Attaching a recently discovered cytokine to neural stem cells derived from bone marrow, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine D
C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for inflammation in the blood, can help to identify individuals whose abnormal precancerous lesions will advance closer to invasive lung cancer. The results appear in the first issue for March 2005 of the
Exposure to toxic elements leads to worrying health problems in many parts of the world, including Europe. A new, EU-funded research project, involving partners from all over the world, will study the health effects of long-term, low-level expo
According to the results of two new trials the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri significantly reduces the progression of the disease.Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system, which afflicts about 350,000 Americans and i
According to researchers in the U.S. older couples who argue and row harm their hearts.The researchers say the fighting results in artery disease both for wives and husbands.It seems hardening of the coronary arteries is more likely in w
According to researchers in the U.S., Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may have more of an influence on mood, personality and behavior, than previously thought.A team at the University of Pittsbur
Schering-Plough Corporation has provided an update on vicriviroc, its investigational CCR5 receptor antagonist, currently being evaluated by the NIH-sponsored Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group
Phoenix-based Biomarker Technologies announced the launch of a clinical study for its revolutionary blood test that detects breast cancer. Previous clinical studies have shown the test to signif
Stiefel Laboratories, the world's largest independent pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology, announced that a recent study shows MimyX Cream extends the remission period of atopic dermati
A recently completed Phase 1 clinical trial of an investigational drug to treat inflammatory bowel disease has demonstrated rapid absorption indicating potential for development as an oral therapy. The drug, NV-52, is an anti-inflammatory compo
Date: Wednesday, 3-May-2006
Hospitals have spent millions of dollars on computerized physician order entry systems to reduce medical errors, but a simple change in the way verbal orders are entered in the system -- so simple that it cost nothing to implement -- has reduced errors to zero, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study."By simply having the resident read back the order before he or she entered it into the computer, we reduced verbal order errors from 9.1 percent to zero," says Michael Vossmeyer, M.D., a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's and the study's main author. "Although this was a small study, these results are very encouraging."
At Cincinnati Children's, rounds are conducted inside patients' rooms to make care more family-centered, and orders are entered into the computer system right at the bedside. The attending physician or chief resident verbally communicates the order and a resident physician enters it into the system.
For the study, the team on rounds took 70 consecutive orders. After rounds, they examined the orders for errors. They discovered errors in 9.1 percent of all orders. Most of the errors were in dosages that would not have affected safety. In two instances, however, the intern wrote down the wrong drug.
Dr. Vossmeyer and his research colleagues instituted a process of order read back: Before leaving a patient's room, the resident reads back the order entered to verify its accuracy. The attending physician or chief resident then verifies its accuracy. After instituting this process, the researchers examined 75 orders for errors. There were none. Moreover, the process added only seconds to each visit to a patient's room, so it did not slow down the process of physician rounding.
"We're doing a follow-up study to determine if the results are sustainable and the process is reliable," says Dr. Vossmeyer, "but they appear to be very generalizable. That's particularly important for tertiary patients, such as children with organ transplants, where proper doses mean so much."
The study was conducted on a general, acute pediatric inpatient unit. Cincinnati Children's is now spreading the read back process to family-centered rounds throughout the organization.
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org