 |
 |
|
January / February 2007
NEWS ITEMS FROM SOURCES WORLDWIDE
Pulse
"Grand Rounds" Address Impact of MRSA on Healthcare Facilities
Multi-city Program Focuses on Best Practices for Elimination of MRSA Transmission
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), an 11,500-member organization headquartered in Washington, DC, is holding a series of "Grand Rounds" in various states throughout the country. The series started in December and continues in 2007. The "Grand Rounds" are designed to educate healthcare professionals and healthcare administrators on how to eliminate the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the antibiotic-resistant superbug impacting millions of patients worldwide.
Over the next 6 months, APIC's "Grand Rounds: Elimination of MRSA Transmission" will be held in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Dallas, and New York City. The program will feature nationally recognized physicians and infection prevention professionals discussing the consequences of MRSA, an increasingly prevalent and deadly organism in healthcare facilities. More importantly, the panel will highlight successful, systems-wide approaches that have effectively combated the increasingly troublesome infection.
"Leading institutions are proving that significant reductions in MRSA can be achieved and sustained through a combination of committed leadership and the application of best practices," said Kathy L. Warye, APIC CEO. "The 'Grand Rounds' series is intended to build awareness and accelerate the learning necessary to combat MRSA. In keeping with our zero tolerance position on healthcare-associated infections, this program is intended to clearly demonstrate to clinicians and healthcare administrators how they can create effective strategies for protecting their patients from this deadly infection. By learning how successful healthcare institutions have implemented scientific methodologies, hospitals will be better equipped to introduce effective measures in their own facilities.
The "Grand Rounds" program, sponsored by BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), is aimed at both clinicians and healthcare executives faced with the clinical and financial impact of MRSA in their facilities.
"BD is proud to sponsor APIC for this educational series to promote best practices in healthcare, with the ultimate goal of eradicating MRSA," said Edward J. Ludwig, chairman, president and chief executive officer of BD. "APIC has demonstrated leadership in driving change in infection prevention and control. BD's support for this effort is central to our commitment to prevent healthcare-associated infections and help all people live healthy lives."
For further information, visit www.apic.org/MRSAGrandRounds.
Source: APIC
Expert Teams to Design New Solutions for PHRs to Help Consumers Manage Their Health
Project HealthDesign Selects Eight Teams to Design and Test Innovative, Consumer-Centered PHR Applications
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has kicked off a landmark program to design and test bold ideas for how consumers can use information technology to better manage their health and navigate the healthcare system.
Project HealthDesign: Rethinking the Power and Potential of Personal Health Records, a $4.1 million initiative, has selected eight multidisciplinary teams that will build new tools that advance the field of personal health record (PHR) systems. Grant teams will work collaboratively to design and test a suite of PHR applications that can be built upon a common platform to help people better meet their healthcare needs in an integrated fashion. Such PHR tools may remind a patient to take medications, provide tailored decision prompts to help people adhere to treatment regimens for diabetes or pain therapy, or transmit data to providers — such as blood pressure readings or exercise levels — that are collected from patient self-testing and biomonitoring devices in the home.
"It's not just the wider use of personal health records or online access to the data they store that is so revolutionary," said Stephen Downs, S.M., RWJF senior program officer and deputy director of the Health Group. "Project HealthDesign is challenging the PHR field to focus on the potential for patients, providers, and caregivers to use this information to improve their health. The design of the systems over which this information flows is critical, and that is why we're excited to support the efforts of these technology pioneers to develop the next generation of PHR systems."
In this two-phased initiative, design teams will first participate in a 6-month structured process to design user-centered personal health applications that address specific health challenges faced by individuals and caregivers. In the subsequent 12-month phase, prototypes of these personal health tools will be tested with target populations.
At every step, teams will work closely with a specialist in the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of health information technology and personal data sharing. Ensuring the privacy of patient information and gaining an early understanding of the ELSI issues associated with the next generation of PHR systems are key objectives guiding the efforts of Project HealthDesign grantees. RWJF is supporting the ELSI consultation through a separate $149,000 grant to Kenneth W. Goodman, Ph.D., founder and director of the University of Miami's Bioethics Program and associate professor in its School of Medicine.
