This Week:
Reena and Amol want you to:
1. Appreciate the challenges in reducing unplanned readmissions to hospital and concerns about that metric as a quality indicator.
2. Recognize that malpractice reform in three US states did not reduce the intensity of physician practice or resource utilization, suggesting that “defensive medicine” may not be a large contributor to the escalating cost of healthcare.
Continuing Medical Education
Internists can receive 0.5 hours of Continuing Medical Education credit for each podcast they listen to through the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine (MOC Category 1) and the American Medical Association (PRA Category 1). To receive CME credit for listening to this podcast, please click here to fill out our Evaluation and Impact Assessment Form.
The papers
Dhalla IA et al. Effect of a Postdischarge Virtual Ward on Readmission or Death for High-Risk Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2014;312(13):1305-1312. (PubMed).
Waxman DA et al. The Effect of Malpractice Reform on Emergency Department Care. N Engl J Med 2014; 371:1518-1525. (PubMed).
