The growth of telehealth has grown exponentially since the advent of the pandemic. A 2017 study reported that only 18% of Americans used online technology for medical purposes. But COVID-19 changed all that. Spending on telehealth services exploded from $306 million...
For the Injured And For A Safer Iowa
Medical Malpractice
Are patients at risk when nurses perform a doctor’s usual tasks?
Although working in medicine is one of the best-paid professions, it is also an incredibly demanding career. Professionals need to commit years of their lives to higher education before they can ever secure a license and then have to work very demanding jobs in most...
Iowa caps awards for ‘pain and suffering’ in medical malpractice cases
Iowa has joined a host of other states limiting cash awards to victims of medical malpractice. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill in mid-February, placing a $2 million limit on noneconomic damages awarded by juries in cases involving hospitals. The cap is $1 million...
Emergence of private equity funds in healthcare raise concerns over quality
Private equity funds pool investments from wealthy individuals to create companies in several industries. It’s a proven model for Wall Street investors, many of whom have no intent to stick around for the long haul. Most private equity firms slash spending and look to...
1 in 18 patients gets the wrong diagnosis from a US emergency room
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found shocking rates of misdiagnosis in American emergency departments. About 130 million people go to the emergency department each year, and about 6% of them are misdiagnosed. That works out...
Medical errors take tremendous toll on Iowans
One out of every five Iowa residents reports medical mistakes affecting themselves or someone they know. The errors include surgical mistakes, missed or wrong diagnoses or medication errors. A survey conducted by an Iowa-based research group focusing on health issues...
Just how common is medical malpractice in Iowa?
Medical malpractice is surprisingly common in Iowa and across the U.S. Statistics are somewhat hard to come by, in part because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t separately list medical error as a cause of death in its annual report. Beyond...
Medical staffing shortages increase risk of malpractice
Despite record-low unemployment numbers, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that more than 11 million job openings remain across the country as of May 31. Worker shortages impact nearly every industry, but health care remains one of the hardest-hit sectors. Staffing...
3 big ideas for improving rural healthcare in Iowa
One of the biggest problems facing rural America today is lack of access to healthcare in the area. While not every rural area is experiencing a shortage in doctors and nurses, shortages are much more pronounced in rural areas than urban ones. According to federal...
Could having separate geriatric emergency rooms improve ER outcomes?
America’s population is aging. People are living longer while Americans have fewer children. There is just a greater proportion of people 65 and over in the population than there ever was before. With that in mind, it may be time to re-think how we provide emergency...