The Joint Commission and HFAP Start Surveying to The 2012 Life Safety Code®
As of November 1, CMS, The Joint Commission, and HFAP will be surveying hospitals to the 2012 Life Safety Code® (LSC). The LSC was adopted by CMS in June, with some of the big changes required under the final rule including: Facilities located in buildings taller than 75 feet are required to install automatic sprinkler … Continued
Amid Technological and Cultural Barriers, Patient-Reported Outcomes Poised to Make a Splash
A quality measurement that focuses on patient symptoms and overall quality of life if poised to take on a greater role in patient safety. In some parts of the country, it already has.
Opioid Crisis Response: ERs Launch Treatment Programs
Efforts go beyond treatment to recovery and ERs are increasingly offering patients who seek help for overdoses additional resources for drug addiction and recovery therapies.
FDA Faults 12 Hospitals for Failing to Disclose Injuries, Deaths Linked to Medical Devices
Federal regulators said 12 U.S. hospitals, including well-known medical centers in Los Angeles, Boston and New York, failed to promptly report patient deaths or injuries linked to medical devices.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publicly disclosed the violations in inspection reports this week amid growing scrutiny of its ability to identify device-related dangers and protect patients from harm.
Cyberattack That Shut Down Internet Traffic Is a Wakeup Call to Hospitals
A massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack crippled New Hampshire-based Dyn, one of the major domain name system hosts that monitors and reroutes internet traffic, October 21 and raised concerns about the healthcare industry’s ability to function in the face of a widespread outage.
How Automated Calls Can Significantly Improve Patient Follow-Up Initiatives
Four years ago, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) began and officially started penalizing hospitals for excessive 30-day readmission rates. Since then hospitals have begun implementing programs aimed at reducing readmissions, especially for high-risk patient populations.
Experts Push to Include Medication Indication on Prescription Labels
Boston physicians are leading an initiative that could eliminate errors and improve patient-centered care.
GAO Asks HHS for Universally Aligned Quality Measure
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) sent a report on October 13 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging for better alignment of healthcare quality measures.
3 State Hospital Associations Form Safety Pact
Great Lakes Partners for Patients pool resources to improve patient safety and reduce HAIs and readmissions.
Patient Engagement – Iora Health’s Innovative Model Builds Deep Relationships with Patients
By Joel Lazar, MD, MPH When Mary first presented to our primary care practice, she was burdened by chronic illnesses and felt jaded by her unsuccessful attempts to manager them. She frankly acknowledged her lack of trust in conventional healthcare, and even her loss of faith in her own abilities. Weighing close to 300 pounds, … Continued