Community Circles: Transforming Care in Downeast Maine
By Holly Gartmayer-DeYoung, BSN, MBA Each morning, Eastport, Maine, is the first city in the United States to see the sunrise. Among the contiguous United States, Eastport has the deepest natural harbor (Fallows, 2014), one that buzzed with industry and prosperity during the 19th century and well into the 20th. The city’s fortunes have largely … Continued
Drug Diversion: Partially Filled Vials and Syringes in Sharps Containers Are Key Source of Problems
Partially Filled Vials and Syringes in Sharps Containers Are Key Sources of Problems By the Institute for Safe Medication Practices A 36-year-old hospital care aide (nursing assistant) who had been diverting discarded drugs died after self-administering what she likely thought might be an opioid but was actually a neuromuscular blocking agent (Fayerman, 2016a-c). The aide … Continued
Transforming the Continuum of Care With Technology
By Sally Graver Judy Murphy, RN, FACMI, FHIMSS, FAAN, has been a leader in health information technology (IT) for more than 25 years. She is currently chief nursing officer (CNO) for IBM Global Healthcare. Prior to joining IBM, Murphy served as CNO and deputy national coordinator for programs and policy at the Office of the … Continued
What Clinical Decision Support Can Offer
By Nancy Zimmerman, RN, BSN Advanced clinical decision support (CDS) systems are playing an increasingly important role in promoting quality and safety in patient care, especially in diagnostic assistance. While arriving at a correct diagnosis will always be a mixture of art and science, with physicians ultimately responsible for all clinical decisions, CDS systems support … Continued
Health IT & Quality: Why Things Matter
By Barry P. Chaiken, MD, MPH Compared to automobiles made just a few years ago, new ones provide an amazing driving experience. Expanding beyond the CD changer and iPod® dongle, automobiles now integrate our smartphones and use voice recognition technology, allowing drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. In addition to this … Continued
Using Automated Surveillance to Improve Diagnosis
By Tom Scaletta, MD, CPPS Every day, healthcare becomes more complex, and with that complexity comes a growing need to focus on reducing diagnostic errors. A recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Improving Diagnosis in Healthcare (Balogh, Miller, & Ball, 2015), estimates that 5% of adults seeking outpatient care experience a diagnostic error, while one … Continued
CDC: 30% of Outpatient Antibiotics Are Prescribed Inappropriately
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that approximately 30% of antibiotic prescriptions written in the outpatient setting were inappropriate. Researchers found that several common conditions contributed to the majority of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Forty-four percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were written to treat acute respiratory conditions, sinus infections, … Continued
80% of ER Providers Hesitant to Ask Patients About Gender Sexual Orientation
For emergency medicine clinicians who learned to defer to patients’ privacy on sexual orientation and gender identification, asking questions is a major culture change.
Delay on Texting Ban Repeal
This spring, The Joint Commission reversed its ban on texting medical orders, citing critical improvements in the technology’s security. The accreditor has now announced it will delay the repeal until it can create additional guidance on appropriate texting policies, according to an article in the July issue of Joint Commission Perspectives. The Joint Commission and … Continued
MACRA Comment Period Ends With Burst of Feedback
Reaction to CMS’s proposed rule includes from MGMA that the proposal “provides almost no opportunities for medical groups to begin the shift away from fee-for-service reimbursement.”