Saving and Improving Lives in the Information Age

Improving Diagnosis Accuracy and Saving Lives

The echocardiogram is one of the most prescribed diagnostic tests in cardiology. It provides an incredibly complex and multidimensional data set, impossible to process entirely at the brain level. When physicians record the echocardiogram of a patient, the information is tracked in a spreadsheet file consisting of approximately 30 columns and more than 50 rows all of which the physician needs t...

Strategies for saving and improving children's lives.

At the Child Abuse Recognition, Research, and Education Translation (CARRET) Conference, national child abuse experts representing different disciplines discussed and developed new strategies that would address the barriers to reporting suspected child abuse and improve the protection of children. This article describes the experts' analysis of the barriers to and strategies for improving the o...

Saving and Improving Lives in the Information Age: Presidential Address at the American Heart Association 2014 Scientific Sessions.

Saving money, saving lives.

In 1996, Duke Children's Hospital was in serious trouble. Its $11 million annual operating loss had forced administrators to make cutbacks. As a result, some caregivers felt that the quality of care had deteriorated. Parents' complaints were on the rise. Frustrated staff members were quitting. In this article, Jon Meliones, DCH's chief medical director, candidly describes how his debt-ridden ho...

Improving lives through information.