Accountability of Care is the Center of Healthy Reform
Healthcare reform is taking center stage as the industry opens its eyes to a myriad of factors that are re-defining the healthcare landscape. There is an increased focus on patient-centric services and satisfaction that translate beyond the delivery of quality care to also enable the provision of affordable and timely care to achieve better health outcomes. The entire industry is undergoing a transformation triggered by the need to establish accountable care practices to help overcome specific issues that impede the industry’s improvement.
Medical Centers Adopt Qstream® Mobile Platform to Keep Current on Healthcare Practices
Qstream, provider of an acclaimed mobile platform widely used for professional healthcare education, has announced that several major medical centers and healthcare leaders have purchased Qstream’s solution for use in the ongoing education of physicians and clinicians on a range of topics, including patient safety, infection control, emergency medicine, palliative care, and advanced life support.
Resident Duty Hours, Unintended Consequences, and the 10,000-Hour Rule
The medical community has debated the value of sleep versus continuity of care since 2003, when the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education limited the number of consecutive hours medical residents may be on duty. (Organizations are required to comply with the duty hour standard to retain ACGME accreditation.) Research, however, has shown that making sure resident physicians get enough rest doesn’t insure safer care for patients, which was the main driver of the standard.
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.