Autumn is quickly approaching in the Health Techzone, providing a veritable harvest of developments and news. Let's review what happened in healthcare IT this week.
According to a survey from Accenture, 41 percent of Americans would switch doctors if they discovered a new doctor that offered electronic health records (EHR). Also, 57 percent of Americans have gathered their paper records to track their personal health. Thirty-seven percent have tracked health history, 34 percent have tracked physical activity and 33 percent have tracked other health indicators.
Interestingly, 65 percent of physicians believe that consumers should have limited access to their health records. Still, 81 percent of Americans use the Internet, and 59 percent have looked online for health information within the past year. Also, 35 percent have gone online to determine which medical condition they or a loved one may have.
In other news, thanks to an aging population and the Affordable Care Act, which will add millions of newly insured Americans to the healthcare market, healthcare jobs are expected to surge within the next few years. While the predictions have led to a surge of enrollment in nursing schools, many graduates have reported that job openings are less prevalent than expected.
The recession has limited retirement opportunities for many nurses and other healthcare professionals. However, as the economy improves, more nurses are taking their retirement packages. Also, the growth of outpatient and ambulatory service centers has provided many new employment opportunities for nurses.
Finally, in this week's "new way to die" news, a superbug called carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has been added to the Antibiotics Resistance Threats Report by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). According to the CDC, 44 states have reported CRE cases. About 2 million American contract CRE, and 23,000 have died as a result.
Enterobacteriaceae are normally found in the human gut, but they can spread throughout the body, causing meningitis, pneumonia, wound infections, urinary tract infections and sepsis. Contact with wounds or stool are the most likely ways to transmit the bacteria. Hospitals in 42 states have reported CRE infections. Most patients that contract CRE have ventilators, urinary catheters and IV catheters. Other victims are people that are on long-term courses of certain antibiotics.
Not to worry! The Health Techzone will keep you apprised not only of the latest threats but also of the latest healthcare IT advancements. Join us every week to learn more about what's shaking in the Health Techzone.
