VAP: It’s the Little Things that Count
VAP: It’s the Little Things that Count
NY hospitals share lessons for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia through a statewide collaborative.
Making sure that the head of a patient bed is elevated 30% is just one of the important elements for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critical care units.
The Leapfrog CPOE Evaluation Tool
The Leapfrog CPOE Evaluation Tool: One Academic Medical Center’s Experience
A large proportion of medication errors occur at the prescribing phase. Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) offers a possible means by which to avoid these potentially harmful mistakes through implementation of electronic ordering and clinical decision support software (Kuperman, et al., 2007).
Safety and Savings in Las Vegas: Nurses Have Decision Support at UMC
Safety and Savings in Las Vegas: Nurses Have Decision Support at UMC
As one of the country’s fastest-growing cities in the early 21st century, Las Vegas, Nevada, has had to shoulder all the demographic challenges that distinction entails. Through it all, University Medical Center (UMC) has steadfastly maintained its role as the safety net for the sickest and neediest patients in this metro area of nearly two million people.
Integrated Quality Measures Improve Patient Safety & Care
Integrated Quality Measures Improve Patient Safety & Care
In 2008, the Piedmont Clinic welcomed a new CEO who has led the clinic leadership in its development and adoption of a clinical integration model that blends clinical and financial integration. As part of this process much discussion revolved around the best way to track and use data to create integration.
Addressing Institutional Conflict of Interest to Promote Patient Safety
Addressing Institutional Conflict of Interest to Promote Patient Safety
Studies show that 67% of academic departments have financial relationships with industry (Campbell, 2007b). The Institute of Medicine has warned that academic institutions lack independent review, with resulting tolerance of conflicts due to financial gains, which may pose serious barriers to addressing the issue (IOM, 2009).
Information Exchange
Information Exchange
Riding the Cloud to Improve Patient Safety
After nearly 30 years as a practicing physician, I don’t have a day go by in my practice where a patient would not benefit from more timely availability of records from other institutions. Now, however, thanks to cloud computing, the delays and inappropriate repetitive testing attributable to unavailable records may finally be coming to an end. The limitation is no longer the technology itself but simply the speed of adoption.
Safety and Quality in Radiology
In 3rd annual conference, American College of Radiology focused on safety, utilization, process improvement, and physician outcomes.
ISMP
ISMP
Evidence-Based Medicine Doesn’t Preclude Common Sense
If you went skydiving, would you first ask for scientific evidence from a randomized trial that a properly functioning parachute prevents injury before you’d consider using one during your freefall? Hardly.
Health IT & Quality
Health IT & Quality
Show Me the Money
The most important lesson in medical care comes from a bank robber who stole more than $2 million and spent more than half his life in jail. Named for Willie Sutton, one of the most prolific bank robbers in history, Sutton’s law grew out of a famous response to a reporter’s question attributed (perhaps falsely) to Sutton.
Consumers as Partners
Consumers as Partners
How Patient-Provider Engagement Can Transform Patient Safety
How would the world change if, suddenly, clinicians had a highly motivated partner in carrying out each care plan? I propose that a new level of safety will be possible if we shift to a shared care plan model, with patients and families aware of the plan and engaged in its execution.