Much better healthcare ought to consist of doctors working Saturdays and Sundays

The work of being a doctor is among the most challenging an individual can undertake. However, as Peter Orszag suggests in an op-ed column in the New York Times, physicians must do more if The United States is to achieve any real health care reform. Physicians must work weekends and hospitals fully commit to brand new health details technologies concerning care evaluation and record-keeping.

Banker’s hrs are not adequate for healthcare reform

Health care reform and quality patient care can’t go together with the way the system is now. That is what Orszag explains here: What would happen if a hospital didn’t have to have uniform care evaluation or if a drugstore closed on Saturdays and Sundays? These examples are just like the United States health care system.

Studies show that physicians shouldn’t work just the minimal hours they do. Medical professionals need to be opened on weekends. In 2007, for each and every 1,000 heart attack patients admitted to the hospital on a weekend, there were 10 more deaths than those that went to the hospital on a weekday. This was shown within the New England Journal of Medicine. Invasive procedures took longer to approve for weekend patients, which amounted to precious time lost. Even for less threatening issues, weekend service from one’s primary caregiver would be convenient and ease strain during the week. And Orszag believes that if hospital resources were used to full capacity as opposed to sitting idle, costs would be reduced.

Calculate, control and enhance

United States hospitals ought to focus on key areas as they’ll know how they’re being evaluated with uniform metrics for care statistics. Government money advance funds have moved this forward, but more must be done. Updating medical records and procedures into the 21st century via accessible health data technology will help fight inefficiency. This causes things to happen like people not getting their routine procedures done until later within the day. This involves things like having a catheter. This means patients stay in the hospital longer than necessary. Sometimes they are ready to leave however are just kept. The hospital ends up spending more money because the beds are being used longer than necessary. And the potential new patient who needs that bed is made to wait.

Info from

New England Journal of Medicine

nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa063355#t=articleTop

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/10/04/opinion/04orszag.html?_r=1 and ref=opinion