Target Long-Term Emergency Room Frequent Users to Curb Visits and Cut Costs
The recent research article, which was published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, identified four subgroups of ED frequent users: short-term, heart-related, long-term, and minor care. Frequent ED users were defined as making at least four emergency room visits in a year-long period.
Medicaid Expansion Linked to Fewer Opioid Deaths
Researchers NYU Grossman School of Medicine and University of California, Davis, analyzed cause-of-death data from the National Vital Statistics System from 3,109 counties nationwide between 2001 and 2017.
Study: Antibiotics Use to Blame for C. diff Infections
The study, published September 16, 2019 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, found that higher hospitalwide use of four classes of antibiotics thought to increase the risk of the dangerous intestinal illness C. diff was associated with greater prevalence of hospital-associated C. diff.
M&A Deals Do Not Improve Care Quality at Acquired Hospitals
Hospitals have been involved in a wave of M&A transactions over the past two decades, with studies documenting a surge of deals since 2010. While several other studies have shown that hospital service pricing increases after M&A transactions, there has been relatively little research on the care-quality impact of the deals.
Hospitals Might Get Penalized by CMS for Serving Disadvantaged Patients
Researchers found that in an analysis of more than 3,600 hospitals across the country, those that provide care in neighborhoods with higher social risks achieved lower quality scores from CMS.
Battling alarm fatigue for improved patient care and safety
By: Jordan Rosenfeld Medical alarms are meant to alert medical staff when a patient’s condition requires immediate attention. Unfortunately, there are so many false alarms — they’re false as much as 72% to 99% percent of the time — that they lead to alarm fatigue in nurses and other healthcare professionals. One study found that … Continued
Joint Commission Seeks to Reduce Maternal Deaths
The Joint Commission says that about 700 women die annually from these complications, stemming mostly from obstetric hemorrhage (excessive blood loss while giving birth). The accreditor notes that rates of maternal hemorrhage are increasing in developed countries, including the United States, leading to the need for increased attention to the problem.
Joint Commission Portal Addresses Nurse Burnout
According to The Joint Commission, of the 2,000 healthcare providers surveyed, more than 15% of all nurses reported feelings of burnout, with ER nurses at a higher risk. A second survey in 2019 found that burnout is among the leading patient safety and quality concerns in healthcare organizations.
Report: Follow Protocols to Help Fight Opioid Addictions
Healthcare providers in U.S. hospitals bear the brunt of the epidemic as they deal with the medical consequences of opioid addiction. From 1999 to 2017, Coverys says, more than 700,000 people died as a result of the opioid epidemic and the number of opioid-related overdoses grew sixfold.
Study: More Docs Involved in Patient Care Means Longer Hospital Stays
A new report from Birmingham, Alabama–based point-of-care technology company IllumiCare says that having more providers involved in an individual’s treatment can significantly increase hospital length of stay.