. These devices include hygiene monitoring devices, location of equipment in real-time, updates on vaccination slots, infection vulnerability, specific health condition profile, etc. Even health insurance companies can use the devices to check fraudulent claims and verify reports.
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The prospect of convenience is not only available to luxury products and more and the ability to buy groceries from the comfort of your home. The digitized age is something that permeates every aspect of society, especially when it comes to healthcare. In a world where convenience is the king, it only makes sense to add proper healthcare to the mix.
That said, some people are still confused regarding how digital healthcare benefits everyone. Such is understandable, as more and more people are adopting a more introverted lifestyle, it’s challenging to tell whether such a move is beneficial to healthcare. Here are just some of the benefits of the shift to digital health.
Getting the medical advice you need as soon as possible
The Internet is full of home remedies for those who are too busy (or too afraid) to get medical attention for a minor condition. There is no end to remedies that may or may not work given the situation. Digital health turns things around by making it that much easier to contact medical professionals and get their advice.
If you’re looking for the best fungal nail infection treatment but are feeling somewhat embarrassed about the condition, there’s no need to worry about going out — even if there’s nothing to be ashamed of. You can get the advice you need for treatment without worry.
A push for prevention rather than reacting to issues
Considering how easy it is to contact medical professionals, thanks to the rise of digital healthcare, more and more people are getting used to the idea of asking about potential issues instead of only heading to the hospital when it’s no longer manageable. There’s no need to run to the local clinic as you can contact your local physician online and get their advice. You no longer have to worry about waiting in line at the clinic and catching someone else’s sickness in the process.
Individuals with an open line of communication with their physicians are more eager to talk about minor issues instead of always waiting for something severe to show up. This opens up the opportunity for a preventative lifestyle.
Ensuring proper healthcare outcomes is a must
However, healthcare providers need to ensure that they are providing accurate treatment to their patients in order to improve patient outcomes – for both in-person visits and virtual ones. Issues such as patient identification errors are far too common and can lead to medical record mix-ups, mistreatments, hospital readmissions, or worse.
Fortunately, a touchless biometric patient identification platform like RightPatient can eliminate these issues, identify patients accurately at any touchpoint, and even prevent medical identity theft in real-time – leading to proper treatments and improved healthcare outcomes.
Easier on everyone overall
With so many people who need serious medical attention these days, it’s never wrong to leave the hospital rooms open for those who need them. The fewer people there are crowding up a hospital, the better it is for the patients and the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff. It’s something that benefits everyone, and you can breathe a little easier knowing that you’ll get what you need without having to risk going out.
When it comes to the future of digital health, things are undoubtedly looking much brighter. It’s something that will only continue to improve over time, and more breakthroughs in convenience will help make it easier for medical professionals to handle patients. Getting something as crucial as healthcare from the comfort of your home is the goal.
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Over the last 10 years or so, the resources that we rely on for health information have changed radically. There’s a ubiquitous amount of information available and things have changed for the better because of this. Often, the internet determines if we visit the doctor or not as well, and this is remarkable, to say the least.
The Way we Access Health Information
When you look at the world of health, you will soon find that significant challenges are faced. The amount of health information out there is vast, to say the least. When people find information about their condition, they are then inclined to contact the doctor about it. On top of this, people often end up doing their own research online if they have been diagnosed, which helps doctors to provide a much more efficient service. The great thing about being able to access information like this is that it means that second opinions can often be sought regarding healthcare issues, and this is incredible, to say the least.
Booking Appointments
Another very interesting point would be how easy it is to book appointments online in this day and age. If you live in Canada and want to book an appointment for a dentist in Brockville Ontario, then normally you would have to ring them up during office hours. Now, on the other hand, you can easily go online and book there. You can book in 24 hours a day and you also don’t have to worry about not getting a time that suits you, because most of the time you can choose yourself. This is incredible, to say the least, and it just goes to show how much things have changed over the years.
Online Doctors
It’s also very convenient to go and see an online doctor. When you look at the world of healthcare, you will see that most of it is transitioning online. People are now taking to the internet to have a live chat with their doctor, or they choose to video call instead. This helps to free up doctors and it also reduces the amount of contact that people need to have. As if that wasn’t enough, it eliminates traveling for a lot of people, which makes it much easier overall for people to get the service they need, when they need it.
