Joint Commission Approves Revised Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.01.01.01
The Joint Commission announced the approval of revisions to Medical
Staff Standard MS.01.01.01, formerly known as MS.1.20, that is designed
to contribute to patient safety and quality of care through the support
of a well-functioning, positive relationship between a hospital’s
Medical Staff and Governing Body.
Physician-led Initiative to Improve Healthcare Quality Marks 10-Year Anniversary
Celebrating its 10 year anniversary at its meeting in the nation’s
capital, the AMA-convened Physician Consortium for Performance
Improvement (PCPI) highlighted its achievements to date and took a
proactive look at future efforts to measure and improve the quality of
patient care.
Studies Show Significant Increases of C. Difficile Infections (CDI)
Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) are quickly becoming a
significant issue in healthcare based upon recent studies. Preliminary
data collected from nursing homes and highlighted in a Supplementary
Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory shows that almost 40 percent of
gastrointestinal infections reported are CDIs.
BioVigil Releases Second-Generation Hand Hygiene Monitoring System
BioVigil LLC has released the second generation of the BioVigil hand
hygiene monitoring system. The innovative system enables hospitals to
more effectively combat Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) by
dramatically increasing hand hygiene compliance among healthcare
workers.
Rauland-Borg and Visonic Technologies Collaboration Brings Enhanced RTLS Functionality to the Responder 5® Nurse Call System
Rauland-Borg, the leader in Healthcare Nurse Call Systems, and Visonic
Technologies, a global provider of scalable Active RFID/RTLS based
safety, security and management solutions for the healthcare industry,
announce the integration of Elpas RTLS technology with the Responder 5
Nurse Call System.
ISMP Develops Guidelines for Standard Order Sets
Computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) for medications gives
healthcare organizations the ability to provide prescribers with a
collection, or set, of predefined standardized orders that address
common patient conditions. These order sets can be used for paper based
as well as CPOE systems.
ViaSmart Inc. Introduces the Essential Accessory for Bedside Labeling
TechTote. Designed specifically to assist health care professionals
in positively identifying both the patient and the specimen collected,
the PowerCaddy carries and protects a PDA (hand-held computer) and a
mobile printer in a light weight, durable tote.
New Lucian Leape Institute Report Finds that U.S. Medical Schools are Falling Short in Teaching Physicians How to Provide Safe Patient Care
The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation
released a report that finds that U.S. “medical schools are not doing
an adequate job of facilitating student understanding of basic
knowledge and the development of skills required for the provision of
safe patient care.”
Housekeepers, Transporters May ‘Inadvertently’ Spread Hospital Infection
One cause of the rampant international hospital-infection epidemic may
be the “inadvertent exposure” of hospital housekeepers and transporters
to antibiotic-resistant “Superbugs” such as MRSA, saysTeleTracking
Technologies CEO Anthony Sanzo.
ASTRO Offers Radiation Safety Questions for Patients
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has published a
list of radiation safety questions for cancer patients and their
caregivers to ask their doctor about the quality assurance protocols of
their radiation therapy treatments.