American College of Surgeons Announces Goal to Enlist 1,000 Hospitals to its National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
CHICAGO (July 18, 2011) – The American College of Surgeons (ACS) today announced its goal to enlist at least 1,000 hospitals into its respected National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®). The commitment is part of the ACS Inspiring Quality initiative launched today, an effort to raise awareness of proven models of quality improvement, coordinated care and disease management that can help improve the quality and value of health care.
Salamander, Versus Team Up to Provide Complete Patient-tracking Solution
Traverse City, Michigan, August 3, 2011 — A unique joint tracking solution that gives hospitals complete situational awareness from the scene of a mass casualty incident through patient admittance and discharge could play a critical role in victim treatment and survivability in the event of a mass casualty event.
Forever Changed: Shared Learning in Patient Safety
In an effort to promote patient safety, Baptist Health South Florida (Baptist Health) has instituted the Shared Learning process, the purpose of which is to educate and communicate with all stakeholders—our clinical staff, the Quality and Patient Safety Steering Council, and board members—in a proactive way.
Editor’s Note: Training Options
Effective training is crucial for safety improvement, and there is a wide range of programs and approaches available for healthcare. I’ve had the opportunity recently to reflect on three in particular: train-the-trainer, TeamSTEPPS, and Virtual Experience Immersive Learning Simulation (VEILS®).
NPSF Awards Research Grants to Study Rapid Response Team Events and Patient Handoffs
Boston, May 9, 2011—The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) announced that it has awarded $200,000 in grants to two researchers at leading medical centers. The grants are awarded through the NPSF Research Grants Program, which promotes studies leading to the prevention of human errors, system errors, patient injuries and their consequences.
Team Training in Obstetrics: Improving Care by Learning to Work Together
Team Training in Obstetrics: Improving Care by Learning to Work Together
Communication gaps and breakdowns are a significant cause of medical errors within the healthcare system. According to data collected by the Joint Commission (2005), communication gaps are the primary root cause of two thirds of sentinel events.
ARQH: What Is Your Organization’s Patient Safety Culture?
ARQH
What Is Your Organization’s Patient Safety Culture?
Ask any frontline clinician or healthcare support staff if they can identify the components that make up a “culture of patient safety,” and you might get a vague answer in response. But ask those same health providers if they feel they can speak up to report patient safety concerns without fearing retribution, and you’re likely to get very specific responses.
Medline and ClearCount Provide Education Grant to Enhance Patient Safety
Mundelein, Illinois, March 16, 2011—The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has recently released the AORN Retained Surgical Items Confidence-Based Learning Module (CBL) based on the association’s current Recommended Practices for Prevention of Retained Surgical Items (RSIs).
PULSE: Cleveland Clinic Team Develops New Quality Index for Hospitals
PULSE: Cleveland Clinic Team Develops New Quality Index for Hospitals
In a major paper published in the journal Anesthesiology, a Cleveland Clinic-led research team announced the development of a new publicly available tool to help patients, regulators, and hospitals compare patient outcomes and quality.
Healthcare Team Training and Smart Horizons Partner to Launch a New Online Learning Course
Healthcare Team Training (HTT) and Smart Horizons have partnered to launch a new online learning course, Coaching for Success, which is approved for CEU credit through Duke University Health System Clinical Education & Professional Development. This course develops individual coaching knowledge and skills for healthcare professionals.