Study: If Your Doctor Is Burned Out, Your Safety May Be At Risk
The Press Association reports that the study, conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester in the U.K., links burned-out doctors with a higher incidence of patient safety issues. Other news on health care personnel issues is on the Minnesota nurses strike, mental health workers in Colorado, violence in hospitals and more.
Press Association:
Burned-Out Doctors Pose Risks To Patient Safety, BMJ Study Finds
Patients being treated by burned-out doctors may face additional risks when they receive care, a new study suggests. A new review concluded that doctors experiencing burnout are twice as likely to be involved in patient safety incidents such as medication errors and "suboptimal care". (Pickover, 9/14)
USA Today:
Nurses Strike In Minnesota Highlights Worsening Pay, Staff Shortages
"The challenges that we highlighted around the fatigue and the mental well-being of nurses continue to this day," said Zina Gontscharow, a senior policy adviser at the American Nurses Association. "Nurses are really feeling a lot of stress with not having adequate (staffing) on the floor, overtime and long shifts." (Alltucker, 9/14)
The Colorado Sun:
Colorado Mental Health Workers Demand Equal Pay
A legislative-ordered report aimed at shining a light on Colorado’s payment system for mental health care has done little to calm the ongoing frustration of therapists and psychologists in private practice. (Brown, 9/14)
Wyoming Public Radio:
Wyoming Is The Only State Without Specific Protections Against Violence In Hospitals
As violence against healthcare workers continues to rise, healthcare administrators asked Wyoming lawmakers to enhance the penalties for violence against their employees. Lawmakers rejected that request. (Victor, 9/14)
In legal news —
Reuters:
New York Hospital To Pay $2.6 Mln Over Doctor's Unnecessary Surgeries
A New York hospital has agreed to pay about $2.6 million to settle claims that a former physician affiliated with it performed and billed for unnecessary implantable defibrillator battery replacements, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn announced Wednesday. (Pierson, 9/14)
The Boston Globe:
N.H. Hospital Promises Review After Revelations About Doctor With 21 Malpractice Settlements
Leaders of Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H., told employees on Wednesday that they will launch a full review of how the hospital oversees medical care after a Boston Globe Spotlight Team series revealed that a former surgeon there racked up one of the worst surgical malpractice records in the country and that administrators did little to address repeated warnings by employees. (Fernandes and Saltzman, 9/14)
