Move to Refine Quality Measures Gaining Momentum
By Tinker Ready, HealthLeaders Complaints about quality measures are as abundant as the measures themselves. But some doctors are doing something about it. They’re working to identify metrics that are “realistic and actually will have an impact on patient care.” Call it pushback, validation, or measurement science. The revolt against the volume and usefulness of outcomes … Continued
Improvement Interventions and the IOM Aims for Quality: STEEP-7
By Shea Polancich, PhD, RN; Terri Poe, DNP, RN; and Rebecca Miltner, PhD, RN
Healthcare organizations should be continuously looking for ways to improve the quality and safety of the care they provide. The current healthcare environment, however, is complex and constantly changing, making the quest for continuous improvement a challenge. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Crossing the Quality Chasm highlighted the gap that existed between the current and ideal state of the healthcare industry regarding the quality of patient care. This seminal work illuminated the need to provide care to patients with defined aims—namely, that patient care should be all of the following: safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient centered. A call to action ensued for providers in the industry to develop strategies for closing the quality chasm in care delivery in accordance with the IOM aims. Now, 15 years later, there are still opportunities to improve the quality and safety of the healthcare delivery system.
Simulation Techniques for Teaching Time-Outs: A Controlled Trial
Incorrect surgery and invasive procedures sometimes occur on the wrong patient, wrong side, or wrong site; are performed at the wrong level; use the wrong implant; or in some way represent a wrong procedure on the correct patient. Although rare, with a reported incidence of 1 in 112,994 cases, incorrect invasive procedures have potentially disastrous consequences for patients, staff, and healthcare organizations (Dillon, 2008). Patients suffer preventable harm, staff may be censured and emotionally traumatized, and healthcare organizations experience a loss of public reputation and trust.
Health IT & Quality: Precision Requires FHIR
By Barry P. Chaiken, MD, MPH On January 20, 2016, President Barack Obama celebrated the one-year anniversary of his announcement of the Precision Medicine Initiative. The initiative, first announced in the president’s 2015 State of the Union address, initially included $215 million in research funding (“Precision Medicine Initiative,” n.d.). Most medical treatments are designed to … Continued
Education: Interdisciplinary Skills Labs for Quality Improvement
By Ariadne K. DeSimone
In spring 2014, one day after taking the United States Medical Licensure Examination: Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, I finally had time to turn my attention to thoughts about my future and to the email messages that had accumulated over the past month. One announcement stood out: the Emory University Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School Chapter was seeking applications for its leadership team. With plans to begin the master of public health (MPH) in health policy and management program at the end of the summer, between my third and fourth years of medical school, I was searching for extracurricular opportunities that would complement my studies. In that moment, as I read the email solicitation, I took a leap of faith. I had never heard of IHI, yet within a week I had applied, interviewed, and accepted a position as director of education for Emory’s Chapter of IHI Open School. I was compelled to act so spontaneously by what I understood to be the vision, mission, and approach of IHI: to work with health systems and other organizations around the world to improve healthcare quality, safety, and value.
I-PASS and SBAR Handoff Tools Have Proven Benefits
Communication failures continue to plague patient care. Experts weigh in on why nearly one-third of malpractice claims involve a communication failure, leading to significant patient harm For nearly two decades, communication failures have been frequently attributed to harmful events in healthcare. Judging by a new report looking at malpractice claims, those problems aren’t getting any … Continued
Innovations in Nursing
Innovations in nursing run the gamut from emergence of nurseled protocols to improved communication practices to various technological advances, including telehealth and virtual simulation. “The emergence of nurse-led protocols has been critical to increasing patient safety,” says Milisa Manojlovich, PhD, RN, CCRN, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. “Nurses are being … Continued
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
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
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