Effective communication is the bedrock of high-quality, patient-centered care. Healthcare providers undoubtedly are aware of the continued emphasis and importance placed on verbal communication through various quality measures and standards. However, much daily communication is nonverbal and may encompass facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and even tone of voice and silence.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Accurate and thorough documentation is vital in healthcare; it provides essential patient information, historical details about the course of patient care, and a record of services provided. Healthcare providers’ signatures are a crucial part of documentation; they carry authority to authorize tests and services, and they attest to the authenticity and accuracy of patient records. Thus, protecting the integrity of provider signatures is imperative.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
The quick proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) across many industries, including healthcare, signals the critical need for regulations, governance policies, ethical standards, and best practices. Yet AI is moving at a transcendent pace that disrupts the ability to forecast its risks and proactively establish guardrails.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
The healthcare community has long considered infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies critical to patient safety, worker safety, and overall public health. The significance of these measures is even more pronounced following the COVID-19 pandemic and in preparation for future infectious disease outbreaks.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Medical aesthetics is a growing and lucrative industry, and the global medi-spa market is projected to reach $41.21 billion by 2030.1
Various types of healthcare providers are offering spa and cosmetic services at dedicated medi-spas or as ancillary services in healthcare practices. Offerings are extensive and include botulinum toxin injections, chemical peels, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, liposuction, dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation, microblading, body contouring, and more.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Accurate and thorough documentation is a crucial element of high-quality patient care, and it’s a critical component of a sound risk management approach. Documentation provides essential patient information, historical details about the course of care, and a record of services. It also facilitates communication among caregivers, forms the basis for coding and billing, provides data pertinent to quality improvement, and may provide information that is critical to the defense of a legal action.
Read more Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
A significant hurdle in patient-centered care is effective communication throughout the care process. If patients do not understand their diagnoses, test results, recommended treatment plans, and follow-up instructions, they cannot fully participate in their care.
Read more Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly trailblazing a path in healthcare with applications addressing administrative and logistical support, disease detection, precision medicine, predictive analytics, patient engagement, and more. AI is perhaps the most consequential advancement in modern medicine, and it offers hope to accelerate research, propel the discovery of new drugs and therapies, and vastly improve patient care. Yet, to deliver on these promises, the potential pitfalls of AI must be addressed.
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