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.
Two Florida Hospitals Evacuate All Patients After Hurricane Damage
Bay Medical Sacred Heart in Panama City is evacuating more than 200 patients, while Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center in Panama City released a statement Thursday that it was evacuating about 130 patients.
How to Avoid Medication Errors in Hospitals
The guidelines, which are targeted at health system and hospital settings, are designed to give pharmacists ground rules and best practices to improve patient safety and avoid medication errors.
Increased CMS Oversight Puts Pressure on AOs to Spot Problems
In a new report to Congress, CMS says the disparity rate between serious problems identified by the AOs and those found by CMS surveyors within 60 days of survey was 46% in fiscal year 2016, up from 38% and 39%, respectively, in the two preceding fiscal years.