How to Build a Comprehensive Social Determinants of Health Initiative
SDOH factors such as food security and housing play a pivotal role in the health of individuals and populations. A landmark 2016 study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, and the physical environment account for determining more than 80% of health outcomes, with clinical care accounting for only 16% of health outcomes.
CMS Offers Strategies for Mitigating Behavioral Health Challenges During a Pandemic
The Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSO) memo QSO-21-07-Psych Hospital, PRTF & ICF/IID, “COVID-19 Infection Control for Psychiatric and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs/IID),” was sent to CMS regional offices and state agencies on December 17, 2020.
3 Strategies for Combating Nurse Burnout During and After the Pandemic
Before the pandemic, departments were already struggling with staff shortages. In fact, according to an article published in 2018 in the American Journal of Medical Quality, the country is forecast to have a shortage of more than half a million registered nurses by 2030. Now, as the pandemic stretches on, a growing number of nurses are being exposed to the virus, requiring time away from work to quarantine.
ASTM Developing Nonregulatory Standard for Face Masks
The ASTM standard, which would create minimum design, performance, and labeling and care requirements for face coverings, is being developed by the subcommittee on respiratory protection at ASTM. ASTM is targeting a February 2021 approval for the standard, Daniel Smith, vice president of technical committee operations said in an e-mail.
Learning From Influenza Vaccine Errors to Prepare for COVID-19 Vaccination Campaigns
It is evident that many underlying causes of flu vaccine–related errors could just as easily lead to errors associated with the new COVID-19 vaccines and the hundreds of millions of doses that will be given. It will be crucial for any healthcare provider who plans to stock and/or administer COVID-19 vaccines to learn from these prior vaccine-related errors, anticipate that similar errors could happen with the COVID-19 vaccines, and take the necessary steps to prepare their facilities and healthcare teams to mitigate the risk of vaccine-related errors.
POLST Effective in the Nursing Facility Setting, Study Finds
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms are available across the country. Compared to living wills and durable power of attorney documents, POLST forms have been associated with significantly higher decreased odds of resuscitation attempts in the field and increased odds of out-of-hospital death for patients with “comfort measures only” directives.
Medical Mayhem Room: Enhancing Situational Awareness of Patient Safety Risks in the Hospital Setting
To increase situational awareness of safety hazards in the hospital setting, quality improvement staff at Strong Memorial Hospital, the flagship hospital of a large academic medical center, implemented an experiential learning activity, the Medical Mayhem Room, during National Patient Safety Week in March 2019. This workplace-based activity was designed as a voluntary educational opportunity for nurses, resident and attending physicians, pharmacists, and other clinical support staff.
DNV GL: CMS Allows Some Remote Reaccreditation Surveys
DNV is also required to do another full reaccreditation survey onsite within nine months of the end of the PHE, said the announcement. Expect The Joint Commission and HFAP to follow suit as they work out details with CMS. However, the CEO for the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality said his AO was unlikely to change its current survey process.
AAAHC Issues COVID-19 Risk Prevention Guidelines
Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has released recommendations to help organizations safely navigate the evolving stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on steps to identify, isolate, and inform.
How Patient Matching Can Help Eliminate COVID-19 Disparities in Care
During the first months of the pandemic, these breakdowns in data capture prevented officials from directing lifesaving resources to populations most at need during a public health crisis, such as people who lack stable housing, certain racial and ethnic groups, and those who live in high-risk ZIP codes.