Improving the Patient Experience Starts in the Waiting Room
Waiting rooms can be a major contributor to infections, with patients waiting an average of 20 minutes before seeing a doctor, according to the Medical Group Management Association. In fact, the CDC reports that one in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection on any given day.
Use New Delays to Catch Up to More Stringent USP Requirements
Because new USP <800> Hazardous Drugs—Handling in Healthcare Settings refers to the other chapters, it is considered by USP to be “informational only” until the revisions are final. The Joint Commission has said it will continue to survey hospitals to the current USP compounding chapters but will expect hospitals to meet the requirements of local AHJs, as always.
Lehman Report Analyzes Cost of Medical Errors Despite Healthcare Progress
The latest report from the Center, titled The Financial and Human Cost of Medical Error, sought to analyze the financial and human cost of medical errors—both in Massachusetts and nationwide—associated with services covered by health insurance.
Q&A: The Difference Between Patient Satisfaction and Quality
Two definitions that are used often in conjunction with a hospital’s merit are patient satisfaction and quality of care. The following is an edited Q&A with Craig Deao, senior leader at Studer Group, on the differences between the two and how they can be used to drive improvement.
Declining Patients Get Attention Faster; Nurses Work Smarter: How Froedtert Did It
During an era when advanced technology guides more healthcare decisions, something essential is missing from the data mix: the assessments of the providers who work most closely with patients. While other predictive tools leave most of this information buried in the EMR, the Rothman Index used by Froedtert brings it to the forefront.
What Can We Do About Medical Device Security?
There is no denying that medical IoT is a huge step for medicine, and many IoT devices are life-saving for patients. But we can’t overlook their obvious weaknesses and associated risks. What can patients, clinicians, and regulatory bodies do to improve the situation?
Improve Your Hand Hygiene Compliance Rates: Three Insights From the University of Tennessee Medical Center
Without reliable data, it’s impossible to determine the best path toward improving compliance. To reach compliance goals of 90% or higher, systems need to measure 100% of all hand hygiene events.
Drones Could Be the Future of Healthcare
WakeMed Health & Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, teamed up with the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation to conduct a first round of test flights for drones to carry simulated medical packages from Raleigh Medical Park, located across the street from the campus, to a main tower at the hospital.
Joint Commission Boosts Antimicrobial Stewardship, Falls Prevention Programs
This standard (MM.09.01.03) is not brand new—in fact, it is an extension of the original standard (MM.09.01.01), which has been in place since January 1, 2017. Most hospitals and nursing care centers have been under the original standard’s authority in an effort to curb antibiotic resistance in the U.S.
As Rural Docs Age, Will There Be Enough Left?
The report claims that 66% of primary care shortages in the U.S. and 62% of those for mental health were located in rural or partially rural areas of the country.