Intravenous Infusion Medication Safety: The Vision Becomes Reality

Intravenous Infusion Medication Safety:
The Vision Becomes Reality

In 2000 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published To Err Is Human, the first in its groundbreaking series of reports that brought the issue of medication safety to national awareness. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) February 2002 Medication Safety Alert! suggested that “with computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE), barcode medication administration (BCMA), and now smart infusion pumps, we may finally have a solid defense against the most serious medication errors” (ISMP, 2002). While these three technologies have played a major role in improving medication safety, there are still opportunities for errors.

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Patients and Families: Key Partners in Improving Patient Experience

Patients and Families:
Key Partners in Improving Patient Experience

Perhaps it is time for those of us in healthcare to realize that patients and families are no longer simply “receivers” of care offered by “providers.” In fact, the trend of engaged patients has taken on increasing significance in the larger healthcare dialogue.

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Tennessee Hospitals Take Aim at Medical Error with Aerial Aces

The Tennessee Center for Patient Safety(TCPS) will be partnering with LifeWings Partners, LLC in 2013 in its ongoing effort to make patient safety a priority across the state of Tennessee. The aim of this partnership will be to advance the adoption of TeamSTEPPS, a patient safety program built on the best practices from aviation to improve the reliability, safety and quality of care received by patients in Tennessee hospitals.

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Learning from Patient Stories: New Resources for Crisis Management

Earlier this month, during Patient Safety Awareness Week, Jim Conway contributed new resources for improving the understanding of and response to serious clinical adverse events. Conway, a well-known champion of patients and families, former senior vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and adjunct faculty at Harvard School of Public Health, appeared as a guest blogger on Health Care for All’s Healthy Blog. In his post, “Serious Clinical Adverse Events: Learning Through the Eyes of Patients and Family Members,” Conway recalls patient stories that have made a difference to him and others and introduces new sources he helped IHI add to its existing list available online at “Leadership Response to a Sentinel Event: Respectful, Effective Crisis Management.”

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Joint Venture Delivers National Quality Measurement, Benchmarking, and Reporting Platform for Medication Use

The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) and CECity.com, Inc. (CECity) have launched Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Inc. (PQS), a joint venture created to deliver EQuIPPTM (Electronic Quality Improvement Platform for Plans and Pharmacies), the first national pharmacy quality measurement, benchmarking, and reporting platform for pharmacies and health plans.

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ECRI Institute Announces 2013 Health Devices Achievement Award – Call for Entries

ECRI Institute is now accepting submissions to its 8th annual Health Devices Achievement Award program. ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, has recognized healthcare organizations nationwide for the past seven years with its prestigious award for achieving excellence in technology management and patient safety.

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