The Business of Surgery Removing the gallbladder through the vagina. Performing an appendectomy through the mouth. Doing an abdominal exploration through the rectum. It is a startling concept, but physicians are exploring new ways to perform surgery using the body's natural openings. Many questions remain, but researchers believe the approach holds promise of a…
What's the real value of your value analysis program? Most organizations say they are using value analysis teams to make purchasing decisions, particularly for products that involve physician preference and carry a high price tag. The financial impact is obvious, but value analysis also has intangible benefits because it can…
Hospitals vary widely in their policies on physician disclosure of financial interests. Many hospitals still do not have a policy. Some have policies that are quite specific, expecting physicians to check off the types of ties they may have. Academic medical centers are the most likely to have policies because…
Pennsylvania on Nov 14 became the first state to publicly report the actual number of patients who acquired infections at each of its 168 hospitals in 2005. "It's important to shed light on this important and costly issue," said Marc Volavka, the director of the council that released the report.…
