CMS Announces Opportunities to Expand Mental Health Treatment
CMS reached out to state Medicaid directors to outline existing and new opportunities, including a new chance for states to receive authority to pay for short-term residential treatment services in an institution for mental disease for these patients.
CDC Highlights Antibiotic Awareness Week
At least 30% of the antibiotics in U.S. outpatient settings are prescribed unnecessarily, according to the CDC. Annually, at least 2 million people become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and 23,000 people die as a result.
Massachusetts Voters Say ‘No’ to Mandatory Nurse-Patient Ratios
For months, the law has been hotly debated. Those in favor said it would improve patient safety and care. Those opposed said it didn’t account for patient acuity and would create a financial burden on hospitals and healthcare systems.
CMS Extends Time to Finalize Discharge Planning Proposal
CMS took the unusual step on October 30 of announcing a year’s time extension to publish the final rule. The extension runs through November 3, 2019.
Tapping Patient Engagement to Reduce Diagnostic Errors
The research features an examination of 184 narratives from patients or family members about diagnostic errors collected in a new database maintained by the Empowered Patient Coalition.
Nurses Report Gaps in Quality and Safety Competencies Based on Education
The study found there is a growing gap in preparedness in quality and safety competencies between new nurses with associate and bachelor’s degrees. Nurses with BSN degrees report they are “very prepared” in more quality and safety measures than their ADN peers.
Survey: Hospitals Shift Resources to Respond to Opioid Crisis
The survey of more than 90 Vizient hospital and health system leaders found that 64% of hospitals have increased investment in opioid medication management in the last 12 months.
Joint Commission Unveils New Emergency Management Checklist
The checklist aligns with the accreditor’s Emergency Management standards, covers both clinical and environmental issues, and addresses crucial post-disaster elements that need addressing before reopening.
Patient Outcomes No Better For Joint Commission–Accredited Hospitals Than Peers
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health compared 4,400 hospitals across the United States, of which 3,337 were accredited, including 2,847 by The Joint Commission, and 1,063 hospitals that underwent state-based reviews between 2014 and 2017.
Study: Hospital Bedsheets Could Be Source of C. difficile Contamination
Researchers in the United Kingdom found that washing contaminated hospital bedsheets in a commercial washing machine with industrial detergent at high disinfecting temperatures failed to remove all traces of C. difficile, a bacteria that causes infectious diarrhea.