Perioperative Pressure Injuries: Protocols and Evidence-Based Programs for Reducing Risk
By Susan M. Scott, BSN, MSN, RN, WOC Over the past five years, the incidence of perioperative hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) has increased (Chen, Chen, & Wu, 2012), causing patients pain and suffering and costing the U.S. healthcare system $11 billion per year (Brem et al., 2010). Pressure injuries (previously referred to as pressure ulcers) … Continued
Introducing the PSQH Forum
Introducing the newest feature of the PSQH website, the PSQH Forum. The forum is for you, the patient safety professional, to voice your opinions, share tools and policies, and receive answers to industry-related questions.
Study: Culture of Safety Scores Have No Impact on Catheter Infections
Many hospitals have focused on improving the culture of safety in their institution through a patient safety culture survey provided to staff members.
Texas Institute for Patient Safety Takes Aim at Medical Students
New collaborative effort will focus on incorporating patient safety into medical school.
In May, the University of North Texas (UNT) Health and Science Center announced a new collaborative aimed at improving patient care throughout the state and reducing medical errors across the continuum of care.
ICU use for Cardiac Patients Linked to Higher Mortality Rates
Overreliance on the ICU for cardiac patients leads to worse outcomes, study finds. “We still have an open question of what to use the ICU for,” says one researcher.
Families Help Design Outpatient Center with Special Needs in Mind
When The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) designed a new outpatient building, families were included in the process at every step, from first-draft plans to the official opening of the Buerger Center in July 2015.
APIC 2015 Film Festival Winner Points the Way Through a Dirty Day
Stop and think about all the surfaces a pair of hands experiences in a day’s time. Even better, watch Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s “Stop the Spread of Infection: It’s in Our Hands.” The video, which chronicles in GoPro® style the travels of hands through a typical day, won first prize at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s (APIC) sixth annual Film Festival
Self-Service Calculators for Price Transparency
By Jay Deady Healthcare price transparency is the challenge that just won’t go away, largely because proposed solutions to date leave much to be desired by patients and providers alike. Obviously, few hospitals are enthused about making their chargemaster lists public, and even if they were available, the prices on these lists don’t reflect what … Continued
OSHA Compliance: It’s More Than Just Worker Safety
By Richard Best Organizations across all industries are required to follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations in order to support a safe and healthful workplace. For healthcare facilities, compliance efforts span everything from safeguarding environmental conditions to preventing hazardous materials exposure to ensuring ergonomically correct procedures. Although OSHA focuses on preserving worker … Continued
Aligning Corporate Culture in Newly Acquired Hospitals
By Ahmad Chaudhry, PhD, MBA Organizational culture is defined as “the way things are done” within an organization (Certo, 2006). The ways an organization conducts its business, treats its employees, allows freedom in decision-making, and manages the flow of information all help build culture. Researchers define organizational culture as the set of shared values and … Continued