Ten WSJ Medical “Innovations”

An innovation by any other name is just as sweet.

Anonymous

December 19, 2012 – The WSJ lists the following as the top ten “innovations” for 2012.

ONE – Doctors Are Adapting A Better Bedside Manner – To call an improved bedside manner an “innovation” is a stretch in these days of technological innovation and doctor criticism, but we’ll take what we can get.

TWO – Heart Attacks Are Being Treated Faster – Better faster than never.

THREE – ERs Are Getting Better at Handling Medical  Mysteries – Observing patients and testing them to see what’s wrong rather than admitting them to the hospital goes under the name of "progress".

FOUR – You Can Finally See What Your Doctor Is Writing About You – “Open Notes” is a program that allows you to see what the doctor wrote about you or prescribed beats guessing or trying to remember what he/she said.

FIVE –Health Apps Are More Sophisticated – Some 19% of smartphone users now have at least one app on their device – when left to their devices people are better informed.

SIX – Tests For Colon Cancer are Less Arduous – Better sometimes to have a test for occult fecal blood or a “virtual colonoscopy” rather than undrgoing  the real thing or developing  an advanced colon cancer.

SEVEN – Talk Of Dying Gets A Little Less Daunting – POLST – Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Talk – is a template allowing doctors and patients to discuss whether and when to stop invasive treatment and to focus on a dignified and comfortable path to the end of life.

EIGHT – The Hospital Is Less Likely to Make You Sick – Checklists has  reduced infections Intensive Care Units by 40% - better safe than sorry or dead.

NINE – Robots Are Helping Your Surgeon -  Robots stimulating real life emergency situations help train doctors to think quickly and decisively “without risking the well-being of an actual patient.”

TEN – Vetting a Hospital Gets Easier – You can now quickly get safety and quality information on 1200 hospitals before being admitted form the Leapfrog Group.

Tweet:  In 2012, ten ways have been developed to help patients handle real-life situations better and more effectively.

Source – Laura Landro, “Ten Ways Patients Get Treated Better,”Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2012.