UPMC Closes Care Gaps With New Patient Discharge Process
Recognizing the logjams that can occur when leaving the hospital, UPMC has launched a new patient discharge process that consolidates decision-making under one clinical care coordinator and creates a platform for data gathering.
How to Improve Emergency Department Efficiency
An initiative launched in January has significantly improved efficiency at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s emergency department.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 79 – Data-Driven Recommendations to Improve Medication Safety
On episode 79 of PSQH: The Podcast, Susan Montminy, risk management director at Coverys, talks about how to reduce medication safety risks and improve patient safety.
Nursing Grant Could Be a ‘Total Game Changer’
The IHP’s Nursing Expansion Grant is one of 25 totaling more than $78 million that the labor department recently awarded to nursing programs in 17 states to address critical staffing challenges and to strengthen and diversify the workforce.
2023 Patient Experience Survey Finds Disenchantment with Healthcare System
The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA). The survey, which features data collected from more than 2,500 adults, was conducted from Feb. 23 to March 9.
Antibiotic Stewardship Initiative at Urgent Care Clinics Cuts Prescribing by 15%
Most antibiotic prescriptions in the United States are made in outpatient settings and as many as 30% of those prescriptions may be unnecessary. Antibiotic overuse has been linked to antibiotic resistance and antibiotic-associated adverse effects.
Focusing on Hand Hygiene to Prevent HAIs
The report, Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections Through Hand Hygiene: 2022 Update, was published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The Society of Healthcare Epidemiologists of America gathered the subject matter experts who performed and managed the report’s literature review.
To Fix Medicare Spending, Prevent Fractures Among Aging Americans
Almost one in six Americans are at increased risk of a fracture due to osteoporosis or low bone mass. Each year, 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries suffer more than 2 million osteoporotic fractures, which lead to 432,000 hospital admissions and 180,000 nursing home admissions.
A National Patient Identifier Is Up for Debate. Patient Safety Is Not
Misspellings, address changes, maiden and married names, and many other factors make it difficult to match people to their medical records. In fact, the accuracy of matching patients to their records can be as low as 80% within a single care setting and as low as 50% among organizations that share electronic health information.
Patient Safety Concerns? Take a Look at Intake
A poor patient intake process can have negative consequences for both patients and healthcare providers, including reduced quality of care, increased healthcare costs, patient safety concerns, and reduced patient satisfaction. Further, gathering insufficient information at the time of intake may fail to support a comprehensive care plan, leading to inadequate preparation for care and increased length of stay.