Asymptomatic Carriers of C. Diff May Be Significant Source of Infection at Hospitals
Hospitals have focused on reducing transmission of C. diff from symptomatic patients. However, the new study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found asymptomatic carriers of C. diff spores are at significant risk of progression to symptomatic C. diff infection.
Berwick Outlines 7-Step Campaign for the Quality Movement
Berwick urged healthcare providers to embrace his unabashedly progressive agenda that looks beyond their own immediate needs and margin pressures, and actively confronts the root causes of the vast social and moral issues that ultimately affect the health of humanity, such as a lack of access to food, shelter, healthcare, and hope.
IHI Looks to Expand ‘Age-Friendly’ Health Systems
The initiative, Age-Friendly Health Systems, uses evidence-based framework called the 4Ms: what matters to older adults; medication that is age friendly; attending to mentation, including delirium, depression, and dementia; and mobility, so seniors can maintain function.
Medical Malpractice Rate Dropped Over 10-Year Period
When looking at the number of defendants per 100 physicians, the steepest decline was in OB-GYN claims with a 44% drop over 10 years. The drop is possibly attributable to focused safety efforts in labor & delivery over the last 15 years, but more research is needed.
Hospital Splits This Payroll Expense 50/50 With Local Payer to Curb ER Overuse
Rather than shouldering the full cost of employing a full-time ED social worker, the hospital partnered with local insurer South Country Health Alliance. They struck a deal and signed a contract agreeing to split the personnel expense 50/50, beginning in 2012.
Hospitals Need to Brace for Upward Trend in Malpractice Claims
Over the past two decades, the medical professional liability insurance marketplace has been hardening in response to higher paid claims. The evolving market is putting upward pressure on premiums and downward pressure on insurance industry capacity.
Enterprise Analytics: Data, Insight, Process Change, Repeat
Donabedian’s model evolved over the past five decades as greater sources of data became available through the deployment of transactional systems such as electronic medical records (EMR). In addition, advances in computing power and data storage now allow analysis of these data-rich repositories by workers not necessarily trained in traditional IT.
Virtual Reality Could Improve Surgical Safety
Imagine a world where surgeons and their teams could practice a surgical procedure using VR software. It’s apparently here, and Osso claims to train approximately 1,000 surgeons a month using not much more than a headset that looks like a pair of goggles and two handheld controllers.
The Relationship Between Supply Chain and the Frontline Clinician
The intent of this paper is to begin filling the void in the literature as to the importance of the clinician and supply chain relationship and its impact on achievement of the Quadruple Aim, and to make recommendations for alignment between frontline clinicians and the supply chain. This paper will also contend that an “invisible” healthcare supply chain represents a high-functioning, efficient supply chain as clinician needs are being met, resulting in quality care administration among other areas of impact.
Published Review of Independent Double Checks Shouldn’t Dissuade Providers From Using Them Judiciously
ISMP respectfully concludes that little evidence was provided that should cause healthcare providers to abandon the use of judicious and well-placed independent double checks for selected high-alert medications. Instead, ISMP continues to believe that the selective and proper use of manual independent double checks plays an important role in medication safety.