Comments on: TIME.com: VA hospitals are the best http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-best.html medical blog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:01:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dex http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-best.html/comment-page-1#comment-66676 Dex Thu, 31 Aug 2006 03:08:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-the-best.html#comment-66676 We have something like this at my hospital, metropolitan medical center (names changed to protect the innocent). We've got the pneumatic tube thing for labs and drugs. We've got computerized order entry. We've got a brand new billion dollar clinic that I sit idle in and twiddle my thumbs because nobody can find it--the sign is still being made. New charts are half-and -half paper/electronic, and we can pull up most relevant information by computer (tests if they were done at the hospital, for example; operative reports; and old ER charts are completely electronic, I'm proud to say) although there are almost a dozen different computer systems with different passwords and operating commands--prolly not as good as the VA--computerizing a 700+ bed hospital is not an overnight affair. <br/><br/>We don't have the bar code thing.<br/><br/>We don't have laptops for rounds (yet), although we do have alkward rolling workstation-trucks. It seems anything small and actually portable has the unfortunate side-effect of being easy to steal, lose, or be "appropriated" for another department, leading to the absurd rolling-cart-ization of every little piece of equipment.<br/><br/>Our pharmacists intern here and rotate among different services--they are quite helpful and are also in the computerized ordering system, enabling competent and efficient oversight. <br/><br/>One thing we can't, and prolly never will, match, is availability of every test ever done, simply because some stuff will be done at other hospitals or at private labtesting facilities (i.e. Labcorp, Quest, various stand-alone radiology boutiques).<br/><br/>Someday. We have something like this at my hospital, metropolitan medical center (names changed to protect the innocent). We’ve got the pneumatic tube thing for labs and drugs. We’ve got computerized order entry. We’ve got a brand new billion dollar clinic that I sit idle in and twiddle my thumbs because nobody can find it–the sign is still being made. New charts are half-and -half paper/electronic, and we can pull up most relevant information by computer (tests if they were done at the hospital, for example; operative reports; and old ER charts are completely electronic, I’m proud to say) although there are almost a dozen different computer systems with different passwords and operating commands–prolly not as good as the VA–computerizing a 700+ bed hospital is not an overnight affair.

We don’t have the bar code thing.

We don’t have laptops for rounds (yet), although we do have alkward rolling workstation-trucks. It seems anything small and actually portable has the unfortunate side-effect of being easy to steal, lose, or be “appropriated” for another department, leading to the absurd rolling-cart-ization of every little piece of equipment.

Our pharmacists intern here and rotate among different services–they are quite helpful and are also in the computerized ordering system, enabling competent and efficient oversight.

One thing we can’t, and prolly never will, match, is availability of every test ever done, simply because some stuff will be done at other hospitals or at private labtesting facilities (i.e. Labcorp, Quest, various stand-alone radiology boutiques).

Someday.

]]> By: Mary Lu http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-best.html/comment-page-1#comment-66675 Mary Lu Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:47:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-the-best.html#comment-66675 Grrrr... it's Pharmacist. Actually it's probably a Doctor of Pharmacy, AKA Pharm.D. <br/><br/>I think it's time to go torture Time this month. <br/><br/>And the idea of getting a Rx to the floor that fast only happens of the RN walks over to the pyxis and opens a drawer. Jeeze welcome to fairyland Grrrr… it’s Pharmacist. Actually it’s probably a Doctor of Pharmacy, AKA Pharm.D.

I think it’s time to go torture Time this month.

And the idea of getting a Rx to the floor that fast only happens of the RN walks over to the pyxis and opens a drawer. Jeeze welcome to fairyland

]]> By: John J. Coupal http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-best.html/comment-page-1#comment-66648 John J. Coupal Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:46:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-the-best.html#comment-66648 Is that "druggist" like an <br/>apothecary? Is that “druggist” like an
apothecary?

]]> By: Greg P http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-best.html/comment-page-1#comment-66629 Greg P Wed, 30 Aug 2006 02:27:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/08/timecom-va-hospitals-are-the-best.html#comment-66629 But the way things seem to be going now in the VA, the drug ordered by the doctor is immediately and without question changed to the "acceptable" medication, according to the bureaucratic scheme. But the way things seem to be going now in the VA, the drug ordered by the doctor is immediately and without question changed to the “acceptable” medication, according to the bureaucratic scheme.

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