The PMD Critical List: Hospitals That Make You Sick

A new Consumer Reports ranking looks at the hospitals with the highest rates of Hospital-Associated Infections. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also on the list, a look at how doctors can benefit from social media, and some last-minute advice for ICD-10.

• 12 Hospitals That Might Make You Sicker (Health.com)

About 1 in every 25 hospital patients gets sick from the hospital itself—mostly from infections. According to Consumer Reports new ranking of US hospitals, the following healthcare institutions have the highest contagion rates.

• Physicians Turning to Patients for Donations (The New York Times)

A new survey of oncologists at the nation’s leading cancer centers shows that nearly 50% have been taught to identify wealthy patients who might be prospective donors. Is this “an ethical tightrope” or “an important source of resources when money is tight”?

• 5 Ways Physicians Can Benefit From Social Media (Global Healthcare)

Participation in social media can be tricky for doctors—balancing privacy and connectivity isn’t easily done. A new partnership between Google and Twitter might allow doctors to reach a much wider and more suitable audience.

• The Doctor's Daughter (CBS News)

“They seemed like the perfect couple, the perfect marriage, and the perfect family really.” A blow-by-blow report about a prominent New York physician convicted of killing his wife. His daughter, who called 911, testified he was innocent.

• Obamacare Gives Doctors a Raise (Forbes)

A new analysis shows that primary care physicians were up 3% in reimbursements last year thanks largely to expansion of health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. The pay bump mostly comes from “treating patients with more complex medical conditions.”

• EHR Fear & Loathing: Doctor Quotes (Becker’s Hospital Review)

"Imagine, in a world where a 2-year-old can operate an iPhone, you have graduate-educated physicians brought to their knees by electronic health records.” Plus more quotes illustrating just how much physicians can hate their EHR system.

• The Misery of a Doctor's First Days (The Atlantic)

Here’s a compelling essay about the fatigue, emotional stress, and self-doubt that comes with medical residency. “They don’t want you to show any weakness,” says a young physician in training. “You almost need to be a robot.”

• Some Final Tips on ICD-10 (Diagnostic Imaging)

It’s here—the complex new healthcare coding system known as ICD-10. But “it’s not time for physicians to panic. Rather, it’s time to pay attention and establish someone at your practice who will keep the process moving.”