Patient Safety
Editor’s Notebook: New Resources for Patient Engagement
Editor’s Notebook
New Resources for Patient Engagement
It’s easy enough to say that patient engagement—the process of including patients as respected and equal partners by removing barriers to information and participation—is important.
Environment and Facilities
ICUs from 350 Hospitals Reduce Central Line Bloodstream Infections by 35 Percent
Chicago, April 5, 2011—An interim report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) shows a 35 percent reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) among adult intensive care units from over 350 hospitals that are participating in the national On the CUSP: Stop BSI project.
Patient Safety
Doctors Talk Openly about Medical Errors in When Healthcare Hurts
April 4, 2011—Any doctor can make a mistake, get a complaint or be involved in an incident. Several impressive, personal stories are now collected in the book When Healthcare Hurts. Doctors share their darkest hours.
Environment and Facilities
Williamson Medical Center to Deploy ProVation® Order Sets
Minneapolis, April 4, 2011—Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced that Williamson Medical Center has selected ProVation® Order Sets, powered by UpToDate® Decision Support, as the hospital’s electronic order set solution.
Technology
Hospira Launhes Enhanced Theradoc™ Clinical Surveillance System to Support Patient Safety and Help Improve Care
Lake Forest, Illinois, April 1, 2011—Hospira, a leading provider of clinical information and medication delivery technologies, announced the launch of its enhanced TheraDoc™ clinical surveillance system, used by hospitals to help improve patient safety and prevent adverse events such as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Quality Improvement
Ochsner Introduces Epic EMR for Increased Quality, Efficiency, Access
New Orleans, March 31, 2011—Ochsner Health System today announced it is deploying Epic’s industry-leading electronic medical record (EMR) software, EpicCare, across its eight hospitals and 38 health centers.
Patient Safety
Health Language Signs Agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Denver, March 31, 2011—Health Language, Inc. (HLI), the global leader in medical and administrative terminology management, announced that the Chicago-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has selected HLI as a preferred vendor to help Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies transition smoothly and efficiently from ICD-9 to ICD-10 by the Oct. 1, 2013, deadline mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Risk Management
AAMC Announces “Best Practices for Better Care” Campaign
Washington, D.C., March 30, 2011—The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) announced a new multi-year effort, Best Practices for Better Care, that harnesses the unique missions of academic medicine—medical education, patient care, and research—and applies them to the challenges of improving quality and safety in health care.
Patient Safety
ProCare Research Launches PRISM Patient Management System at American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting
Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 30, 2011—ProCare Research, LLC, a physician-led medical research organization focused on value-based approaches to healthcare with an emphasis on the relationship between quality and cost, is set to unveiled its PRISM Patient Management System at the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) 2011 Annual Meeting, March 24-27 in National Harbor, Maryland.
Technology
ONC Announces Open Public Comment Period on the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan: 2011-2015
March 25, 2011—The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced an open public comment period on the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan: 2011-2015 (“the Plan”). The Plan reflects ONC’s strategy, developed in collaboration with other federal partners, over the next five years for realizing Congress and the Administration’s health IT agenda.