IHI Rolls Out New National Action Plan for Patient Safety
The plan is designed to provide health systems with advice and directions based on evidence-based practices, case studies, interventions, and new innovations. The report, Safer Together: A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety, was put together with the input of 27 federal agencies, safety organizations and experts, and patient and family advocates.
Survey: Emergency Preparedness Training Needed for Nurses
In a survey of nearly 200 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, respondents scored highest when asked about triage and basic first aid competence—43% provided a positive response, meaning they were familiar or very familiar with the topic.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 11 – EHRs and Clinician Burnout
On episode 11 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Dr. Jay Anders, Chief Medical Officer of Medicomp Systems, about electronic health records and clinician burnout.
NQF Report Offers Guidance on Reporting Measurement Systems
Using feedback from patients, patient advocates, purchasers, public and private payers, clinicians, provider groups, measure developers and implementers, statisticians, and health services researchers, the group looked at how standard measures used in healthcare assessment can be combined in a system to improve health outcomes and drive high-value care.
Hospitals, Nursing Homes Fail to Separate COVID Patients, Putting Others at Risk
The concerns raised in Oakland also have swept across the U.S., according to interviews, a review of government workplace safety complaints and health facility inspection reports. A KHN investigation found that dozens of nursing homes and hospitals ignored official guidelines to separate COVID patients from those without the coronavirus, in some places fueling its spread and leaving staff unprepared and infected or, in some cases, dead.
During the Pandemic, Aspire to Identify and Prevent Medication Errors and to Avoid Blaming Attitudes
Occasionally, a “resource” nurse is available to assist in the ICU. However, too often, the resource nurse is tasked with auditing activities to ensure proper nursing documentation rather than assisting with clinical patient care. Subsequently, nurses have been reprimanded for documentation failures and urged to document care they were unable to provide.
Promote Flu Vaccination to Help Avoid ‘Twindemic’
There is widespread concern among healthcare professionals that the United States could be facing two infectious disease emergencies this flu season. For example, the California Immunization Coalition and the California Chronic Care Coalition are urging Americans to get flu vaccination to avoid a deadly “twindemic” this fall and winter.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement Contributes to Top Report Card
As a testament to Kettering Health Network’s performance, all of its eligible hospitals have earned A’s from The Leapfrog Group in its rating of how well healthcare facilities protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries, and infections.
DNV-GL Now Second Deeming Authority for Psych Hospitals
The approval provides another option for the nation’s more than 600 psychiatric hospitals, said Patrick Horine, president of DNV-GL, the only for-profit AO of the four authorized to accredit acute care hospitals overall. Unlike the others, DNV-GL surveys hospitals at least once every three years, as required by CMS, but then also visits hospitals in each off year to ensure they are maintaining patient safety.
Avoid Punitive Approach to Your Safety Event Reporting
The co-authors of the recent research article, which was published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, conclude that safety event reporting regimes that focus on punishing individuals are self-defeating.