ThedaCare Selects Phytel to Strengthen Its Patient Engagement Process

ThedaCare Physicians, the clinic division of the ThedaCare healthcare system, has agreed to use Phytel to help the organization manage population health and secure National Committee for Quality Assurance recognition of its patient-centered medical homes. NCQA provides automatic credit to providers who deploy Phytel to meet certain elements of the medical home requirements.

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Editor’s Notebook: Are We There Yet?

When I hear the question, “How much improvement, if any, have we made to the safety and quality of healthcare?” I’m reminded of hearing a chorus of “Are we there yet?” from restless youngsters riding in the back seat. It’s an important question and not as easy to answer in healthcare than in the context of a family outing.

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News: Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America

News

Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America

America’s healthcare system has become too complex and costly to continue business as usual, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Inefficiencies, an overwhelming amount of data, and other economic and quality barriers hinder progress in improving health and threaten the nation’s economic stability and global competitiveness, the report says.

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News: AHRQ Patient Safety Project Reduces Bloodstream Infections by 40 Percent

News

AHRQ Patient Safety Project Reduces Bloodstream Infections by 40 Percent

A unique nationwide patient safety project funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reduced the rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in intensive care units by 40 percent, according to the agency’s preliminary findings of the largest national effort to combat CLABSIs to date.

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EMPSF 2nd Annual Patient Safety Summit

EMPSF 2nd Annual Patient Safety Summit

On March 22 and 23, 2012, the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation (EMPSF) held its 2nd Annual Patient Safety Summit: From Insights to Outcomes: Getting Results! The meeting brought together key stakeholders and thought leaders from across the emergency care continuum. Among the distinguished panel of speakers were the presidents of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses Association, National Patient Safety Foundation, and the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management.

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Pharmaceutical Waste: Is Your Facility at Risk?

Pharmaceutical Waste: Is Your Facility at Risk?

Every year United States hospitals and nursing homes generate more than 84,000 tons of hazardous pharmaceutical waste (Sumpter, 2005). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires businesses, including healthcare facilities, to safely manage their hazardous wastes from the moment they are generated to when they are appropriately disposed (RCRA, 1976). States and municipalities also can regulate hazardous waste disposal.

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