By Nathaniel A. Miller, Ph.D. (Healthcare Writer, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)
When patients are unable to breathe sufficiently on their own, mechanical ventilation may be required. Mechanical ventilation is the most common intervention used in patients admitted to ICUs (Intensive Care Units). Mechanical intervention saves lives in acute cases, but numerous studies document how prolonged mechanical ventilation can lead to a host of negative physical, financial, and mental outcomes for patients. Over the past twenty years, Gene Gantt, RRT, FAARC has worked with TennCare, Tennessee’s state Medicaid program, to develop best practices for safely and successfully weaning patients off of long-term mechanical ventilation. In this interview, he discusses his successes, which have recently been standardized as a widely-recognized accreditation available nationally through the non-profit Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety.
To read the complete article, please go to McKnight’s Long-Term Care News by clicking here.
