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.”

DiagnosisOne, an Alere subsidiary specializing in analytics and clinical decision support technology, will now be conducting business as Alere Analytics. The name change reflects a continued focus on providing the healthcare industry with a broad array of analytical and clinical decision support solutions, including real-time patient and population assessment.

First Databank (FDB), the leading provider of clinical drug knowledge that improves medication-related decisions and patient outcomes, has announced that medication dosing content is now available for customization in its alert management solution, FDB AlertSpace.