However, many experts are concerned about the issues that might arise using telehealth services, such as identity theft cases. Fortunately, solutions like RightPatient help prevent medical identity theft across the care continuum with its touchless patient identification platform. It can accurately authenticate patients starting from remote appointment scheduling through check-in and beyond. Fraudsters are red-flagged during identification, preventing medical identity theft in real-time and protecting patient data.
Advice
Lastly, forums are providing people with a fantastic way to get the support they need when it comes to their health. It helps them to talk to other people who have the same ailment, and this helps them to feel confident knowing that they have a network of people who actually understand what they are going through. This is fantastic, to say the least, as it just goes to show how much things have changed, and it also shows that people are able to feel more connected than ever before. Of course, this is especially beneficial for those who have a lifelong condition that they are trying to navigate.
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Accidents are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to WHO (World Health Organization), approximately 1.35 million individuals lose their life in car-related crashes every year.
In the USA alone, more than 38,000 people succumb to vehicular crash injuries. Accident data collection is a crucial exercise and should be done with utmost caution. Involved authorities have developed advanced techniques to collect and analyze data after a crash.
Read the following article to understand the importance of data collection and some of the advanced techniques used to collect accident information.
Common Causes Of Accidents
For many years, accidents have been claiming innocent lives all over the world. Some of the main causes of automobile accidents include:
Distracted driving – according to studies, this is one of the main causes of accidents.
Driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol
Over speeding
Ignoring road signs
Careless driving
Fatigue
On the other hand, accidents can be caused by factors unrelated to human error, and they include:
Weather conditions
Poor roads, for example, potholes
Mechanical failure
Importance Of Accident Data Collection
Information collected is important in a court of law – jury and auto accident lawyers will use the provided information to prove what or who caused the crash.
The authority will use the data to mark high-risk areas commonly called ‘blind spots’ and make the necessary construction improvements to prevent future accidents.
The government may use the information to raise public awareness of safe driving. People are discouraged from overspeeding, drunk driving, and other causes of accidents.
The government may also use the data to improve Emergency Medical Services. This may reduce the number of fatalities in an accident.
Latest Accident Data Collection Techniques
Over the last few years, there was a need to improve traffic management, which led to the advancement of accident data collection methods with access to real-time traffic data which is becoming a routine worldwide.
Some of the traditional data collection methods, such as interviewing witnesses, have been in use for many years. Although police can gain information involving a crash through this method, it may not be sufficient to determine the cause of an accident. One major drawback of this method is that the human brain is prone to forgetting and he or she may leave out crucial parts giving inaccurate information.
After many years of research, there was the development of much better techniques of data collection with the use of technology. These methods proved to be efficient as compared to the traditional techniques used to collect accident data. They include:
Use Of Event Data Recorder
EDRs were usually associated with planes, but in recent years, many car manufacturers fit their cars with EDRs. The EDR (Event Data Recorder) is a recording gadget made from a long-lasting and impact-resistant material. It records everything before an accident occurs.
Police and detectives can use the recorded moments leading up to a crash to determine what caused the accident so that they steer clear of similar events in the future.
What Is Being Recorded By The EDR
A black box will record crucial information such as the speed of the car, where the throttle was positioned, airbag deployment, application of the brake, and several other factors as they were 20 seconds before and after the accident.
The information will be used to determine whether the crash was caused by a mechanical failure or an avoidable human error.
Accident Reconstruction
This is another latest technique used by investigators and police to collect information leading to a car accident. It involves recreating the collision scenes using 3D laser scanning to determine the factors that caused the accident.
The development of laser scanning made it easier for authorities to collect accident data in a safer way, as they can collect the information without disrupting the transport system by closing lanes. It’s also a fast and flexible way to collect information as one person can control the entire system.
The information collected through the recreation of the accident can be used in a court of law.
Use Of Biometric
In recent years, biometric has become another popular way to collect accident data. It was used when people involved in the accident were unconscious. It involves using physical and behavioral attributes to identify an individual digitally.
