Vocera Communications, Inc. introduced Vocera Patient Connect, a new multimedia discharge solution, at the AONE 45th Annual Meeting on March 22-23 in Boston. Vocera Patient Connect provides a patient-centric approach to communication that improves patient comprehension and compliance of discharge instructions, contributing to reduced readmissions.

On March 13, Kimberly-Clark announced the launch of the QR (Quick Response) Code Patient Safety Education Program in collaboration with Safe Care Campaign to provide hospitals and healthcare facilities with free patient and caregiver education available instantly at the bedside.

A new investigation by Consumer Reports reveals that while tens of millions of American consumers live with medical devices implanted in their bodies, many of these implants have never been tested for safety and manufacturers are often required to do nothing more than file paperwork and pay a user fee before bringing their products to market.

Washington, D.C.—The National Quality Forum (NQF) and The Joint Commission announced the 2011 recipients of the annual John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The awards will be presented on April 5, 2012 during a luncheon at the 2012 NQF Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C.

By Susan Carr

I have the pleasure of serving on the review board for Stories of Success, a program co-sponsored by HIMSS, ASQ, NCQA, and NPSF, which provides examples of health IT implementations that demonstrate safety and quality improvement in patient care.

Barrington, Illinois—GE Healthcare Performance Solutions, a unit of GE Healthcare announced the launch of a 90-day evaluation for its Global Patient Safety Network (GPSN), an online community for hospitals to collaborate with peers around the world with the goal of improving patient safety.

HIMSS is pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have published their proposed rule for Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Stage 2 (Meaningful Use Stage 2); the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) also published the associated Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria.

The Electronic Health Records (EHR) Association recently released its Statement of Commitment to Patient Safety and a Learning Healthcare System in response to the Institute of Medicine’s report released last fall, Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care.

Ann Arbor, Michigan and London—Isabel Healthcare and BMJ Group recently introduced Isabel with Best Practice, a powerful diagnosis and treatment decision aid that combines the strengths of both companies’ existing systems to help clinicians diagnose and treat faster and more accurately at the point of care.