Week in Review | May 12, 2018

Electronic health records have been a punching bag for many in medicine, with frequent complaints focusing on implementation problems, interference in the patient physician relationship and increased burden on care providers. Despite such problems, EHRs are making progress, with a recent survey finding 79 percent of nurses are satisfied with their systems.

Patients over 65 years old welcomed the idea of using technology to improve cardiovascular medication adherence, according to a study published May 6 in the Journal of International Medical Research.

The implementation of an early warning score communication bundle significantly decreased intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, according to a study published in the May 2018 issue of the American Journal of Critical Care.

A team from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom, the University of Otago in New Zealand and the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research in Germany has developed a machine learning tool capable of detecting strains of salmonella before they cause bloodstream infections. Findings were published May 8 in PLOS Genetics.

The potential of genetic testing for chronic disease is substantial—and these possible positives are understood by many primary care providers (PCPs). Still, many feel unprepared to deal with patients at high risk for such conditions, while others questioned their ability to interpret genetic testing results.

Providing emergency department (ED) clinicians with feedback on their opioid prescribing led to a significant decrease in future prescriptions, according to a study published April 2 in Academic Emergency Medicine.

A study conducted by Zipnosis and Washington-based MultiCare Health System showed healthcare organizations could increase patient acquisition by using virtual care.

Mobile applications aimed at improving diabetes outcomes could help users control blood glucose levels, but evidence to support their efficiency is lacking, according to a study published May 8 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Researchers at Allina Health in Minneapolis have utilized integrative medicine to reduce patient pain and costs, according to a study published May 10 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have developed artificial intelligence (AI) with the aim to improve the accuracy of patient-specific clinical target volumes in cancer patients. Findings were published in the June 2018 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology.