News in brief - Sept. 12, 2011

Using checklists saves $1.1 million a year per hospital - Number of female physicians up 430% since 1980

Using checklists saves $1.1 million a year per hospital

Michigan hospitals that implemented checklists to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections in their intensive care units saw an average tenfold return on their investment in patient safety, said a study published in the September/October issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21856956).

Each catheter-related bloodstream infection costs a Michigan hospital $36,500 to treat, on average, but implementing the checklist program costs only about $3,375 per infection avoided. More than 100 Michigan ICUs were able to cut bloodstream infections by an average of two-thirds, with many hospitals eliminating the infections entirely. On average, each hospital saved about $1.1 million a year by implementing the patient safety program, the study said. The patient safety "bundle" now being spread to hospitals nationwide costs each hospital an average of $161,000 to put into place, mostly for staff time.

Number of female physicians up 430% since 1980

Women have made great strides in the formerly male-dominated physician field, but there is still room for progress, said leaders of the American Medical Association in observance of September as "Women in Medicine Month."

From 1980 to 2009, the number of female physicians rose 430%. Women now make up nearly a third of all U.S. doctors and about half of U.S. medical students. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female medical school graduate in 1849.

The AMA said its Women Physicians Congress is devoted to increasing the number of women in medicine as well as their influence in shaping the future of health care. "The [Women Physicians Congress] provides a forum for women in medicine through mentoring and leadership development," said WPC Chair Claudia L. Reardon, MD. "By promoting women's health issues and empowering female physicians, our entire profession benefits." More information about the WPC is available at the AMA website (www.ama-assn.org/go/wim).