Cal/OSHA Issues Guidance for Hospitals on Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard
California’s Aerosol Transmissible Disease standard requires that employers protect workers at healthcare facilities and other services and operations from airborne diseases like COVID-19 and tuberculosis, influenza, and pertussis (whooping cough). There is no corresponding federal standard.
EHRs Fail to Detect Up to One-third of Medication Errors
Researchers at the University of Utah Health, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that the most commonly used EHRs in hospitals across the nation fail to detect up to 33% of potentially dangerous drug interactions and other medication errors that could harm or kill patients.
Physician Advocate: Coronavirus Pandemic Shows Need to Ease Regulatory Burdens
The pandemic has compounded the stress and burnout physicians were already experiencing from regulatory burdens, he says. “Prior to the pandemic, onerous regulations made it difficult to enjoy practicing medicine and hindered the physician-patient relationship, which 78.7% of physicians regard as the most satisfying part of their job, according to our 2018 Survey of America’s Physicians.”
Bullying is Rife Among Surgical Residents, Especially for Women
Researchers from the American College of Surgeons and Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center at Northwestern University, both in Chicago, surveyed U.S. 6,956 general surgery residents and found that 67% of respondents have experienced at least one bullying behavior during their time as a resident.
Study: About a Quarter of Hospitals Have Telestroke Capacity
As of 2019, just over 27% of hospitals had telestroke capacity, according to the study. Over a third of hospitals with telestroke capacity by 2017 were larger health systems, while nearly 15% were smaller organizations.
Telehealth Expansion During Coronavirus Pandemic Changing Physician-Patient Relationship
In March, when the pandemic took hold in the United States, telehealth visits increased 50%, according to Frost and Sullivan. With in-person medical visits associated with the risk of coronavirus infection, virtual visits emerged as a safe and effective way for patients to meet with their doctors in many circumstances.
Survey: Patients Equally Satisfied with Virtual Encounters Compared to In-Person Visits
The survey was conducted over a six-week period concluding at the end of April and includes more than 30,000 responses. During that time respondents reported nearly 70% of their encounters involved a full or mixed virtual medicine component. Mixed visits could have included a combination of video and in-person visits, telephone, email, or text.
Nursing: A Heroic Profession of Purpose, Service and Advocacy
By Rhonda Collins, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer, Vocera In light of recent events, and the toll that COVID-19 has taken on healthcare workers, we have never had more reason to honor nurses and other frontline heroes. As part of the worldwide 2020 “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” celebration, the American Nurses Association … Continued
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 3 – Arizona Surge Line
On episode 3 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Charles Larsen, RN Senior Director at Banner Health in Phoenix, and Angie Franks, president and CEO of Central Logic, about a new first-in-the-nation service designed to ensure that COVID-19 patients in Arizona receive access to the care they need.
Q&A: Antibiotic Stewardship Takes Step Backward During Pandemic
The problem has been so widespread in U.S. hospitals that regulatory agencies such as The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have begun requiring hospitals to establish tighter antimicrobial stewardship programs in an attempt to lower the number of infections.