Using Patient Acuity to Inform Care Placement
Accurately and consistently assessing patient acuity is important not only for workload balancing, but also for placing patients in the correct level of care. In many instances, low-acuity patients receive treatment in high-acuity hospitals, even though they would be better placed in another facility. Utilization review research has shown that many acute hospital bed days do not meet the criteria for an acute level of care, and a significant portion of medical emergency admissions remain in the hospital for non-acute care.
Six Strategies to Strengthen Post-COVID Infection Prevention
Many groups are laying out strategies for better mitigating disease transmission in future pandemics, ranging from the White House’s National COVID Preparedness Plan to the Rockefeller Foundation’s Roadmap for Living With COVID. Meanwhile, Dr. Tom Talbot, chief hospital epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, encourages health systems to implement practices for securing more inclusive feedback, standardizing simple practices, and gauging success.
Teaming Up to Improve Interpersonal Communication in Healthcare
Oklahoma State University teamed up with Crucial Learning to address interpersonal communication among its medical students in three main categories: assumptions of incompetence, poor teamwork, and disrespect. The effort focused on the seven most crucial conversations in healthcare, with the goal of empowering staff to better communicate with each other.
Hand Hygiene: What to Consider When Increasing Compliance
While protecting the health and well-being of patients and staff is the top priority for healthcare facilities, it can also be a significant challenge. Even though hospitals use protective measures to reduce the transmission of germs, HAIs and COVID-19 continue to threaten facility occupants.
Cybersecurity Company Finds Vulnerabilities in Hospital Robots
Robots like the Aethon TUG are used by hospitals to do light housekeeping and ferry items from one place to another, relying on radio waves, sensors and other technology to open doors, take elevators and maneuver through hallways without hitting anything. More advanced telepresence robots are being used to connect care providers in other locations with patients in their rooms or the Emergency Department and even perform some guided surgeries.
IPPS Rule: CMS Proposes New ‘Birthing Friendly’ Designation, Along With PHE-Related CoPs
In an effort to “ensure a nimble and informed response to the next potential pandemic or epidemic, so that we are able to immediately respond to the situation at hand,” CMS is proposing revising hospital Conditions of Participation on infection prevention and control “to extend the current COVID-19 reporting requirements and to establish new reporting requirements for any future PHEs related to a specific infectious disease or pathogen.”
Using Measurement-Based Care to Turn Patient Data Into Treatment
At Ascension Illinois, care providers are using Measurement-Based Care (MBC) to improve outcomes in behavioral health treatment. The strategy is based on collecting information throughout treatment to assess outcomes, then modifying care management plans to improve treatment.
Most Healthcare Professionals Don’t Bring Up End-of-Life Planning With Patients, Survey Finds
A new survey polled Americans about crucial advance care planning topics. The survey, which was commissioned by hospice provider VITAS Healthcare, polled 1,000 Americans in March 2022. The polling sample reflects the U.S. population based on gender, age, race and ethnicity, region, and education.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 51 – How to Protect Against Third-Party Security Breaches
On episode 51 of PSQH: The Podcast, Richard Bird, chief product officer at SecZetta, talks about the risks of security breaches from third-party care providers.
COVID-19 PHE is Renewed Through July 15
CMS continues to gradually end some emergency blanket waivers allowed under the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for some providers, but for now the 1135 waivers remain intact for acute care and critical access hospitals. The current 90-day PHE declaration was renewed and posted online Wednesday, and is effective through July 15.