PCORI-NIH Partnership on Fall-Related Injury Prevention Yields Request for Applications
As the next step in a partnership with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for a large-scale, multi-pronged clinical trial on prevention of fall-related injuries in non-institutionalized older adults. PCORI will commit up to $30 million to fund the trial selected through the application and peer-review process that NIA will administer.
Report: Real Risk of Errors in Patient Tissue Biopsy Processing
Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, announced a groundbreaking study in the Journal of Histotechnology that indicates there is a real risk that errors can be made in the processing of patient biopsy tissue in anatomic pathology labs around the world. The Journal reports on the startling outcome of the Stainer Bath Cross Contamination Challenge (SBCCC), developed by Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., that involved 70 pathology labs from six countries across three continents.
The Hidden Surcharge Americans Pay for Hospital Errors
During a time of flux for U.S. healthcare, employers and purchasers are increasingly concerned about how much value they receive for their enormous investment in healthcare. In a recent presentation at the World Health Congress Innovative Drivers of Value Based Purchasing Seminar, Leah Binder, president and CEO of the employer-driven nonprofit The Leapfrog Group (Leapfrog), unveiled a new tool that allows purchasers to calculate how much they spend annually on unnecessary costs due to medical errors that occur within general acute care hospitals.
AHA Board Elects Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, Chair-elect Designate
The American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Board of Trustees has elected Jonathan B. Perlin, M.D., president of clinical and physician services and chief medical officer of the Nashville-based HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) as its chair-elect designate.
Analytics Solution Pilot Program Launches to Validate Cost of Care Improvements
ArborMetrix, Inc., a leading provider of real-time healthcare analytics, has announced that Atrius Health, a non-profit alliance of six community-based medical groups and a home health care and hospice agency dedicated to transforming health care across eastern and central Massachusetts, will be using the ArborMetrix value-based purchasing solution in a pilot program.
Beyond Data: How Analytics and Culture Change Management Combine to Drive Performance Improvement
Healthcare organizations are virtually swimming in data. From compulsory reporting for CMS and other regulatory bodies to self-directed performance improvement initiatives, most hospitals and healthcare delivery organizations capture data for hundreds of metrics and measures. The quantity and complexity of these measures continues to grow.
High Risk Medication Module Helps Ensure Patient and Medication Safety
First Databank (FDB), a leading provider of clinical drug knowledge that improves medication-related decisions and patient outcomes, has released the FDB High Risk Medication Module.
Four Hospitals Honored for Quality Improvement, Safety
Four U.S. hospitals are being recognized for their leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety. The 2013 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize will be awarded to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, which will receive $75,000.
Seattle Children’s Hospital Uses Big Data to Improve Diagnosis and Patient Care
Seattle Children’s Hospital is using IBM Big Data technology to improve treatment of its young patients. With over 350,000 patient visits annually and thousands of data points associated with each patient, Seattle Children’s Hospital can run queries on patient data in seconds, rather than minutes, to provide quicker, more effective care and diagnosis.
Where We Fall Short: Reducing Sepsis and Other Diseases through Change Management
The human toll of sepsis—the number one preventable cause of mortality in hospitals—is staggering. Of the more than 750,000 severe sepsis cases each year in the United States, 215,000 patients die, making it the leading cause of death in non-cardiac intensive care units. It also accounts for a significant financial burden, equating to $16.7 billion in unnecessary healthcare expenditures.