Are we killing our patients?

Do we really deliver the correct patient care only 55% of the time? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported this fact. Another published statistic says that out of every 100 patient charts reviewed, 33 patients will have an adverse event, 7 patients will have 2 adverse events, and there will one preventable death. Pretty scary, huh?

JCAHO studies report that 70% of the adverse events in our hospitals are the result of poor communication. These reports have triggered a reaction in the third party payers demanding improvement in the quality of care. United Healthcare started with radiology because it comprises 15 to 20 % of their costs and they think the overutilization lies between 30 to 50%. It seems that as we add the newer technologies, we are still ordering the older technologies, so we keep increasing the imaging costs.

So, get ready for more accreditation, regulation, and precertification. In order to get paid, we are going to have to prove competency, training and experience. No longer will "basket weaving for technologists" suffice for relevant education.

Along with the necessary hard technical skills, a good dose of communication, customer service, and leadership skills must be incorporated into our continuing education. Those that exceed will succeed!