National Patient Safety Foundation To Provide Oversight of Research Study on Pneumonia in Hospitalized Patients
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), a central voice for patient safety since 1997, will provide oversight for a research study that is seeking a better understanding of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP).
NPSF Names Don Berwick and Kaveh Shojania as Co-Chairs of Expert Panel on Patient Safety
The healthcare field has made significant effort to accelerate patient safety since publication of To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, the Institute of Medicine’s groundbreaking 1999 report on medical errors.
HHS Proposes Path to Improve Health Technology and Transform Care
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released Connecting Health and Care for the Nation: A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap Version 1.0. The draft Roadmap is a proposal to deliver better care and result in healthier people through the safe and secure exchange and use of electronic health information.
Clinical Engineering and IT Excellence Recognized by ACCE-HIMSS
Erin M. Sparnon has been named the recipient of the 2014 ACCE-HIMSS Excellence in Clinical Engineering and Information Technology Synergies Award, a joint award sponsored by the American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE) and HIMSS. The boards of directors of both organizations selected the recipient.
Vocera Addresses Population Health with Enhanced Care Coordination Solution
Vocera Communications, Inc., a provider of intelligent, real-time communication and collaboration solutions for mission-critical mobile environments, will provide a cloud-based secure text messaging solution as a benefit to all of its U.S. healthcare customers, at no additional cost, for use by any of their affiliated healthcare providers.
New Patient Safety Center at VA Pittsburgh Evaluates Medical Products for National Use
The Department of Veterans Affairs has established the new Center for Medical Product End-user Testing at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. This center, based at the healthcare system’s University Drive campus, is responsible for evaluating medical products before they are purchased and used to treat Veterans at VA medical facilities across the country.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Awards IHI $4.8 Million to Improve Health
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded a $4.8 million grant to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to help communities develop capability to improve health and to spread effective community-driven approaches to help build a Culture of Health.
The Effect of Medical Technology on a Concept of Home
Homecare—the provision of personal, often sophisticated, medical care in the home—has been promoted as an attractive alternative to a lengthy hospitalization for patients. Homecare is further advanced as providing patients greater independence and more control over their care and as financially preferable to in-patient hospitalization.
ACO Care Transitions: Coaching, Management, and Coordination
At any level of track and field, even the Olympics, the most dangerous moment in a relay race is when one runner hands the baton to the next. Even if the team includes the four fastest humans on earth, if there is a problem transitioning the baton (as happens surprisingly often among top-level athletes), there is little chance of victory.
Peripheral IVs: Fewer and Better
Our hospitals are busy, high-tech places for healing. Every member of the healthcare team is involved in a critical mission to provide the best possible patient care or support service to help achieve that goal. The healthcare industry is also increasingly regulated and transparent.