February 1, 2006 - Volume 1, Number 1
Current News
Sentinel Event Alert: Using Medication Reconciliation to Prevent Errors
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently issued a new Sentinel Event Alert that urges intensified attention to the accuracy of medications given to patients as they transition from one care setting to another, or one practitioner to another. The failure to reconcile medications during these transitions can cause serious patient injuries and even death. (read more)
Entry Open for National Patient Safety Foundation Awards
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) is now seeking submissions for its two new awards — the Socius Award and the Chairman's Medal — both of which were unveiled at the NPSF Annual Congress in 2005. These awards will be presented during the 8th Annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress, to be held May 10-12 at the San Francisco Marriott. (read more)
Editorial: EHRs Could Reduce Costs and Medical Errors
An editorial in the San Jose (CA) Mercury-News stated that electronic health records could reduce health care costs and medical errors, but in the U.S., "where much of the technology originated, our medical records system remains mired in wasteful, mistake-ridden technology of the 1960s." (read more)
EHR in the News
The American Medical Association will develop guidelines on how electronic health records information and claims data by third parties are collected, stored and used, American Medical News reports. The AMA's House of Delegates last year voted in favor of new policies. (read more)
Pediatric Database Used to Test Safety of Medication
The Wall Street Journal has reported on how researchers are using a large electronic database to compare the effectiveness and safety of certain drugs in infants. The database is "part of a growing national effort to mine electronic medical records to identify potential risks and side effects from commonly used medications, compare the effectiveness of treatments and test accepted practices of care." (read more)
Hospitals Implement Video Translation Service
According to the Stockton (CA) Record, a video-based translation service soon will be launched at two public hospitals in Contra Costa and San Mateo counties in California, and it could be implemented in Southern California facilities by the end of 2006. (read more)
Some Hospitals Have Not Addressed Medical Errors
Many U.S. hospitals have not taken important steps to prevent medical errors, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. For the study, researchers from a coalition of professional health organizations surveyed 107 hospitals in Missouri and Utah in 2002 and 2004 and analyzed responses to 91 questions in seven areas. (read more)
The Older Nurse in the Workplace: Does Age Matter?
A recent article in Nursing Economics claims that of the 185,000 nurses that joined the workforce in 2002 and 2003, 70 percent were age 50 and over. In part five of a six part series, they focused on older RNs and the characteristics of this growing group that impact the current and future nursing workforce such as employment patterns, attitudes, health, and perceptions of the nursing shortage relative to their younger counterparts. (read more)
Trauma-Center Care Significantly Lowers Risk of Death
Care at a trauma center lowers by 25 percent the risk of death for injured patients compared to treatment received at non-trauma centers, according to the results of a nationwide study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Washington School of Medicine. "A National Evaluation of the Effect of Trauma Center Care on Mortality," published in the January 26, 2006, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, is among the first studies to provide strong evidence of the effectiveness of specialized trauma-care facilities. (read more)
FDA changes Medical Device Guidelines
The FDA announced that it will take steps to improve its monitoring of medical devices after they have been approved, the New York Times reports. Under the "Postmarket Transformation Initiative" the agency said it will develop an electronic reporting system for adverse reactions, standardize the identification process, obtain the medical records of patients who use the devices and increase communication with professional organizations and the medical device industry. (read more)
Nurses Can Earn 25 CE Credits Testing NCI-Funded Online Course
Volunteer nurses can earn 25 CE credits and cash for testing Complementary Therapies & Cancer Care, an interactive online continuing education course. This interactive and innovative course was approved for 25 hours of CE credit by the Maryland Nurses Association. This accreditation provides reciprocity for nurses throughout the U.S. The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. has also approved the course for 25 CECH (Continuing Education Contact Hours). Nurses and health educators throughout the United States will receive approved credit hours to meet their state nursing license requirements. (read more)
Medication Errors Occur More Often in Radiology Departments
Medication errors that cause injuries occur seven times more often in radiology departments than in other hospital departments, according to a report released by U.S. Pharmacopeia. For the report, John Santell of the USP Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety and colleagues reviewed 823,268 voluntary medication error reports from 315 hospitals between 2000 and 2004 and found that 2,032 errors occurred in radiology departments. (read more)
New Products of Note
Flavors Enhance Treatment for Pediatric Oncology Patients
It is estimated that approximately 12,400 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year. The most common childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphomas, brain tumors and bone cancers. The chemotherapy, doctor's exams, constant discomfort of their condition and the countless medications these children must tolerate, is more than even the strongest adult could endure. Beyond the physical and medical changes to a child's lifestyle, diagnosis and treatment also cause feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, guilt, sadness and depression. Medications used during cancer treatment are essential to alleviate or eradicate the signs of cancer from the body... (read more)
