Hospitals aim to Reduce the Number of Patients Readmitted
One in five Medicare patients found themselves back in the hospital within 30 days of leaving it in 2003 and 2004, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even more troubling is the possibility that three-quarters of those readmissions might have been prevented.More Doctors Make House Calls Online
A push by the federal government to reduce medical errors and save money is forcing hospitals and doctors to enter the 21st century. And consumers will benefit when they can drop their doctor an e-mail about an ache or ask for a prescription refill online.