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May / June 2005
NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES
TRENDS
JCR Publishes Text on Human Factors Engineering and Patient Safety
Joint Commission Resources (JCR) has announced the publication of Using Human Factors Engineering to Improve Patient Safety. JCR is an affiliate of Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
This book is written for physicians, nurses, risk managers, and other healthcare professionals in ambulatory, behavioral health, home, hospital, and long term care settings. It introduces readers to the concepts, theories, and methods behind human factors engineering (HFE), and shows how HFE can serve as a powerful adjunct to patient safety efforts.
Using Human Factors Engineering to Improve Patient Safety features nine detailed case studies first published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety in 2004. Each case study describes what happened, analyzes the HFE factors involved, and provides concrete recommendations for lasting solutions. The examples also help readers identify hidden deficiencies in devices, software programs, paper forms, case processes and the workplace.
This book was edited by John Grosbee, MD, MS, human factors engineering and healthcare specialist, VA National Center for Patient Safety. Using Human Factors Engineering to Improve Patient Safety is available for $75 using order code PSHF-01. For more information or to order, call JCR Customer Service toll-free at 877-223-6866, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time, weekdays, or visit www.jcrinc.com.
Source: Joint Commission Resources, Inc.
SafeTGlow Advanced Lighting System: Illuminating Patient Safety
Anaheim Memorial Medical Center is the first hospital in Orange County, California, to go live with SafeTGlow lighting, having recently installed the fiber optic system in 60 rooms on the clinical observation unit (COU) and tower telemetry units. Funded by an initial grant from The Anaheim Memorial Foundation, the new lighting system is designed to improve overall patient care and comfort, as well as to help meet the 2005 JCAHO Goal for Hospitals to "reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls." Anaheim Memorial is partnering with PrimeTech on the beta installation — the Huntington Beach firm will then work with hospitals in Orange County and nationwide to bring the advanced lighting system to patient rooms. SafeTGlow improves lighting of the physical environment and patient spatial orientation by
- Providing a "frame of reference" whereby patients can more quickly identify their surroundings and know where they are at all times
- Providing illumination of pathways to and from the bathroom
- Providing the required illumination for completion of many nursing tasks, reducing the need to use conventional lighting that can disrupt sleep.
- Withstanding extreme conditions (e.g. tornado, earthquake, hurricane, etc.) to provide continued illumination
Installation of the SafeTGlow system is anticipated to reduce the risk of patient falls. JCAHO studies reveal that approximately 45% of patient falls result from the physical environment, with the majority of these occurring at night. Committed to ensuring patient safety, Anaheim Memorial has installed SafeTGlow as part of a comprehensive fall reduction strategy that also includes ongoing staff training and patient/family education. Recognized for delivering high quality clinical outcomes for their patients, Anaheim Memorial Medical Center has served the communities of North Orange County for more than 40 years and is part of the Memorial Health Services system (www.memorialcare.org), which includes Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children's Hospital, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center. For more information, visit www.primetech-consulting.com.
PrimeTech Consulting provides consulting, staff augmentation, clinical and information technology planning and management, systems implementation, decision support services, project management, and outsourcing services for health systems, hospitals, physician groups, managed care organizations, and dental health plans. PrimeTech has established a record of providing advanced clinical and information technology solutions to prominent healthcare organizations throughout the US.
Source: www.primetech-consulting.com
Kodak and BlueTie Develop Integrated Secure Email System
Eastman Kodak Company and BlueTie have announced the creation of an integrated secure email service designed for smaller healthcare organizations and service providers. BlueTie is a developer of business and carrier-class email solutions.
The combined offering includes components of Kodak's Secure Email Service with BlueTie's email messaging and collaboration software to provide a secure email service that meets the requirements of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in a fully integrated and hosted solution. Details of the multi-year agreement were not disclosed.
"We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with BlueTie to deliver a high-quality secure email service to smaller healthcare providers — such as referring physicians or small group medical practices," said Patrick Faure, privacy and security services manager for Kodak's Health Group. "Once we've developed this service, BlueTie will market it to its existing base of small- to mid-size customers and prospects."
BlueTie's email solution will include a secure Web client, spam filtering, virus protection, certificate-based secure email and email auditing. "Smaller healthcare providers, like other small businesses, have been unable to make the huge investment in IT infrastructure necessary to utilize a secure email solution," said BlueTie President and CEO David Koretz. "As a result of this ground breaking initiative, the solution that BlueTie and Kodak will offer will be the first simple and cost-effective solution for the healthcare industry."
Kodak's Secure Email Service protects email communications and enables real-time encrypted messages and accompanying attachments — such as confidential medical reports or patient records — to be sent securely over the Internet to physicians, patients or other healthcare professionals around the world.
BlueTie's Web-based messaging application gives end users the flexibility of anytime, anywhere accessibility along with scalability (up to 10GB+) and large attachment sizes (25MB). Optional collaborative business necessities like shared contacts, calendars, files, and instant messaging will also be available.
Source: www.kodak.com
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