This is another general article about payments that can effect our specialty. Providers and payers still must work on forging high-functioning partnerships On the face of it, the industry is making great strides toward adopting value-oriented payment models, but the question of whether or not the industry is also reducing costs and improving care quality […]
Read MoreAuthors: Shafi S et al., J Am Coll Surg 2014 Aug 219:189 In this study of five trauma centers, compliance with clinical practice guidelines varied widely, and increased compliance was associated with reduced risk for death. To determine if there is an association between trauma guideline compliance and mortality rates in moderately and severely injured […]
Read MoreThis is a general article about cutting expenses not just in our specialist but I thought our followers would want to read it. Aside from growing the top line, reducing operating expenses is the only way to improve the bottom line In an era of mounting fiscal uncertainty marked by flat, or even downward trending, […]
Read MoreThis is another study I thought our pain physicians would like reading even with it being based in the ER. Published in Am J Emerg Med. 2014 Sep;32(9):1068-73 Authors: Mazer-Amirshahi M et al OBJECTIVE: Although not recommended as first line therapy by consensus guidelines, opioid analgesics are commonly used to treat headaches. This study evaluates trends […]
Read MoreEvery manager has to deal with a certain amount of pessimistic, hostile or uncooperative behavior at times. It’s just part of the workplace. But a hard-core negative attitude that starts with just one employee can quickly infect an entire department (or sometimes a whole company) if you don’t rein it in quickly. The ugly result: […]
Read MoreWhat is the Essence of leadership? What are the qualities one must posses to be a truly great leader? It seems throughout history going back thousands of years, there are essential qualities of character every great leader possessed. Regardless of how much the world changes around us. The essence of leadership remains the same. The […]
Read MoreThis was a presentation at the ASA national meeting. According to this year’s Severinghaus Lecturer, the labeling approved by the Food and Drug Administration for methadone is wrong. So are the published clinical guidelines for the use of methadone to treat pain and drug addiction in both adult and pediatric patients. The short explanation is […]
Read MoreI realize this is written about the ER however I thought our readers who practice pain management would like to read it. Published in Am J Emerg Med. 2014 Sep;32(9):1055-9 Authors: Craven P et al INTRODUCTION: Hispanic ethnicity has been reported as an independent risk factor for oligoanalgesia in the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVES: The […]
Read MorePublished in J Gen Intern Med. 2014 Sep 13 Authors: Turner JA et al BACKGROUND: Urine drug tests (UDTs) are recommended for patients on chronic opioid therapy (COT). Knowledge of the risk factors for aberrant UDT results could help optimize their use. OBJECTIVE: To identify primary care COT patient and opioid regimen characteristics associated with […]
Read MorePublished in Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Sep 10;9 Authors: Prasad M BACKGROUND: Status epilepticus is a medical emergency associated with significant mortality and morbidity that requires immediate and effective treatment. OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine whether a particular anticonvulsant is more effective or safer to use in status epilepticus compared to another and compared to […]
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