Does CMS Proposed Measure for PCA Safety Go Far Enough?

This is the question that I have been asking myself ever since Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced proposed quality measures it is considering for adoption through rulemaking for the Medicare program. One of the measures under consideration by CMS (proposed quality measure #3040) calls for “appropriate monitoring of patients receiving PCA [patient-controlled analgesia].”

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Key Questions for Safety Projects

Safety-related projects may arise from root cause analyses of actual incidents, other structured risk identification efforts (e.g. failure modes and effects analysis), or external reports of adverse events that occurred elsewhere (e.g. Joint Commission Sentinel Events). An appropriate response to such information may be to undertake an effort to review and, where necessary, revise processes and technology so that the identified event does not reoccur, or not occur at all if the impetus is external information.

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HTT and Datix Collaborate to Improve Patient Safety

Healthcare Team Training (HTT) – a global provider of services focused on improving patient safety, satisfaction and quality – and Datix – a leading supplier of patient safety software solutions – have announced their collaboration to use enterprise event reporting and risk management systems to improve quality and enhance operational efficiency.

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ECRI Institute PSO Analyzes Data from More Than 100,000 Adverse Events

Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) permit healthcare providers to report adverse events under legal protection and are a rich source of important information that can be put into practice. With nearly four years’ experience reviewing patient safety data, ECRI Institute PSO has released important trends and guidance that can be used to reduce injury and deaths.

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Is Incremental Change Enough?

Nothing has changed; but in health care, everything has changed. — Former Senate Majority Leader William Frist, MD

Though he did not attend the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI’s) National Forum last week in Orlando, Senator Frist’s words served as its chorus. Frist’s observation came during a meeting hosted by IHI in Washington, DC, two days after the national election in November. The meeting, titled “Out of the Blocks,” was scheduled to assess the effect of the election—however it turned out—on the Affordable Care Act and, therefore, also on the U.S. healthcare industry.

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Schwartz Center Announces 2013 Grants Program

The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the relationship between patients and their clinical caregivers and maintaining the human connection in healthcare, is now accepting letters of interest from U.S. healthcare organizations developing innovative programs and initiatives to promote compassionate care within the patient-centered medical home setting.

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