Digging Into the Patient Safety Risks From Hospital Mergers
The study’s authors found that after system expansions, healthcare institutions may experience significant changes in patient populations, including increases in general volume and in patients with demographic characteristics or conditions that a given facility might not have previously served.
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.
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.
Musings on Patient Safety, Processes, and HIT
While working on a consulting project in Chile, I connected with representatives from the Universidad Andres Bello who requested an interview to discuss my perspectives on patient safety and the role of processes and technology in delivering safe care.
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%.
Update: Identifying Human Trafficking Patients Alert
Trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, and America is one of the largest markets for victims. The Health and Human Services Department estimates that 88% of trafficking victims visit a healthcare provider at least once during their captivity and aren’t recognized as victims.
Digital Microscopy: Making Diagnostics More Accessible
By Dr. Eric Mbuthia Kanyi and Lydia Mwangasha Introduction Nairobi’s informal settlements are characterized by marked overpopulation with poor water and waste management, resulting in a high incidence and prevalence of water- and sanitation-related diseases (Kandrava et al., 2007; Eisenstein, 2016). Nearly 30% of patients presenting at Access Afya facilities are treated for gastrointestinal infections, … Continued
Q&A: Joint Commission Focuses on Dialysis
Jennifer Cowel, RN, MHSA, is president of Patton Healthcare Consulting in Naperville, Illinois, and Kathleen Good, MSN, RN, is an associate of the company. They are both Joint Commission alumni and spoke with PSMJ about maintaining a safe dialysis program.
Eight Steps to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Harassment by Non-Employees
Non-employee sexual harassment, also called third-party sexual harassment, is common, says attorney Sarah Carlins with Houston Harbaugh in Pittsburgh. The employer can be liable for acts of a non-employee if the employer knew about the conduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.
Step Up Your Game: Staying Compliant With Joint Commission Hand Hygiene Requirements
This new focus on compliance will deliver increased patient safety, enhanced quality of care, and improved economic outcomes. And all of these fit right in with the drive for healthcare organizations to achieve high reliability.