Falls are one of biggest safety concerns in critical care facilities. The varied population of a hospital unit at any time complicates the problem. Do you have the same protocols for adults, children, the elderly? Is the technical support that has been implemented adequate to handle all the differences?

Although the federal government has recently devoted tremendous resources to promoting health information technology (health IT), debate about certification, standards, and best practices for safe use continues. In early April, three federal agencies contributed a new report to the growing literature about how to ensure the safety of health IT and more questions to an already lively discussion.

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Keystone Center is one of 26 organizations nationally selected as a Partnership for Patients (PfP) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) to work with hospitals and healthcare providers to identify, share, and implement proven and reliable best-practices to reduce nine hospital-acquired conditions.

Good patient care isn’t just diagnosis and prescriptions; it also involves patient compliance.

A recent report from the National Patient Safety Foundation’s (NPSF) Lucian Leape Institute, Safety Is Personal: Partnering with Patients and Families for the Safest Care, advocates for patients and families to be active partners in all aspects of their care, as well as in healthcare design and delivery and in policy development and research efforts.

Information technology has achieved some amazing changes in consumer behavior. Over the last 20 years, companies have decreased their costs simply by transferring the work previously done by employees to consumers.

As the obesity epidemic continues and insulin resistance problems worsen, larger doses of insulin are more frequently required to meet glycemic goals. This has led to an increased use of U-500 insulin when dose requirements exceed 200 units per day.

Principles of patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) have been ingrained in American culture since the days when house calls were made by the fictional Marcus Welby, MD, and the real Dr. W. Mayo (Clapesattle, 1990). It would be unusual for a modern medical practitioner to argue against these principles, but gradually over time, the practical application of patient- and family-centered care in clinical settings faded.

In 1992, Microsoft released Windows 3.1, Johnny Carson made his final appearance as host of The Tonight Show, Bill Clinton was elected president, and the American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) was founded.

Patients in today’s healthcare system benefit from expert caregivers who are supported by advancing technology. The majority of patient care is provided by nurses, who comprise the largest percentage of the healthcare workforce, with more than 3 million nurses practicing in the United States (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2013). Health information technology allows nurses to better monitor patient status, communicate with patients, collaborate with team members, evaluate available care options, and determine best practices.