NCQA’s Quality Compass Helps Plans and Consumers Compare Clinical Performance
Database features quality information for approximately 104 million insured lives. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has released its latest version of Quality Compass 2015: Commercial. This comprehensive database of health plan performance compiles data from 400 publicly reporting commercial plan products, offering information on clinical performance and patient experience for approximately 104 million … Continued
Submissions Open for Eisenberg Awards Through October 30
Submissions are open through October 30 for the 2015 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. These prestigious awards, given annually by NQF and The Joint Commission, recognize major achievements to improve patient safety and healthcare quality by individuals and organizations at the local and national levels in separate awards. Self-nominations are welcome. “Each … Continued
Comment Through Oct 16 on ISMP’s Guidelines for Communication of Medication Information in Electronic Systems
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) invites healthcare practitioners to comment on its Draft Guidelines for the Safe Electronic Communication of Medication Information. To view and comment on the guidelines, visit www.ismp.org/tools/guidelines/SCEMI. Suggestions also can be submitted via email to ismpinfo@ismp.org. ISMP observes, “Health information technology vendors and users currently do not have a … Continued
ANA Sets ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy for Workplace Violence, Bullying
The nursing profession “will no longer tolerate violence of any kind from any source,” the American Nurses Association (ANA) declared in a new position statement on violence in health care workplaces released in August. “Taking this clear and strong position is critical to ensure the safety of patients, nurses and other healthcare workers,” said ANA … Continued
AHRQ Report Finds Gaps in Evidence for Best Ways to Clean Hospital Rooms
A new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviews clinical studies examining methods for cleaning and disinfecting hospital rooms to prevent healthcare-associated infections. The literature reviewed also covered strategies for monitoring rooms for cleanliness and “contextual” factors, such as organizational culture, that influence implementation and effectiveness of room cleaning. The … Continued
Labor and Management Working Together to Improve Patient Satisfaction
By Preeti Jadhav, MD As I approached the end of my first postgraduate year (PGY1), one of the chief residents asked me to participate on the “LMP PCC project.” He explained that LMP PCC referred to a multidisciplinary labor-management, patient-centered care project where representatives from different disciplines would work together to enhance patient experience. At … Continued
MITSS Hope Award Accepting Nominations
Nominations are now being accepted for the Annual MITSS Hope Award. The award recognizes people and organizations—patients, families, healthcare providers, hospitals (or their teams or departments), academic institutions, community health centers, grass roots organizations, EAP Programs, etc.—who exemplify the mission of MITSS: Supporting Healing and Restoring Hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events. … Continued
Massachusetts General Hospital Expands Use of LiveData PeriOp Manager with OR-Schedule Board
LiveData, Inc. has announced that Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has expanded its deployment of LiveData PeriOp Manager™, adding LiveData OR-Schedule Board™ to its growing patient safety and operational intelligence deployments. A key module in LiveData PeriOp Manager, OR-Schedule Board provides a large-screen view of the day’s surgical cases, showing the real-time status of all rooms in … Continued
ISMP Releases New Safe Practice Guidelines for Adult IV Push Medications
While much emphasis has been placed on the improvement of IV infusion safety, standardized safe practices associated with IV push injection safety remain limited. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently released new guidelines to help healthcare practitioners identify risks associated with adult IV push medications. The guidelines were developed as part of … Continued
Athenahealth Launches Text Messaging for Providers and Care Teams
A new, secure text messaging service called athenaText® is fully integrated with athenahealth’s cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) platform and accessible through the standalone athenaText and Epocrates mobile apps. AthenaText is available at no cost to more than one million healthcare professionals on the athenahealth network, including every athenaClincials® EHR and Epocrates user. Additionally, healthcare … Continued