Lean Transformation

Key Characteristics of Successful Leaders

By Mike Chamberlain

Replacing senior leaders in an organization is never easy. With a board of directors and other top executives having invested a lot of time and money in supporting the former leader, now they face the difficult task of replacing that knowledge and experience with a leader who will help advance the organization into the future. Finding effective leaders is different today than it might have been in the past, but there are certain, proven criteria organizations should consider using to find the right people.

Editor’s Notebook

The ‘Big Universe’ of Diagnostic Error

By Susan Carr

Patient safety advocates look forward to the day when principles they currently pursue as part of a directed agenda infuse the practice of medicine extensively, resulting in less need for advocacy, remedial training, and re-engineering because patient safety is baked into the culture of medicine.

News

Meningitis Outbreak Prompts State and Federal Action to Improve Safety

According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the fungal meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated products from a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy may be the most serious medication safety incident in recorded history.

News

The American Society of Medication Safety Officers
A Conversation with Christian Hartman, Founder and President

PSQH Editor Susan Carr talked with Chris Hartman in June 2012 about the American Society of Medication Safety Officers (ASMSO), an organization he started in 2006.

News

AHRQ Patient Safety Project Reduces Bloodstream Infections by 40 Percent

A unique nationwide patient safety project funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reduced the rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in intensive care units by 40 percent, according to the agency’s preliminary findings of the largest national effort to combat CLABSIs to date.

News

Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America

America’s healthcare system has become too complex and costly to continue business as usual, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Inefficiencies, an overwhelming amount of data, and other economic and quality barriers hinder progress in improving health and threaten the nation’s economic stability and global competitiveness, the report says.

EMPSF 2nd Annual Patient Safety Summit

By Dianne Vass

On March 22 and 23, 2012, the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation (EMPSF) held its 2nd Annual Patient Safety Summit: From Insights to Outcomes: Getting Results! The meeting brought together key stakeholders and thought leaders from across the emergency care continuum. Among the distinguished panel of speakers were the presidents of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses Association, National Patient Safety Foundation, and the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management.

Home Infusion Therapy:  Safety, Efficacy, and Cost-Savings

By Steve Kennedy, PharmD

Home infusion is a clinically appropriate treatment option for patients with a wide range of acute and chronic conditions, ranging from bacterial infections to more complex conditions such as late-stage heart failure, bleeding disorders, nutrition support, and immune deficiencies. Home infusion affords patients independence and better quality of life because it is provided in the comfort of the patient’s home at a time that best fits his or her needs. In addition, home infusion can provide improved safety, better outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.

ISMP

Shakespeare Was on Target: Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be

By The Institute of Safe Medication Practices

The phrase, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” originated from Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet (1603), during which Lord Polonius gives this advice to his son who is heading back to school. Because our world is different today, you may believe this advice is outdated and irrelevant. But when it comes to medication safety, Shakespeare’s advice is timeless; medications should never be borrowed from or lent to others.

American College of Surgeons

Accounting for Patient Risks: A Prerequisite to Quality Improvement

By Clifford Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS

Taking into account the health risks posed by the condition of each individual patient is not just critical to improving quality—it is a prerequisite. To fairly measure a hospital’s performance, any assessment must consider the health risks posed by the condition of each individual patient, as well as the hospital’s case mix, given that some hospitals may take on more complex surgical cases than others.