EHR Copy and Paste Best Practices Toolkit Released

Copying and pasting information in EHRs is a common practice that can save busy physicians and other staff valuable time, but it can also introduce significant errors into the record. In an effort to help physicians make the most of the copy and paste function while protecting the integrity of the record, the Partnership for … Continued

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New 2017 National Patient Safety Goal Focuses on CAUTI Prevention

The Joint Commission today announced plans for a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) aimed at reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The prepublication standards for the NPSG are online and cover standards for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. The NPSG is intended to align CAUTI treatment and prevention with the … Continued

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FDA Proposes Ban on Most Powdered Surgical Gloves

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning most powdered gloves in the U.S. While the use of these gloves is on the decline, the risks associated with them for both healthcare workers and patients, cannot be corrected through new or updated labeling, says the FDA. “This ban is about protecting patients … Continued

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AHIMA Seeks Public Support for National Patient ID

By John Commins, HealthLeaders Media Advocates for a voluntary patient safety identifier envision a process that would allow patients to create a way for medical systems to recognize them quickly and accurately, in much the same way as financial sector businesses. A leading trade group for the nation’s health information technology sector is asking patients … Continued

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Joint Commission Releases 2015 Sentinel Event Stats

Last week, The Joint Commission released its sentinel event statistics from 2015. Of the 936 sentinel events reported last year, the most common were unintended retention of a foreign body (116), wrong-site/wrong-side/wrong procedure surgery (111), falls (95), and suicides (95). The most common root causes of sentinel events last year were human factors (e.g., staff … Continued

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Alarm Management Compliance Shifts into Second Gear

In the second phase of The Joint Commission’s alarm management NPSG, hospitals aim to put policy into practice For the last two years, healthcare organizations have been working to comply with the first phase of The Joint Commission’s alarm management National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG). As of January 1, 2016, they’ll have to contend with … Continued

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AHRQ releases new tool to reduce CAUTI

Building on its Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently released a new toolkit aimed at reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in hospitals. Released in October 2015, the toolkit consists of three modules: implementation, sustainability, and resources. Hospitals can use … Continued

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FDA: Top Three Duodenoscope Makers Release Updated Instructions

On February 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that reprocessing instructions for Pentax duodenoscopes had been validated and approved by the agency.  The announcement means that scopes from the three major manufactures, Olympus, Fujifilm, and Pentax, are now safe to use with their updated instructions. Five months ago, the FDA issued safety warning … Continued

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