Safety First: Five Steps to Better Life Safety and Emergency Preparedness

In a series of unannounced compliance audits, the Office of Inspector General found that among 20 surveyed nursing homes, all had severe deficiencies. These included 205 issues related to life safety and 219 issues related to emergency preparedness. In an August 2019 report, the department cited inadequate management and lack of standardized training as the main causes for noncompliance.

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Using AI for Early Diagnosis of Mesothelioma and Other Cancers

The internet of medical things does not supersede doctors’ diagnoses or treatment plans, but it can assist healthcare professionals in confronting stalls or difficulties. All patients can benefit from technology that will lead to more informed decisions; however, cancer patients may benefit the most due to the importance of early intervention and personalized treatment.

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CMS Urges Providers to Prep for 2019-nCoV

In QSO 20-09-ALL, CMS noted that healthcare organizations have been told to consider emerging infectious diseases as part of the all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness all healthcare providers have been required to follow since 2016. The memo also notes that the CDC continues to issue information on the 2019-nCoV that began in China at the end of last year and has infected thousands, including more than 600 people who have died.

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Network Seeks to Reduce Drug Diversion, Increase Reporting Rate

So far, the network has tracked drug diversion at 90 hospitals, 28 nursing homes, and dozens of other types of healthcare facilities, including ambulatory surgical centers, assisted living centers, clinics, compounding pharmacies, medical laboratories, mental health facilities, pain clinics, rehabilitation homes, retail pharmacies, and schools.

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Quality Measures and Improvement in Addiction Treatment

Historically, alcohol or drug use has been used as the primary measure of outcome in clinical trials, but how it has been measured has varied. Alcohol and drug use have been measured in varying ways: for example, as a percentage reduction in use over varying periods of time, number of days of abstinence over varying periods of time, or percentage of days abstinent over varying periods of time.

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