Improving Antimicrobial Stewardship: AAAHC Publishes New Toolkit
The toolkit offers a core elements checklist for assessing policies and procedures, treatment recommendations in primary care taken from the CDC, and a flow chart that maps out considerations for surgical procedures. It also provides recent information on potential threats to antimicrobial stewardship due to COVID-19.
Advance Care Planning: A Quality and Patient Safety Must
A year living through a pandemic has made this issue even more abundant—older patients, and those with chronic conditions, have been among those most at risk for severe, life-threatening conditions, including those attached to COVID-19. And what happens when one of these patients is placed on a ventilator, unable to voice their wants in terms of treatment? To avoid these scenarios, the industry needs to ensure providers, caregivers, patients, and families are engaged in advance care planning discussions.
Temperature Monitoring Technology for COVID-19 Vaccines
With the death toll from COVID-19 reaching staggering numbers, vaccines still in limited supply, and a focus on vaccine distribution across the globe, healthcare systems and others involved in administering vaccines are doing everything they can to protect their quotas, both to support the health of their communities and to avoid the negative publicity of an unnecessary loss. All of these factors point to the importance of effective, efficient temperature monitoring—so it is no wonder the CDC requires every vaccine storage unit to be equipped with a temperature monitoring device.
Crossing the Digital Divide for SDOH
Data exists that can help patients achieve better healthcare, but the industry itself must ensure that this data is available, accessible, and understood. Organizations and providers often have access to some of the data in question; the key, though, is connecting healthcare stakeholders and patients to complete information that enables informed decisions, which the industry has not yet perfected.
Coronavirus: Lessons Learned From Flu Vaccination Trends
The new report, which was published by Urban Institute researchers with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, examines historical trends for flu vaccination that indicate ways to address racial, ethnic, and economic inequities in the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. The report is based on data from the 2016 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey.
Patient Safety Awareness Week Resources From PSQH
Patient Safety Awareness Week is coming to a close, but the focus on patient safety and healthcare quality will continue on as always. Thanks to all the dedicated professionals who work in healthcare organizations to provide top-notch care during these trying times. Thanks to our partners this week for their support: Vocera; GOJO, the makers of Purell; symplr; Riskonnect; and Jefferson College of Population Health.
Outlook for Home-Based Primary Care Positive
HCCI is one of the country’s leading advocacy and education organizations for home-based primary care. Julie Sacks, MSW, was recently promoted from chief operating officer of HCCI to president and chief operating officer. Sacks joined HCCI in 2015 as vice president of operations and advancement.Previously, she was senior director of programs and services as well as director of the National Young Onset Center for the American Parkinson Disease Association.
PSQH Quick Poll: A Look at Patient Safety Efforts During the Pandemic
As part of PSQH’s celebration of Patient Safety Awareness Week, we decided to reach out to our readers with a few questions to find out the state of patient safety efforts in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandemic Telehealth Growth Mostly in Urban, Upscale Areas
The study — published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine — looked at more than 6 million employer-based private insurance claims in 2019 and 2020, representing 200 employers across all 50 states. It found that most of the telehealth claims were for more affluent beneficiaries who lived in metropolitan areas.
Barriers to Incident Reporting in Healthcare
By symplr To understand and improve any system, we must look at its successes and failures. When it’s life and death, healing or inadvertently injuring patients, the stakes could not be higher. Our healthcare providers and staff undertake complex work under pressure of time constraints, and in environments where priorities shift. These individuals must adhere … Continued