The eight grantee teams were chosen from a pool of more than 165 applicants, and each has been selected to receive an 18-month, $300,000 grant. Primary funding for Project HealthDesign is provided by RWJF's Pioneer Portfolio, which supports innovative projects that may lead to breakthrough improvements in health and healthcare. RWJF is pleased to collaborate with The California HealthCare Foundation, which contributed an additional $600,000 to the initiative. The program is directed by Patricia Flatley Brennan, R.N., Ph.D., professor of Nursing and Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"By designing a variety of applications that can operate seamlessly within a broader PHR system, we can provide practical, consumer-oriented tools that fit the needs, preferences, and lifestyles of individuals," said Dr. Brennan. "Our vision is that the bold design efforts led by Project HealthDesign grantees will help empower patients to use PHR tools to manage health information, communicate with their providers and caregivers, and make sound decisions that can improve their health and healthcare."
Program activities will launch immediately with an initial design workshop involving all grantees, where they will further define the needs and preferences of the intended users of the PHR applications. More information about the project is available at www.projecthealthdesign.org.
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Study Indicates that Patients' Broad Definition of Medical 'Errors' Can Undermine Satisfaction with Care
Hospital patients define medical errors much more broadly than the traditional clinical definitions of medical errors. The patient definition of medical errors includes communication problems, responsiveness, and falls, according to a new study published in the January 2007 issue of the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
The findings point out the need for physicians and other healthcare professionals to clarify what patients mean when they talk about an "error" or "mistake." The study of more than 1,600 patients at 12 Midwestern hospitals also shows the importance of explaining exactly what is meant by the term "medical error" if patients are to be effectively engaged in programs to prevent them.
The study, "Patients' Concerns About Medical Errors During Hospitalization," concludes that most patients felt a high level of medical safety, but 39 percent experienced concern about at least a single type of medical error during their hospitalization. Certain groups of patients were more likely to be concerned about medical errors, such as middle-aged patients, parents of pediatric patients, and blacks. In addition, patients who experience longer lengths of stay, more severe illnesses, or who were admitted through the emergency department were likely to experience more concerns. Patients who received care in small and rural hospitals reported the fewest types of concerns, regardless of the severity of illness. The authors of the study, led by Thomas E. Burroughs, Ph.D., at St. Louis University, and his collaborators at Washington University and elsewhere, note that programs to educate patients to play a more active role in preventing errors may need to be tailored to effectively address the fears and concerns of each patient.
"The study underscores that patients and clinicians can have different views of the things that constitute a medical error," says Dr. Burroughs. "For patients, clear communication and responsiveness are particularly important. If these are lacking, patients may view this as a medical error. It is important that clinicians recognize these differences, and the importance of communication and responsiveness."
Other notable findings in the study include:
- A strong link exists between a patient's concerns about medical errors and his/her satisfaction with the entire hospital experience. A single concern was tied to a significantly reduced likelihood of recommending and returning to the hospital for future care. It is important to note that these are "concerns," not neces-sarily actual errors. For patients, it appears that error-related concerns alone, even if not linked to an actual error, are enough to significantly affect their perceptions of the entire experience, which could alter adherence and willingness to return for care.
- A recommendation that hospitals consider routine measurement of patient concerns about medical errors as part of patient satisfaction efforts. Ideally, such measurements would take place in real time, allowing healthcare providers to respond directly to patients' concerns. Even if such concerns are measured retrospectively, assessing patient fears about medical errors could guide ongoing quality improvement activities and help gauge the effectiveness of patient safety efforts.
- The need for additional research into the factors that generate concerns among patients about medical errors, how best to encourage patients to express these concerns, and what strategies effectively reassure patients about their medical safety. Incorporating patient attitudes into safety programs could help prevent medical errors and enhance patient satisfaction with their healthcare experience.
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, published monthly by Joint Commission Resources, features peer-reviewed research and case studies on improving quality and safety in healthcare organizations. JCR is an affiliate of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. To subscribe to the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, please call JCR Customer Service toll-free at 800.746.6578, or visit www.jcrinc.com.
Source: JCR
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
