AHRQ has released a toolkit and orientation video specifically designed to guide hospitals in the use of improvement methods for Quality Indictors (QIs). While the focus is primarily on the 17 Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) and the 28 Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQIs), the toolkit is a general guide to the application of improvement methods. Quality Leaders will benefit from the available resources within the toolkit, but senior leaders, data analysts, and others will find valuable content including benchmark comparisons and identification of coding and documentation issues that affect PSI and IQI rates.
Quality of Care
Patient Safety Toolkit Now Available
Posted in AHRQ, Improvement Methods, Patient Safety, Quality of Care Posted March 26, 2012 | Comments Off
TJC Issues Sentinel Event Alert: Fatigue Impacts Patient Safety
Posted in Culture of Safety, Preventable Errors, Quality of Care Posted December 15, 2011 | Comments Off
The link between health care worker fatigue and patient safety is not unfamiliar. But have you assessed your organization to mitigate health-care worker fatigue-related risks? The Joint Commission suggests the following: a review of the work shift schedule with staff involvement; an assessment of high-risk processes and procedures (such as patient hand-offs); education on sleep hygiene (getting enough sleep and practicing good sleep habits that can impact sleep); and promotion of a safe culture through open communication about fatigue concerns as well as a focus on teamwork to support staff working extended hours. The result of these efforts can protect your patients from harm.
Read more about what you can do in Issue 48 of the The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert.
For more information, check out our links to several Communication & Teamwork Toolkits!
Interested in finding out what your safety culture is? Check out the Survey on Patient Safety Culture!
MOCPS Leading CUSP Education in National NICU CLABSI Collaborative
Posted in AHRQ, CLABSI/CAUTI, CUSP, CUSP/CLABSI, CUSP/Stop BSI, Healthcare Acquired Infections, Infection Control, Infection Prevention, Missouri CUSP/Stop BSI, Quality of Care Posted December 1, 2011 | Comments Off
The MOCPS has been invited to lead a six-month course on the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) to over 70 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) located throughout 7 states. All participating NICUs have joined a national collaborative sponsored by the Health Research Educational Trust (HRET) to stop central-line associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs). Read More
Pharmacists Reduce Medication Discrepancies for the Elderly at Discharge
Research reveals a decrease in medication discrepancies may be possible if a pharmacist is included in the patient discharge planning with the internal medicine team.
Concerns Continue About the Link Between Nurse Staffing & Safety
Posted in Health Care Costs, Patient Safety, Quality of Care Posted September 9, 2011 | Comments Off
What should the nurse-to-patient ratio be? It’s a continuing debate among nurses and hospitals: but who should decide? In a recent hospital investigation, the facility was cited for “times when as few as three nurses had to care for 30 medical-surgical patients.” In this article, the CNO and VP of Nursing for PinnacleHealth System comments on the situation. She tells how they resolved staffing to ensure safety and explains that “adequate nurse staffing and quality can be maintained, regardless of economic pressure.”
AAOS Challenges CMS’ Contention that Hospital Falls are Preventable
A review by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recognizes that falls are a leading cause of injuries to those over 65 years of age. However, the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) contends that falls in a healthcare setting are unrealistically declared to be preventable since “many risk factors are not under the caregivers’ direct control…”
Statewide Patient Safety Efforts in Tennessee Reduces HACs, Improves Care
The Tennessee Center for Patient Safety has helped hospitals dramatically reduce hospital infections and other complications. Over the past three years, central line infections have improved by 36% and MRSA improved by 21%. These achievements, and others, are contributing to substantial healthcare cost savings and improved patient safety. Find out more about Tennessee Center for Patient Safety improvements here.
CMS Releases New Tools and Launches Initiatives Linked to Patient Safety
Posted in CMS, HAI, Healthcare Acquired Infections, Hospital Acquired Infections, Infection Prevention, Medicare Medicaid, Quality of Care Posted August 11, 2011 | Comments Off
CMS has released a new online tool to empower consumers to make informed choices about their health care. The Quality Care Finder links consumers with all of Medicare’s compare tools in one convenient location (www.Medicare.gov/QualityCareFinder). Also released is a revised Hospital Compare website with additional data related to outpatient surgical infections and heart attack care (www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov). Dr. Don Berwick, CMS Administrator, states “These tools are new ways CMS is making sure consumers have… important information they need to make the best decisions about where to receive high-quality care.”
