New Research from Johns Hopkins – The Case of the Missing Consent Form
The operating room is one place in a hospital where things are expected to run like clockwork – it is imperative that surgical procedures start on time. When delays occur, the impact can be significant: staff and equipment are underutilized, surgeons become frustrated, patients grow (more) anxious and optimum outcomes may be placed at risk, particularly if the prior administration of medications or antibiotics had been timed to the projected start of a procedure. It is thus alarming that a recent study in JAMA Surgery found that 10 percent of surgical procedures were delayed due to a missing piece of paper – the consent form.
Missouri Health Connection Rolls-Out Statewide Health Information Network
Missouri Health Connection (MHC) has announced the grand opening of its health information network, paving the way for a new era of collaboration among healthcare providers to improve care quality, boost patient satisfaction, and reduce healthcare costs for all Missourians. The state’s physicians and patients now have one connection for a healthier Missouri, instead of having to navigate a complex maze of information sources to improve the health of patients.
John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award Nominations Due Sept. 30
The John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards are given each year by the National Quality Forum (NQF) and The Joint Commission to recognize achievement in patient safety and quality improvement and to honor the memory of John Eisenberg, MD.
Schreiner MediPharm’s Needle-Trap Named “Product of the Year”
Needle-Trap – a labeling solution featuring a safety mechanism integrated as a component of the self-adhesive syringe label – was recognized by the Scottish Business Awards as “Product of the Year” at an event featuring former President Bill Clinton as keynote speaker.
First Databank Acquires Medication Reconciliation Solution Leader Design Clinicals
First Databank (FDB), the leading provider of clinical drug knowledge that helps improve medication-related decisions and patient outcomes, has announced that an affiliate of FDB has acquired Design Clinicals, Inc., a healthcare information technology company dedicated to providing clinician-friendly solutions for improving medication reconciliation and the delivery of patient care. Design Clinicals, based in Seattle, Washington, began operations in 2005, is led by founder and CEO Dewey Howell, MD, PhD, a practicing family physician turned healthcare information technology software developer.
Prevention of Needlestick Injuries Can Save U.S Healthcare System More than $1 Billion a Year
Needlestick and sharps injuries affect more than half a million healthcare personnel every year, creating over $1 billion in preventable healthcare costs every year and an immeasurable emotional toll on millions of healthcare personnel, according to a Safe in Common review of U.S. healthcare industry statistics.
NPSF Awards Research Grant for Project Investigating Environmental Factors Involved in Patient Falls
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has awarded a $100,000 grant for an innovative patient safety research project that will examine the mechanisms underlying patient falls in the hospital and formulate recommendations for improved facility design.
ABQAURP News
Using Six Sigma to Improve Patient Safety in the Perioperative Process
Using Six Sigma to Improve Patient Safety in the Perioperative Process
In this project, the Six Sigma methodology was utilized to improve patient safety and compliance to the Time Out protocol and certain Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) measures. The project took place in the perioperative service at Huntington Hospital, in Huntington, New York. Six Sigma is an improvement science that utilizes a structured approach known as DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) and a series of improvement tools in order to identify sources of variation and to develop improvement strategies that would lead to the reduction of opportunities for defects and variation in a process or system.
National Coordinator Mostashari Announces Resignation
Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, announced on August 8 that he will step down from his position as national coordinator for health information technology in the fall. Mostashari first joined the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) as deputy for programs and policy in 2009 and succeeded David Blumenthal, MD, as national coordinator in April 2011. Although the previous national coordinators have also served approximately two years in the position, Mostashari’s announcement caught the health IT community by surprise and prompted many accolades for his national leadership for health IT and its role in patient safety and quality improvement.