Some of the physical attributes to identify a person and get their emergency patient ID include:
Veins
Iris
Fingerprints
An example of a behavioral attribute is voice. Using voice, investigators can access information about a person involved in an accident.
Use Of Machine Language
In recent years, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is developing an AI tool to record and analyze crash data. The technology will be used to analyze factors contributing to accident occurrence.
Although it’s still under development, this advancement will change the face of accident data collection. It will be able to provide an accurate way to gather, collect, and analyze data.
Bottom Line
Although an accident is an unavoidable scenario, it’s important you follow all the rules while driving. It’s vital you avoid distracted driving or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. You should be focused whenever you drive to prevent such accidents, even those accidents that weren’t caused by humans.
Accident data collection is crucial and important as they serve as proof of the accident. The recording of the accident was crucial evidence to find out if the accident was caused by human error or it was caused by some other factor. The development of technology allows data collection much easier and accurate. Moreover, touchless patient identification platforms like RightPatient can help detect unconscious patients who are brought to ERs, ensuring that they get swift and accurate healthcare services, significantly improving patient outcomes.
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Many medical professionals worry about what could only be a doctor’s or nurse’s worst nightmare: mismanaged medical records. These records could include anything from the wrong diagnosis to treatment to medication. Unfortunately, some errors made in medical documentation can be severe and even fatal.
Although many doctors and nurses are aware of the perils of medical record errors, they also know that the issue can be challenging to prevent. Unfortunately, because of oversight and lack of awareness, improper training of staff, and possibly ignoring the most routine aspects of ensuring that accurate medical records are maintained, some medical professionals miss the obvious warning signs of medical record mismanagement.
A medical record contains a wealth of information that could save a patient’s life. It’s also a critical factor in legal issues that injury lawyers have to deal with. Still, carelessness in data entry can result in a series of medical errors that could be avoided. When such errors are ignored, they may prove to be disastrous. Here are the steps on how to prevent medical record mismanagement:
Train Your Staff On Proper Medical Documentation And Management
With the increase of health-related issues that have been identified in recent times, more medical establishments have realized the necessity of developing a system for proper medical record management.
You can find several organizations that offer training in medical record management. The only important thing is to ensure that the training you receive is from an authentic and highly reputed organization and will help you and your staff to perform your roles well. Such training programs usually last for about six weeks, and you have to be extremely careful about checking whether or not all the information and protocols you’ve learned have been appropriately implemented into your hospital or clinic.
Store Digital Copies Of Medical Records
You’ll have a better idea of your patient’s needs when you have an electronic health file. You can have centralized patients’ records about their current health status, drug prescriptions, and any updated information about them. It’s also easier for other doctors and nurses to look into a particular person’s medical records when they’re in electronic form.
There are software programs that can help you with your record-keeping tasks by storing your medical records in an organized manner. You can download any of them over the Internet and install one on your computer or laptop. This is one of the simplest ways to avoid medical record mismanagement. Such programs have different features, so compare them carefully in order to choose the most suitable software for your health establishment.
Have A Checklist For Documentation And Storage
One of the tips on medical record management you have to follow is to prepare a checklist for proper documentation and storage. You have to identify all the areas where you store your patients’ paper-based records within your medical office, clinic, or hospital. You have to ensure that those places are adequately equipped with the necessary furniture and supplies for storage. You also need to provide separate space for the records and other pertinent documents for different departments to keep their respective records organized.
Update Your Medical Records Management Software
Another thing you need to do is to update your medical records management system regularly. You have to be aware that from time to time there’ll be updates for whatever program or software you’re using for electronic medical records. You have to check for them so you can maintain proper documentation for your patients. It’s also essential to look into your patients’ records often to monitor and input any changes or new illnesses they may have developed.
Invest In New Technology Preventing Duplicate Medical Records
Many health care organizations invest in touchless biometric patient identity management solutions to prevent duplicate records of the patients. These systems are also considered one of the best forms of patient data storage available because they require minimal clearance procedures to access.
Since the biometric data needed for the system is stored electronically, validating a person’s fingerprint requires only a few minutes instead of several hours or even days of phone calls going back and forth between doctors and other staff members. This means that medical professionals can quickly determine whether or not a person’s fingerprint is authentic, which is vital in many situations. In addition, biometric patient records can be matched quickly using online services, which can help medical offices keep up with various legal requirements.
