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Rise in Outpatient Care Leads to Rise in Community-Associated Infections

An October 2017 study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, “Risk Factors for Community-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults: A Case-Control Study,” found that from 2011 to 2014, instances of community-associated C. diff infections in the U.S. grew from 35% of all C. diff infections to 41%.

Smart Pump Custom Concentrations Without Hard ‘Low Concentration’ Alerts Can Lead to Patient Harm

During our latest summit, we focused on optimizing use of the technology during administration of secondary and intermittent infusions, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), epidural infusions, plain IV solutions, and perioperative/anesthesia medications; preparing for pump-electronic health record (EHR) interoperability; and library analytics.

Alternatives to Lifting Patients

According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) statistics, worker injuries from slips, trips, and falls are one of the agency’s biggest concerns, especially in hospitals. Injury and illness rates in healthcare, at 5.2 cases for every 100 workers, continue to be above the national average, which is 3.5 cases per 100.

Are Second Victims Getting the Help They Need?

A 2013 review of healthcare professionals as second victims, published in Evaluation & The Health Professions, concluded that nearly half of healthcare providers would fit this label at least once in their career. A 2017 survey of surgeons found that 80% recalled having at least one intraoperative adverse event within the past year of their practice. Those affected reported having experienced a substantial emotional impact on their well-being, including strong feelings of sadness, anxiety, and shame.

Infusion Pump Performance: Flow Accuracy and Continuity Often Don’t Add Up

Pumps undergo extensive pre-market testing, and vendor manuals provide detailed documentation of the results. However, pump performance in the real world often differs significantly from lab results, with a potentially significant impact on patient safety.

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Hospitals Can Improve Their Infection Prevention Strategies, Study Finds
by PSQH, September 21, 2018

Published in the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s (SHEA) journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the study points out that hospitals can do much more to reduce infections.
Joint Commission Surveyor Focus Remains on EC, Life Safety, Ligature Risks
by PSQH, September 18, 2018

Officials highlighted the need for improved compliance with safety standards at The Joint Commission’s annual Hospital Executive Briefings held September 14 in New York City.
FDA Unveils Proposed Hospital Subscription Plan for Antibiotic Use
by PSQH, September 17, 2018

The FDA, which also rolled out a new antimicrobial resistance information page, is in talks with CMS and other agencies to develop this and other approaches to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Physician Burnout Impacts Safety, Professionalism, Patient Satisfaction
by HealthLeaders Media, September 17, 2018

The research, which was published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found burnout increased the likelihood of patient safety incidents, care deficiencies linked to low professionalism, and lower patient satisfaction.
Study Finds Number of Hospital Suicides Much Lower Than Believed
by PSQH, September 12, 2018

The study was an analysis of data from 27 states reporting to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) for 2014-2015 and from hospitals reporting to The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event database from 2010 to 2017.

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Rise in Outpatient Care Leads to Rise in Community-Associated Infections

Smart Pump Custom Concentrations Without Hard ‘Low Concentration’ Alerts Can Lead to Patient Harm

Alternatives to Lifting Patients

Are Second Victims Getting the Help They Need?

Infusion Pump Performance: Flow Accuracy and Continuity Often Don’t Add Up

Expanding a Telehealth Program to Serve More Patients

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