Browse by Tags

• Efficiency
• Health Policy
• Hospital Care
• Hospitalists/Hospital Medicine
• Information Technology
• Medical Education/Academia
• Medical Ethics
• Patient Safety/Medical Errors
• Pay-for-performance
• Quality Improvement
• Quality Measurement

• Cheating on the ABIM Boards

  As a member of the executive committee of the American Board of Internal Medicine, I can’t provide too much of the inside scoop, so I’ll mainly point you to the published descriptions of a remarkable case: that of one Dr. Arora, who ran an ABIM board Read More... Posted Sat, Jun 12 2010 7:39 AM by Bob Wachter | 10 Comments Filed under: Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Media/Press Coverage, Medical Ethics

• In Defense of Paul Levy

  Paul Levy, the blogging CEO of Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, found himself in hot water last month over an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate. While some of the details of the transgression remain sketchy, I think I Read More... Posted Mon, May 24 2010 7:07 AM by Bob Wachter | 6 Comments Filed under: Hospital Care, Transparency and Reporting, Medical Education/Academia, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage, Medical Ethics

• Is Don Berwick The One?

  The Blogosphere Rumor Factory is heating up with reports that Don Berwick, the world’s most prominent advocate for healthcare quality and safety, will be the next administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (Take this with Read More... Posted Fri, Mar 26 2010 9:02 PM by Bob Wachter | 5 Comments Filed under: Quality Improvement, Pay-for-performance, Transparency and Reporting, Efficiency, Patient Safety/Medical Errors, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Healthcare Rationing: Why Stalin Had it Right

  Princeton ethicist Peter Singer’s article in this week’s NY Times Sunday Magazine is creating lots of buzz. It is a classic utilitarian description of the case for rationing – QALYs and all – and a plea for a mature national dialogue about the dreaded Read More... Posted Sat, Jul 18 2009 11:26 PM by Bob Wachter | 13 Comments Filed under: Transparency and Reporting, Efficiency, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Budget Director Orszag Takes Gawande's Baton and Brings It Home

  Thanks to Brad Flansbaum for pointing me to Peter Orszag's blog on Atul Gawande's article (the subject of my previous post) on McAllen, Texas's staggering healthcare costs. I'm not sure what's more astonishing: the fact that Orszag read the Gawande New Read More... Posted Tue, Jun 09 2009 2:47 AM by Bob Wachter | 6 Comments Filed under: Transparency and Reporting, Efficiency, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Is Hospital Peer Review a Sham? Well, Mostly Yes

  Dr. Sidney Wolfe, healthcare’s answer to Ralph Nader, spends most of his days unhappy with somebody. Pragmatic, see-both-sides types like me naturally recoil from Wolfe’s reflexive indictment of institutions ranging from the FDA to Medicare. But Wolfe’s Read More... Posted Mon, Jun 01 2009 4:25 AM by Bob Wachter | 16 Comments Filed under: Hospital Care, Transparency and Reporting, Patient Safety/Medical Errors, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage, Medical Ethics

• A Remarkable Interview: Obama on Healthcare

  I hope you had a chance to read David Leonhardt’s interview with President Obama in last Sunday’s NY Times Magazine. The feel was that of hanging out with two really smart friends discussing the issues of the day over beers. What a treat! In addition Read More... Posted Sun, May 10 2009 6:57 PM by Bob Wachter | 7 Comments Filed under: Quality Improvement, Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Efficiency, Information Technology, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage, Medical Ethics

• On Quality Measurement, Babies, and Bathwater

  Quality Measurement mavens are reeling these days, as a result of the air being let out of high-profile measures such as tight glucose control, door-to-antibiotic time, and beta-blockers. Some critics have even suggested that we put a moratorium on new Read More... Posted Thu, Apr 16 2009 7:17 AM by Bob Wachter | 6 Comments Filed under: Quality Improvement, Hospital Care, Pay-for-performance, Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Are We Finally Entering the Golden Age of Healthcare Transparency?

  When will patients start reviewing quality data before choosing their doctors and hospitals? The answer has been “soon” for several years, but “soon” may finally be the right answer. If you doubt it, check out the Commonwealth Fund’s new site, “Why Not Read More... Posted Sat, Dec 27 2008 3:15 PM by Bob Wachter | 8 Comments Filed under: Hospital Care, Pay-for-performance, Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Information Technology, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Can a Hospital Afford to Share Its Warts With the Public?

  Paul Levy, the blogging CEO at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has staked his – and his hospital’s – reputation on a culture of transparency. Although no doubt partly driven by Paul’s ethical compass, he must also hope that his unique brand Read More... Posted Sun, Nov 02 2008 4:56 PM by Bob Wachter | 1 Comments Filed under: Hospital Care, Transparency and Reporting, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” Featuring Don Berwick and Yours Truly

  Medicare is now reporting actual risk-adjusted mortality rates for pneumonia, MI, and heart failure. The topic must be important, since "Talk of the Nation" spent 30 minutes yesterday interviewing Don Berwick and me about it… on the day of Hillary’s speech! Read More... Posted Wed, Aug 27 2008 7:08 PM by Bob Wachter | 2 Comments Filed under: Quality Improvement, Hospital Care, Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Information Technology, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Is it “Macaca” Time in Healthcare?

  August 11th was the 2nd anniversary of the epic implosion of George Allen's presidential campaign, the first defeat at the hands of YouTube. Two recent videos of unattended patients dying in ER waiting rooms leave me wondering whether healthcare has also Read More... Posted Tue, Aug 19 2008 8:00 AM by Bob Wachter | 2 Comments Filed under: Hospital Care, Transparency and Reporting, Information Technology, Patient Safety/Medical Errors, Media/Press Coverage

• Post-Vacation Potpourri: Items Interesting, International, and Ineffably Sad

  Just returning from a work-acation, including a talk in Buenos Aires. Today I’ll briefly cover a few items: Medicare’s final “no pay” list; patient safety in Argentina; a great post on hospital finances; and one of the saddest things I’ve ever experienced. Read More... Posted Thu, Aug 14 2008 3:07 AM by Bob Wachter | 0 Comments Filed under: Quality Improvement, Hospital Care, Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Patient Safety/Medical Errors, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• Should Patient Satisfaction Scores Be Adjusted for Where Patients Shop?

  Last week, Medicare added patient satisfaction data to its hospital reporting website. This is progress, but it raises an interesting question: should patient satisfaction scores be case-mix adjusted? The motivation to include patient satisfaction data Read More... Posted Sun, Apr 13 2008 4:03 AM by Bob Wachter | 1 Comments Filed under: Hospital Care, Pay-for-performance, Transparency and Reporting, Quality Measurement, Hospitalists/Hospital Medicine, Information Technology, Health Policy, Media/Press Coverage

• NPR's Morning Edition Story on Physician Blogging and Patient Privacy

  Here's the link, featuring, among others, celebrity blogger Kevin, M.D., as well as yours truly, batting clean-up. Although the privacy concerns raised by the story are real, personally I thought the psychiatrist went a bit overboard when she said, "If Read More... Posted Sun, Mar 16 2008 3:27 PM by Bob Wachter | 1 Comments Filed under: Transparency and Reporting, Information Technology, Media/Press Coverage