Takeaway
Medical errors have accounted for some of the death tolls from diseases throughout the history of medicine. One way to prevent them from occurring is by addressing the issue of medical record mismanagement. This should always be high on the list of priorities for those involved in the medical field due to the need for patient information confidentiality and maintenance of medical records for safety and regulatory purposes.
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There are a number of medical negligence claims that are processed every year. Medical negligence occurs when you have sustained an injury or an existing condition is made worse by substandard medical care.
Research shows that there are common types of medical negligence that occur more than others. Let’s take a look at them and how they may occur.
Being Misdiagnosed
One of the most common types of medical negligence is being misdiagnosed. This can mean that you seek medical advice and they diagnose you with the wrong illness or condition. Your symptoms end up being misread and a medical professional comes to the wrong conclusion. Unfortunately, this can lead to unnecessary suffering for a patient and they end up not receiving the care they need. In some cases, the results of this medical misdiagnosis can be fatal.
If you believe that you have been misdiagnosed, the best thing you can do is seek a second opinion. You can also choose to make a medical negligence claim. It is best to find a lawyer that can assist you with your case, such as Gadsbywicks. This is going to ensure that you receive the best expertise and so that you can claim the compensation that you deserve.
Given the Wrong Medication
Another way that medical negligence can occur is by a health professional giving you the wrong medication. There are several ways this can happen. For example, you may have been prescribed the wrong drug for the condition you have. Alternatively, you might be written a prescription with the wrong dosage. Either way, an error was made in the medication that you received and this should not be taken lightly. Indeed, taking the wrong drugs can have damaging effects on a person.
Moreover, patient misidentification can be a cause for receiving the wrong medication. Imagine that you’re assigned the wrong EHR due to a medical record mix-up, something that is common in the U.S. healthcare system. However, many caregivers are preventing patient misidentification using innovative solutions – more on that later.
Mistakes Made During Surgery
Going for surgery can be scary and it means going under anesthetic. Surgeons are highly qualified and they are expected to carry out the surgery in a professional manner. However, there are a number of medical negligence claims made because of the ways that surgeries have been conducted. In other words, mistakes have been made that no health professional should ever make. For example, this can include operating on the wrong part of the body or receiving the wrong surgery altogether. An infection may have occurred due to poor hygiene or scarring and disfigurement happened before of substandard care.
Once again, patient misidentification is a major cause for medical errors, medical record mix-ups, patient safety incidents, botched surgeries, and even deaths – all of which can be prevented. Fortunately, responsible caregivers are using RightPatient to ensure accurate patient identification in a safe and hygienic manner. Not only does it ensure a touchless experience, but it also enhances patient safety, prevents duplicate medical records, patient mix-ups, and more.
Injuries During Birth
Babies are born all of the time. For most people, this is a joyful occasion and you can welcome a new little one into the world. However, another type of medical negligence claim that you can see is birthing injuries. These can take place during labor and they can lead to serious conditions such as cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy.
If you suspect that you have a medical negligence claim, know that there is a certain time period to raise this issue. Often, this is around three years. You can seek legal advice prior to making a claim.
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Medical translation plays a crucial role in bridging the communication gaps between medical providers and their multilingual clients. According to Joint Commission Standards and Healthcare Compliance Law, hospitals need to find translators that can help convey important and personal health information (PHI) to Limited English Proficient speakers. However, it is crucial to keep this confidential info private and prevent disclosures to unauthorized persons. These standards are included in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
In consideration of these two policies, hospitals need to assure that their medical translators value the privacy and clarity of information they translate. It is important the language service provider is HIPAA compliant and has legal certifications to perform their job.
How does HIPAA compliance work with medical translation services?
For the security of patients’ PHI, it is crucial for medical translation services to undergo thorough quality assurance and high-security measures. From the safe and secure file transfers to the actual translation process and turnaround of the project, everything must be highly confidential.
For example, the translators cannot request or send files via email as this would violate the HIPAA regulations. Instead, they can use encrypted file-sharing platforms that can securely transfer files. This is because emails are prone to cyberhacking, and any malicious entities that could breach these data could use the patient’s PHI for identity fraud.
