In the New England Journal of Medicine, two doctors write that hospitals have the ability now to ensure that patients are safely cared for while keeping down the bottom line. They say, smooth patient care so hospitals don’t experience the peaks and valleys of high and low patient populations. Those peaks, they argue, force nurses and doctors to see more patients than they can safely.
Just rescheduling surgeries, for example, would reduce the danger for patients and better utilize hospital resources. Patients would come in when staff levels were sufficient to keep them safe rather than put staff under unnecessary stress to meet patient demand.
Their commentary can be found here: The New England Journal of Medicine.
