Study: Antibiotics Use to Blame for C. diff Infections
The study, published September 16, 2019 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, found that higher hospitalwide use of four classes of antibiotics thought to increase the risk of the dangerous intestinal illness C. diff was associated with greater prevalence of hospital-associated C. diff.
Joint Commission Seeks to Reduce Maternal Deaths
The Joint Commission says that about 700 women die annually from these complications, stemming mostly from obstetric hemorrhage (excessive blood loss while giving birth). The accreditor notes that rates of maternal hemorrhage are increasing in developed countries, including the United States, leading to the need for increased attention to the problem.
Joint Commission Portal Addresses Nurse Burnout
According to The Joint Commission, of the 2,000 healthcare providers surveyed, more than 15% of all nurses reported feelings of burnout, with ER nurses at a higher risk. A second survey in 2019 found that burnout is among the leading patient safety and quality concerns in healthcare organizations.
Report: Follow Protocols to Help Fight Opioid Addictions
Healthcare providers in U.S. hospitals bear the brunt of the epidemic as they deal with the medical consequences of opioid addiction. From 1999 to 2017, Coverys says, more than 700,000 people died as a result of the opioid epidemic and the number of opioid-related overdoses grew sixfold.
Study: More Docs Involved in Patient Care Means Longer Hospital Stays
A new report from Birmingham, Alabama–based point-of-care technology company IllumiCare says that having more providers involved in an individual’s treatment can significantly increase hospital length of stay.
Q&A: What You Need to Know About CMS’ Antimicrobial Stewardship Rule
CMS released revised Conditions of Participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals that require the development and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs to help reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. The rule, first proposed by CMS in 2016, also finalized requirements for nursing facilities to have a stewardship program.
Good Steps to Safety: Guidelines for Communication and Health Literacy
Partnership between professionals and patients to maintain communication and health literacy can improve healthcare safety. However, involving and committing patients to their health requires professionals to possess broad skills.
Safety Is a Top Priority for Hospitals, Yet Many Report Safety Gaps
The survey, conducted from July to August 2019, found that improving patient safety is among hospital leaders’ top three priorities over the next two years. Yet the survey also found that only 20% of hospital executives said their organization is a “safety innovator,” meaning it has the resources committed to provide state-of-the-art patient safety management.
Going Lean Can Reduce Risk, Improve Care
Johns Hopkins researchers found that most errors stem from systemic problems such as poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks, the absence or underuse of safety nets, and other protocols. Healthcare organizations have begun to give such risks the attention they deserve—and some are using Lean principles to do so.
Becoming a High-Reliability Organization Through Shared Learning of Safety Events
Successful focus on and prevention of relapse requires leaders at all levels to constantly employ mindfulness through a concern over failure as a core strategy in maintaining reliability. Organizations commit to resilience through embracing human-factor failures and rapidly learning from them when they occur.