‘Perfect Storm’ Increased Healthcare-Associated Infections During Pandemic
The recent research article, which was published by Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, examined national- and state-level standardized infection ratios (SIR) for each quarter in 2020 compared to each quarter in 2019. SIRs were determined for each HAI by dividing the number of reported infections by the number of predicted infections, calculated using 2015 national baseline data.
CMS to Require Staff at Hospitals, Other Facilities to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Look for an interim final rule in October that will require “staff within all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities” to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a press release by CMS on Thursday afternoon.
Ransomware, COVID-19, and Regulations
The growing wave of ransomware incidents that we saw toward the end of 2019 continued in 2020. Now, however, healthcare organizations are faced with a diabolical twist—in addition to the operational disruption, threat actors are now routinely stealing data and threatening to publish it online as an extra inducement for a ransom payment.
More Virus, More Fraud
In early 2020, the FBI issued a warning to individuals and entities, including health systems, to be on the lookout for robocalls making fraudulent offers to sell large amounts of PPE such as respiratory masks or other medical devices. These scams would often demand advance payments with no intent of delivery.
The Role of Digital Transformation in a Patient-Centered Experience
According to BDO’s 2021 healthcare digital transformation survey, respondents identified their top three areas of healthcare investment interest as telehealth (named by 75% of respondents, up from 42% in 2019), EHR interoperability (64%, up from 43%), and patient portals and digital messaging systems (56%, up from 50%).
Three Ways to Improve Workplace Violence Response Time
The bill, now with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, would require OSHA to develop an enforceable healthcare-specific standard around workplace violence prevention. Hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care facilities, and others would be required to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence protection plan in compliance with the standard’s requirements.
A Five-Point Plan to Address SDOH
Addressing SDOH is complicated. It cannot be solved without collaboration. The old adage “It takes a village” truly applies here. While providers often focus on putting sophisticated population health technologies in place to grasp SDOH, data is just one piece of the puzzle. Equally important is a well-defined and collaborative action plan.
Cybersecurity Is Patient Safety
Clinicians and other professionals who see patients on a daily basis aren’t necessarily thinking about cybersecurity from a patient safety standpoint. That makes password requirements, security education and training, and other requirements seem less directly connected to patient care and safety—even though they actually are integral to both.
Pandemic-Era Emergency-Use Devices Pose Hazard, Says Hospital Safety Expert
Early this year, ECRI named “complexity of managing medical devices with COVID-19 emergency use authorization” (EUA) at the top of its annual list of health technology hazards for 2021.
Offer Your Feedback on TJC EM Revisions and USP Drug Compounding Chapters
You now have a chance to weigh in on proposed revisions to emergency management standards by The Joint Commission (TJC) as well as the long-delayed revisions to the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) chapters on <795> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Nonsterile Preparations and <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations.