May 2014


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Caring for cancer survivors

Training in this area and how it can affect decisions during hospitalization can be lacking.

Policy experts analyze health care reform

Panel members' views span a wide spectrum of policy and experience.

More things you shouldn't do

Folate levels and 24-hour monitoring after switching from IV to oral antibiotics were among the topics covered.

Tips to make the most difficult conversation easier

Hospitalists may be best positioned to introduce patients to palliative care and/or hospice options.

It's all about the history: Diagnosing fever of unknown origin

Certain clues can go a long way toward narrowing down the cause.

Order the right therapist at the right time

Many hospitalists' requests for consults fail to maximize the potential of therapy to provide high-quality, efficient care.

Cognitive strategies take good physicians to greatness

An expert offered advice on how to become a better doctor.

Put a dermatologist in your pocket

Remote triage and in-person consults yielded similar diagnoses and care plans.

ICD-10 will bring new documentation opportunities

Although the transition to ICD-10 has been delayed, hospitalists should become familiar with the new code set in advance.

Vital signs are vital: The history of pulse oximetry

It will likely surprise younger physicians to know that the modern pulse oximeter was not invented until the early 1970s and did not become commercially available until the 1980s.

Horsing around

In a fictitious hospital, a momentary misunderstanding leads to a pun-filled visit summary.

A new kind of leadership: The physician and administrator partnership

Hospitals risk dehumanization if major decisions are carried out by those whose focus is not on patient care.

Letter from the Editor

This month's issue includes a cover story on caring for cancer survivor, extensive coverage from Hospital Medicine 2014, and the latest installment of The Brief Case.

Cases from the University of California, San Francisco, and Hôpital St. Thérèse, Haiti

Real patient cases cover such topics as complicated heart failure in a resource-poor setting and palliative care in rural Haiti.

Doripenem not for pneumonia; migraine prevention device approved

Details on the latest recalls, warnings, and label changes, as well as a device approval.

Recent Research

Medication safety assessment, international gout guidelines, statins and intracerebral hemorrhage, and more.

In the News

Alcohol detox protocol, in-hospital STEMI and outcomes, and more.