Royal Philips Electronics has launched its Healthcare Transformation Services Business, which in collaboration with healthcare service providers, will offer consulting services to improve the operational and financial performance of hospitals and health systems, and improve patient outcomes  across the continuum of care from diagnosis to treatment and after care at home.

Members of a new workgroup that will focus on identifying key considerations to improve patient safety and promote innovation in health information technology (Health IT), including mobile medical applications, have been selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The workgroup will report to the Health IT Policy Commitee which advises the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

PDC-St. John announced the extension of its Securline^® Hybrid Style Bar Code Blood Band. The blood recipient ID wristband system provides automated patient identification for blood transfusion, specimen collection, and tracking to improve patient safety and workflow efficiencies in hospitals and blood banks. With the addition of six new Blood Band product lines, PDC-St. John now offers the widest selection of blood bank ID solutions in the healthcare marketplace.

By Susan Carr

The latest issue of Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare (PSQH) reflects the diversity of efforts needed for safety improvement. From medical simulation to mentoring programs, IV medication safety, fall prevention, human factors engineering, and engaging patients and families as true partners, the issue offers practical advice for improving care delivery.

Lahey Health recently announced a major investment in a new state-of-the-art electronic health record (EHR) software that will improve access to patient information and achieve greater care coordination throughout the Lahey Health system.

Building on its ongoing effort to improve clinical quality and patient safety, Midland (Texas) Memorial Hospital has fully deployed ICNet’s automated surveillance software, which monitors an array of clinical data streams to alert hospital staff of potential infections and stop the spread of disease.

By Susan Carr

One of the “buzziest” announcements last week at HIMSS, the annual health IT conference and exhibition, was the launch of the CommonWell Alliance. CommonWell is a non-profit organization created by five major vendors of electronic medical records (EMRs) to develop, promote, and certify a “national infrastructure with common platforms and policies for health data liquidity.”