When this happens, the medical providers and translators need to inform all the affected patients about the situation. In the end, your reputation will be compromised as your patients lose their trust in your hospital.
Thus, the hospitals need to ensure that the medical translation services they will get are HIPAA compliant. As such, they should have an effective project management portal that will secure the document uploads and downloads. Their network of professional translators must also have adequate training regarding the security assurance processes.
Here are the things that hospitals must do before hiring medical translators:
Assess the privacy risk of the company that provides medical translation services.
Provide proper guidelines regarding information access in the vendor-client agreement.
Set terms and conditions to ensure that the medical translator will meet the regulatory compliance.
Outline and sign contracts to outline the business relationship between the healthcare providers and medical translation providers.
The issues in the security of patients PHI
Due to recent technological advancement, the healthcare system has adapted to modern processes and changed its paper-based system with electronic health records. This helped in providing more convenient and cost-effective services to their patients. Aside from that, it also improved the disease diagnosis, patient cooperation, and access to health information.
However, it also puts the patients’ PHI at risk for data breaches and cyber-attacks. Due to the software vulnerability, human errors, and security failures, the important information became more susceptible to unauthorized and malicious people. According to a report, over 41.2 million healthcare data were illegally disclosed in 2019.
Data breaches also lead to medical identity theft, and fortunately, the latter is preventable. Many healthcare providers are already using RightPatient to identify patients accurately at any touchpoint across the care continuum. However, it can also be used to prevent medical identity theft in real-time by verifying patients’ identities and red-flagging bad actors – protecting patient data and mitigating costs in the process.
Coming back to the point, the medical providers are extra careful when disclosing their patient’s PHI to third parties such as the language service providers (LSP) online. They use encrypted file-sharing or FTP clients for secured data sharing. If they are accidentally sent via email, the message should be deleted from the inbox and deleted folder. Aside from that, all PHI files must be deleted from the LSP’s computer after the project.
What should you expect from your medical translator?
All the businesses, including the medical translation services, under HIPAA compliance must ensure the security and confidentiality of their project. An LSP’s network of translators must understand the importance of the patient’s privacy and do their best to avoid data breaches. The hospitals must also do a thorough screening to ensure that the translators are HIPAA compliant.
Here are some of the things that hospitals must consider when finding medical translators:
1. HIPAA Training
Ensure the LSP’s medical translators and proofreaders have undergone official HIPAA training. There are numerous training and courses that they could avail themselves of online or even in agencies. If they haven’t done this, the healthcare providers must move on to another company.
2. Experience of Medical Translators
Remember that in medicine, the accuracy and security of information are important. Thus, instead of hiring new applicants, hire seasoned medical translations or a company that can offer expertise in the industry. What’s even better in choosing an agency instead of freelancers is that you can put more confidence in the confidentiality of your patient’s PHI.
3. Business Associate Screening
A lot of medical translation companies claim that they are HIPAA-compliant even if they are not. Thus, it is important to ask for supporting documents and proofs regarding their claims. Make sure that they went through a strict investigation process that verifies their translation management and IT infrastructure.
4. Screening LSPs medical translators
After the agency, the network of medical translators of an LSP must be assessed through a rigorous screening process. The company should have strict criteria and ensure a solid compliant process when finding medical translators.
5. ISO Certifications
Aside from undergoing strict screenings, medical translators need to have ISO certifications. This will help ensure the accuracy, IT policies, and data security of the medical translations. It also certifies the legitimacy of the company that you’re partnering with.
6. Solid IT Infrastructure
It is essential to ensure the sufficiency of the security systems of your LSP. This will help in securing the confidentiality of your patients’ PHI to avoid data breaches in the future. As you know, some medical translation companies use translation software for a faster turnaround of the projects. In these cases, ask for an assurance that these tools will not breach the HIPAA compliance at all costs or just cross it out from the options.
7. HIPAA Audit and Assurance
Aside from the medical translation process, the LSP must have its own way to check the HIPAA compliance of every project. They should also have an extensive process to ensure that there are no errors and mistranslations to the documents. This is essential to ensure that the company is organized enough to ensure the security of the patients’ files.
