Teaching Hospitals May Provide Better Care for Patients

Featured article by Rick DelGado, Independent Technology Author

The medical industry is just one field that is benefiting thousands of people from its newfound developments and incorporations of technology and big data. Doctors and hospitals are using these new advancements in technology, big data and artificial intelligence to find more effective ways to give patients the care they need. One study found that patients receive better care from teaching hospitals versus non-teaching hospitals. These findings in this study may prove to lay the foundation for future healthcare facilities.

What is a Teaching Hospital?

The final phase of training for physicians who successfully complete medical school is getting into and completing a graduate medical education. Teaching hospitals are where young physicians go to achieve their desired graduate degree. Those who attend, also known as resident physicians, are given supervised training and guidance as they continue their education under the supervision of current, practicing physicians. All of this training and education is received in a hospital environment. This helps the residents get the feel of the environment and become accustomed to situations of high stress and excitement that often come with working in the hospital environment.

There are medical transcriptionist online courses and other recertification classes medical employees can take to stay up to date with the technological advancements made in the health industry, but teaching hospitals are also a great resource for residents. Teaching hospitals are currently in training residents how to use new technology and other medical developments that have been recently implemented. Teaching hospitals are responsible for training the new generation of physicians to become frontrunners in medical research and technology.

The New Study

This new study surveyed Medicare data of about 21.4 million patients who were hospitalized at 65 or older from a little less than 4,500 hospitals. There were 250 major teaching hospitals, 894 minor teaching hospitals and 3,339 community hospitals involved in the study. Of the 250 major teaching hospitals that were included in the survey, the overall mortality rate was about a percentage point lower than those at other hospitals. Researchers found that major teaching hospitals’ 30-day mortality rate was adjusted by 8.3 percent; minor teaching hospitals had a 9.2 percent adjustment; and community hospitals had an adjusted mortality rate of 9.5 percent. Overall, researchers found that patients at teaching hospitals were healthier and less likely to get worse due to inefficient care.

Although teaching hospitals tend to be a bit more expensive, researchers and doctors have discovered that the cost is worth the quality of the care patients receive. While this study focuses mainly on the mortality rates of older patients and doesn’t discuss the rates for younger patients, these findings still provide valuable data for patients and healthcare personnel. The authors of this study have recognized the limitations to their research and they are beginning to perform additional research to supplement this study. Many medical professionals have cautioned patients and families about deciding on a teaching hospital versus a nonteaching hospital for care without the proper research done.

Around the Clock Physician Care

In most hospitals, residents are part of the team of physicians that include instructors and other experienced physicians to provide patients with the highest quality of care. Each resident is required to review, under the guidance of another physician, the patient’s files and medical history before actually meeting the patient. They then give a physical exam to conclude previous findings, evaluate whether or not there were changes, and if they should be treated a certain way. During this exam, residents will ask the patient clarifying questions to better help them diagnose and treat the patient. These procedures and questions may seem repetitive, but these methods help train residents and also provide patients with more attentive care due to their being examined several times.

For many patients, having a resident fresh out of medical school treating them may be a little unnerving. However, something to keep in mind is that each resident remains in close touch with the patient’s physician and provides updates on the individual’s condition. Residents can bring new diagnoses and ideas to the table, but ultimately the current, practicing physician is the one who makes any and all final decisions regarding treatment.

by Rick DelGado, Independent Author

“I’ve been blessed to have a successful career and have recently taken a step back to pursue my passion of writing. I’ve started doing freelance writing and I love to write about new technologies and how it can help us and our planet.” – Rick DelGado