Latest News On Emergency Medicine

Latest KFF Health News Stories

How To Save A Choking Senator: Heimlich Heirs, Red Cross Disagree On Technique

KFF Health News Original

The Red Cross and some other organizations suggest that first aid for choking begin with five slaps on the back. The family of Dr. Henry Heimlich, who developed the abdominal thrusts to dislodge objects that prevent breathing, is launching a campaign to demand proof of why back slaps should come first.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Drug Prices And Unicorns

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico, and Erin Mershon of Stat News discuss a series of health policy court decisions on everything from prescription drug discounts to soda taxes. Plus, Rovner, interviews health care futurist and consultant Jeff Goldsmith.

The Other Victims: First Responders To Horrific Disasters Often Suffer In Solitude

KFF Health News Original

Some firefighters, emergency medical providers and law enforcement officers say recent mass shootings and other calamities — disturbing enough in themselves — have brought to the surface trauma buried over years on the job. Many are reluctant to seek help, though some employers are trying to change that.

Congress Urged To Cut Medicare Payments To Many Stand-Alone ERs

KFF Health News Original

As free-standing emergency departments multiply, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recommends a 30 percent reduction in some federal reimbursements for those within 6 miles of a hospital.

From The ER To Inpatient Care — At Home

KFF Health News Original

Some health systems are encouraging selected ill emergency department patients who are stable and don’t need intensive, round-the-clock care to opt for hospital-level care at home.

A medida que crecen los centros de cirugía, los pacientes están pagando con sus vidas

KFF Health News Original

Hay más de 5,600 centros de cirugía en todo el país, en donde se realizan procedimientos quirúrgicos menores. Pero una investigación reveló que a veces ocurren complicaciones que hubieran sido prevenibles en un hospital.

As Surgery Centers Boom, Patients Are Paying With Their Lives

KFF Health News Original

An investigation by Kaiser Health News and the USA TODAY Network discovers that more than 260 patients have died since 2013 after in-and-out procedures at surgery centers across the country. More than a dozen — some as young as 2 — have perished after routine operations, such as colonoscopies and tonsillectomies.

Bad Bedside Manna: Bank Loans Signed In The Hospital Leave Patients Vulnerable

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals increasingly team up with lending institutions to offer low- or no-interest loans to patients to make sure their bills get paid. But critics say the complexity of hospital pricing means consumers should be cautious.

Hospitals’ Best-Laid Plans Upended By Disaster

KFF Health News Original

An onslaught of fires, shootings and storms across the country last year tested hospital readiness. Now, leaders are using their experiences to address shortcomings that surfaced amid the chaos.