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When you take a patient to the doctor or a hospital, you expect that all their treatments will be free of danger. Physicians and other healthcare providers should minimize the risk of infection and error while attempting to make their patients as comfortable as possible. The ultimate goal is that no patients are harmed. Physicians, nurses, dentists, and other healthcare workers can help make going to the doctor or the hospital a positive experience for patients.
Patients are a hospital’s number one priority and healthcare facilities always do the best possible strategies to ensure that their patients remain safe and healthy within their facilities. Here are some of the common ways hospitals use to guarantee that their patients’ safety is prioritized.
1. Using A Monitoring System
Each healthcare worker is responsible for caring for varying numbers of patients, each with different needs and medications. Using a monitoring system can help nurses and physicians ensure that they are doing their job correctly and keeping a close eye on patient needs.
By using technology such as bed alarms to notify staff if a patient falls, the healthcare industry is helping patients remain safe in the background—hospital monitoring systems such as these assist in spotting and avoiding human error.
2. Preventing Contamination
If you’ve ever had any surgery, you know that the equipment can generate some smoke. An electrosurgical smoke eliminator, which often serves as an attachment to electrosurgery, is a tool that’s used to remove some of the smoke that may be seen during surgeries. This product helps to prevent the particles from circulating in the air before they have a chance to enter the body. Contamination can be controlled in various ways, for example, washing hands more often, providing handwashing stations, and making sure everyone wears protective equipment like masks, scrubs, and disposable surgical gloves when handling patients.
3. Hygiene Is Essential
Strictly enforced rules and regulations have a substantial impact on patient safety. It’s one of the most effective ways to control germs and the spread of infections in hospitals. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should be used regularly and patients should be taught about the importance of hand hygiene should be discussed extensively. Doctors take control of their patient’s health by washing their hands before going into the treatment room.
4. Educating Patients About Their Treatment
Eliminating the patients’ ignorance about their medical treatment and well-being is vital to ensuring patient safety. Patients needn’t be fully aware of their situation, but higher knowledge levels are still desirable. The strategy of simply reminding patients what they’ve been told has considerable evidence of use in patient safety initiatives. Patients and family members are primarily concerned with their well-being. For recognizing and preventing errors, you’re helping them stay on track with their treatment and medication.
5. Ensuring Positive Patient Identification
One of the more overlooked issues within the US healthcare system is patient identification errors and they hamper patient safety significantly. Patient misidentification causes patient data quality issues, medical record mix-ups, wrong transplants, detrimental health outcomes, and even deaths. Fortunately, responsible healthcare providers are using innovative solutions like RightPatient, a touchless biometric patient identification platform, to ensure patient safety by eliminating patient misidentification.
6. Verifying Test Results Before Operations
We’ve all heard the accounts of people who had their right knee replaced and received a botched operation—verification processes in the hospital procedure help combat frequent errors like these. Another kind of verification is the Universal Protocol, which allows any surgical team member to take a “time out” if they feel that the details of the surgery may be inaccurate. However, other aspects of healthcare use checks on medication dosage, timing, and handwashing procedures are essential to verification.
7. Checking the Dosage
Medical professionals can help patients closely examine the medications provided and ensure that proper doses are supplied on the prescription. Many of the remedies contain abbreviations that can sometimes be difficult to distinguish. Another popular abbreviation used that has no real-world meaning is once a day or the given dose. When it comes to these acronyms, one of the crucial actions of the organizations is to keep them out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them. If medications are spelled out, the information is visible for everyone to see.
8. Performing the Needed Diagnostic Testing
Doctors will often check the patient’s bloodwork or other bodily functions to find out what’s happening. Tests are completed, but additional tests impede the patient’s welfare. The doctor must examine the tests and the patient’s current and future health comprehensively to see if there are any medications required or any options available to deal with the condition. The doctor should also ensure no side effects following the treatment.
Takeaway
Doctors, physicians, nurses, and other medical practitioners should be held to the highest standards. They’re taking people’s lives into their hands. Even the smallest of errors could result in injury, illness, or death. They make sure to follow every safety protocol because they need to be careful at all times making sure that the safety of their patients is one of the topmost priorities. By following the ways listed above, hospitals can ensure that their patients are always healthy and safe from harm.
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