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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Hopkins: ‘Cascading Accountability’ Boosts Ambulatory Quality, Safety

By Alexandra Wilson Pecci, HealthLeaders Media Johns Hopkins Medicine coordinates high-quality care across ambulatory care centers, using a model it says has resulted in improved metrics associated with breast cancer screenings, immunizations, and diabetes management. Johns Hopkins Medicine’s commitment to quality care is evidenced by a governance, oversight, and accountability model that is cascading throughout … Continued

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Failure Recovery Tool Offers Guidance Amid the ‘Chaos and Shock’ of Medical Errors

  This article appears in the March issue of Patient Safety Monitor. Hospitals need to have a structure in place to respond to patient safety failures Healthcare can be a stressful industry to work in, particularly when something goes wrong. Instead of relying on humans to react under pressure, one organization is offering a structured … Continued

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Patient Safety Awareness Week is Underway

    Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 13-19) presented by the National Patient Safety Foundation’s (NPSF) United for Patient Safety Campaign is underway. Healthcare facilities and leading patient safety organizations across the country are expected to participate in patient safety week. The United for Patient Safety Campaign, announced by the NPSF last month, encourages dialogue … Continued

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Patient Testimonials Lead to HIPAA Breach

Complete P.T., Pool & Land Physical Therapy, Inc. (CPT), a California-based physical therapy practice, agreed to a corrective action plan and a $25,000 resolution amount to settle allegations that it disclosed protected health information (PHI) as part of a video testimonial campaign, HHS says. The settlement is the result of a complaint lodged with Office … Continued

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Medical Device Vulnerabilities High on CIO’s List of Worries

By Scott Mace, HealthLeaders Media This article originally appeared in HealthLeaders Media. As HIMSS gets underway, the healthcare IT world is still shaking from last month’s audacious privacy breach at a California hospital. Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital paid a $17,000 ransom to a criminal enterprise that broke into the hospital’s system, encrypted data, and demanded an … Continued

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Viewpoint: Let’s Fix One Real Problem with Patient Safety

By Annie Callanan and Frank Mazza, MD

Measurement has proven foundational to advancing individual and collective performance in every business endeavor, vocational pursuit, professional sport, and recreational hobby. People do not always appreciate being measured, and some fear the implication more than others. But every successful advancement over the past century has been aided, and ultimately affirmed, by metrics that authenticate comparative achievement.

Measurements serve as foundational pillars underlying performance in every facet of our lives. They form the basis of compensation structures, bragging rights, passions, and failures. Measurements define individuals for whom they are and how they evolve and progress. A systematic approach to measurement has even permeated 21st-century philanthropy, thanks in no small part to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which counts deep inroads toward the ultimate elimination of malaria as a victory of actionable assessment (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2010; What we do, n.d.).

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Patient Safety Experts Highlight Key Concerns for 2016

For many healthcare facilities, a new year means new goals. As we say goodbye to 2015, patient safety experts from around the country share their focus areas for the coming year. Improving EHR systems After spending the last several years implementing, launching, and optimizing a system-wide electronic medical record (EMR) system, Henry Ford Health System … Continued

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Patient Safety News Roundup

CMS penalizes 758 hospitals for patient safety infractions The CMS has fined 758 hospitals across the country for high rates of patient safety incidents including infections, sepsis, and hip fractures. More than half of the hospitals that were fined in 2015 also received fines the previous year, according to Kaiser Health News. Hospitals will pay … Continued

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