New York residents may know that medication errors are a leading cause of patient harm in the United States, and that they are often fatal. To combat the problem, pharmacists are using special software to help identify these mistakes before they occur.
Patients in New York may be less likely to suffer from medical malpractice related to shift changes if more hospitals begin to adopt the technology currently in use at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. According to a research letter that appeared in JAMA on Aug. 1, an electronic patient record is a useful tool in reducing errors.
According to a new study in the August edition of the American Journal of Roentgenology, molecular breast imaging can locate cancers that mammograms miss. The research could improve breast cancer outcomes for women in New York and nationwide, particularly those who have dense breast tissue.
Many New York residents who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease may not actually have the disease, according to studies by researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. About 20 percent of Alzheimer’s diagnoses are incorrect, and patients who have been misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease may actually have conditions like dementia and brain atrophy.
New Yorkers who sustain minor strokes, also known as transient ischemic attacks may be at higher risk for other ailments. TIAs involve the partial stoppage of circulation to the brain, and they may be associated with stroke-like symptoms that appear to dissipate within 24 hours. A 2016 study published by scientists at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. found that patients who had survived TIA incidents were more likely to later visit the doctor for problems like depression, anxiety, fatigue or cognitive difficulties.
