Background: Approximately 5-10% of the US population reports a Penicillin (PCN) allergy. Only 1 in 10 of these patients are found to have a positive reaction to PCN. This label comes at a grave cost, with higher incidences of multidrug-resistant nosocomial infections reported among these patients. With the lack of novel antibiotics and the alarming [...]

Background: Post hospital discharge review during the transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility (SNF) is critical to avoid medication errors, improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions (1-3). Despite increased integration of electronic health records (EHR) across health entities, communication gaps and discharge-related medication errors still persist (2,4). These challenges can be more predominant [...]

Background: Approximately 5-10% of the US population reports a Penicillin (PCN) allergy. Only 1 in 10 of these patients are found to have a positive reaction to PCN. This label comes at a grave cost, with higher incidences of multidrug-resistant nosocomial infections reported among these patients. With the lack of novel antibiotics and the alarming [...]

Background: Skin, soft tissue, and joint infections are common in pediatric patients and can require invasive procedures to drain purulent fluid. Atypical pathogens (fungal and acid-fast bacilli [AFB]) are important but rare causes of these infections with reported case rates as low as 0.6-1.6 cases/100,000 a year. Despite the rarity of these infections, costly atypical [...]

Background: Hospital Onset Clostridium difficile infection (HOCDI) is one of the most common causes of hospital acquired diarrhea. As per a recent study, the mean healthcare costs attributable to primary Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is about $24,205 per patient. This would be a lot more if the patients were to be discharged to skilled nursing [...]

Background: Post hospital discharge review during the transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility (SNF) is critical to avoid medication errors, improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions (1-3). Despite increased integration of electronic health records (EHR) across health entities, communication gaps and discharge-related medication errors still persist (2,4). These challenges can be more predominant [...]

Background: Following hospitalization, a reported 20% of all Medicare patients are discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).  Sepsis was the cause of 25-68% of readmissions from SNFs based on a review of Medicare readmissions from patients at 96 SNFs in southeast Michigan. Sepsis is also the most common all-cause admission diagnosis and represents over $20 [...]

Background: Self-reflection is an essential tool to foster professional and personal development during medical training. The inpatient setting presents specific challenges to developing physicians, as housestaff grapple to negotiate death and dying, difficult patient interactions, and building therapeutic alliances within limited time. It’s not surprising that burnout and compassion fatigue increase during training. Integrating reflective [...]

Background: The Institute of Medicine includes patient-centeredness as an essential component of high-quality patient care. One dimension of patient-centeredness is the need for physicians to provide clear communication to patients (1). The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey also measures physician communication skill.Patient perception of physician communication is complex. Visual aids [...]

Background: Optimal patient care requires excellent patient communication skills. These skills are associated with improved patient satisfaction and adherence and may positively impact overall patient care and reduction in readmissions. Standardized patients (SPs) are commonly used in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education; however, their use for faculty education is uncommon, despite being considered an effective [...]