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By Using In Vitro Fertilization, Pregnancy Rates Can Approach Those in Fertile Women
Cumulative live-birth rates were more than 65% after the sixth cycle of in vitro fertilization.
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Use of CNMs and Hospitalists
A study assessing the effects of instituting a model of certified nurse midwife with MD laborist backup on a private patient population showed a decrease in cesarean section rate and an increase in vaginal birth after cesarean delivery rate without any change in combined neonatal outcome.
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Fluconazole Use During Pregnancy
In this large cohort study from Denmark, use of oral fluconazole during pregnancy was associated with a slightly increased risk of spontaneous abortion and no increased risk of stillbirth.
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2016 USPSTF Update: Recommendations for and Effectiveness of Screening Mammography
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently released updates to the 2009 recommendations on breast cancer screening. Additional studies published since the last review strengthen the conclusion that mammography screening results in a reduction in the risk of death from breast cancer.
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CMS Releases Guide to Preventing Readmissions Among Diverse Beneficiaries
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health has released a new Guide to Preventing Readmissions among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Medicare Beneficiaries.
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CMS Proposes Access to information for Quality, Patient Care Improvement
CMS has proposed rules that will expand access to analyses and data that will help providers, employers, and others make more informed decisions about care delivery.
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Hospital Culture Must Be Measured, Not Just Improved
Hospitals strive to have the right culture, particularly when it comes to patient safety, but measuring improvement can be challenging. It’s not enough to strive for a health culture, says one expert. You also have to know if you’re getting any closer to your goal.
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Follow Peer Review Procedures Rigorously to Protect Privilege
The peer review committee meets at 7 a.m., followed by a tumor board and then four administration meetings back to back. None of the physicians really want to be in the room at that moment, and one has showed up early for the next meeting and wants to stay there with her coffee and donut instead of coming back later.
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Don’t Overreach, and Argue for Broad Interpretation in Court
Courts typically see confidentiality issues arise in the context of discovery disputes in medical malpractice cases, says Karen Owens, JD, an attorney with the law firm of Coppersmith Brockelman in Phoenix. Naturally, plaintiffs’ counsel would like nothing better than to get into the peer review files they think will prove their case, so they will look hard for ways to squeeze past the statutory protections, she says.
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Create Culture of Confidentiality Through Education
The best way to protect physician-related materials from discovery under state peer review statutes is to develop what might be called a “culture of confidentiality” in peer review proceedings, suggests Karen Owens, JD, an attorney with the law firm of Coppersmith Brockelman in Phoenix. To expedite the development of such a culture, she recommends the following steps: