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.
Patient Apps Help Families Communicate With Caregivers
The pandemic has made communication between care teams and families particularly challenging, leading hospitals to seek new ways to reach out to loved ones who often can’t be by a patient’s side—or even in the waiting room—during a surgery. Having a means to communicate securely beyond the hospital walls, whether the receiving family member is waiting in their car outside the facility or at home across the country, is essential for reducing anxiety, increasing understanding, and creating a better healthcare experience.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 18 – Using Lean Management to Improve IV Therapy
On episode 18 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Lee Steere of Hartford Hospital about how the hospital transformed its infusion therapy practices.
ECRI Provides Lessons Learned on COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
The vaccines are extremely sensitive to temperature. In addition, they will come in multi-dose vials that must be diluted and then slowly mixed by inverting the bottle back and forth, according to manufacturer’s instructions.