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Patient Safety Monitor Alert

This e-mail newsletter provides healthcare professionals with the latest patient safety news, while offering useful information on creating safer patient care environments and reducing medical errors.

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Patient Safety Monitor Alert

Issue 53, December 31, 2008

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Universal Protocol audio conference

  Don’t wait until a sentinel event occurs—take a proactive approach to improve patient...

• CA hospitals gearing up for tougher infection control laws for 2009

  California hospitals are preparing to comply with two new infection control laws that go into...

• Study: Med students not as confident in their care when not working in high-tech environments

  A recent study shows that a majority of medical providers who are training in a setting rich with...

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield partnership with Zagat extends to North Carolina

  A name well-known in the restaurant ratings arena, Zagat, is partnering with Blue Cross and Blue...

• New ER requirements force Massachusetts hospitals to bolster patient flow efforts

  As of January 1, Massachusetts hospitals will no longer be able to go on "diversion" and...

Issue 52, December 24, 2008

• Editor's Pick of the Week: Performance Improvement Fourth Edition

  Learn how to build and manage your PI program. How well is data used in your organization? Convert...

• Correction

  Last week’s Patient Safety Monitory in its fourth story incorrectly named a hospital...

• Emergency evacuation planning model issued by AHRQ

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently released The Mass Evacuation Transportation...

• Hospital errors in New Jersey increase, but most likely due to better reporting

  In 2007, 72 people died in New Jersey hospitals due to preventable errors, says data from the third...

• Medication reconciliation lacks standard processes in some hospitals

  A new study shows that reconciling patient medications during hospitalization is an important...

Issue 51, December 17, 2008

• Institute of Medicine offers recommendations for HHS

  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) made recommendations to Congress last week for how the Department...

• Some hospitals implement unique measures to improve ER wait times

  In an effort to cut down on the nation’s emergency room (ER) overcrowding problem, some...

• Sentinel Event Alert targets technology-related medical errors

  The Joint Commission has released its latest Sentinel Event Alert, this time looking at prevention...

• IHI launches newest quality improvement campaign

  Piggybacking on its predecessors, the "100 Thousand Lives" campaign and the "5...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Universal Protocol audio conference

  Don’t wait until a sentinel event occurs—take a proactive approach to improve patient...

Issue 50, December 10, 2008

• Report: Incidence of pressure ulcers increased 80% between 1993 and 2006 among hospital patients

  New information from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) shows that the incidence...

• Electronic prescribing helps doctors make lower-cost choices

  Two Massachusetts health plans released a study showing that physicians using hand-held electronic...

• Study: ER workers not confident that hospitals can provide good emergency care

  A new study shows that staff members who work in the emergency department (ED) think that there...

• Hawaii trials online physician service

  Beginning January 15, the Hawaii Medical Services Association will trial an online doctor program...

Issue 49, December 3, 2008

• Joint Commission says its hospitals increased quality and patient care over last six years

  In its annual report about quality and safety, The Joint Commission has released data to show that...

• Hospital pharmacy uses robot to keep patients safe

  A Lebanon, Pennsylvania hospital installed a robot in its pharmacy to help ensure prescriptions...

• Institute of Medicine suggests more non-working time for medical residents

  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has asked U.S. hospitals to look at their resident programs and...

• Study: Parents bring kids to ER because of concern with care from PCP

  Although they are not trying to abuse the emergency room system, many parents do so as a byproduct...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: SBAR Basics

  We can help. HCPro’s book and CD-ROM SBAR Basics: A Resource Guide for Healthcare Managers...

Issue 48, November 26, 2008

• Pilot program raises quality of cardiac care for ethnic populations

  Back in late 2005 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation introduced “Expecting Success and...

• Survey shows hospitals hit hard by poor economy

  The slumping economy has hit hospitals, which show a decline in admission and elective procedures...

• AHRQ issues final rule for Patient Safety Organizations

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued its final rule for Patient Safety...

• Joint Commission releases white paper concerning future of hospitals

  The Joint Commission released a white paper last week about how hospitals will have to evolve their...

• Editor's Pick of the Week: Medication reconciliation audio conference

  Incorporate the 2009 NPSG changes into your medication reconciliation process In a few short...

Issue 47, November 19, 2008

• Washington state finds MRSA rates skyrocketing

  The hospitals in Washington state, like much of the country, are finding methicillin-resistant...

• CDC updates sterilization and disinfection guidelines for medical equipment

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidelines for the sterilization...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Medication reconciliation audio conference

  Incorporate the 2009 NPSG changes into your medication reconciliation process In a few short...

• Cleveland Clinic begins pilot for electronic health records service out of patients’ homes

  On November 5, Cleveland Clinic began the 90-day pilot for MyChart, an electronic health record...

• Fear of lawsuits cause Massachusetts doctors to order unnecessary tests

  The Massachusetts Medical Society recently surveyed 900 of its members and found that 83 percent of...

Issue 46, November 12, 2008

• FAQs released on NPSG.01.01.01, Universal Protocol

  The Joint Commission has released an FAQ on National Patient Safety Goal NPSG.01.01.01 and a series...

• Study: Uninsured patients not cause of ED overcrowding

  University of Michigan Professor Manya F. Newton, MD, MPH, recently performed a comprehensive...

• Expert pushes investing in health IT to improve healthcare system

  In a recent posting on The Health Care Blog David Kibbe, MD, MBA, a proponent of adopting...

• APIC: Clostridium difficile infecting one in 100 patients

  Although much attention has been paid to preventing MRSA in hospitals over the past year and a...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: FMEA Reference Toolkit: Essentials Templates and Charts for Your Hospital

  Still struggling with FMEAs? Get the tools you need in a new, easy-to-use format. FMEA Reference...

Issue 45, November 5, 2008

• Newborn babies infected with MRSA, hospital trying to find cause

  St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, NY is investigating the cause for seven newborn...

• Healthcare leaders dissatisfied with current healthcare system

  A study by the Commonwealth Fund has showed that most healthcare leaders are dissatisfied with the...

• Study: Pain not being adequately treated for 33% of patients

  A Harvard School of Public Health study shows that one third of all patients think their pain is...

• ER patients given a longer estimated wait time prove to be more satisfied

  A Michigan emergency room (ER) tested the idea that patients would be happier waiting for care if...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: The Compliance Guide to the Joint Commission Medical Staff Standards, Sixth Edition

  Don’t skip a beat with medical staff compliance! Effective January 1, 2009, The Joint...

Issue 44, October 29, 2008

• Community-associated MRSA becomes harder to treat

  Drug-resistant staph bacteria found in the community are more often becoming harder to treat...

• Patient beds in hallways used as tactic to prevent ER overcrowding

  Some hospitals are putting ER patients’ beds in the hallways of the rest of the hospital as a...

• Inflexible hours, doing tasks of other hospital staff members cited as reasons for VA's poor nurse retention

  A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the state of nursing at the Veterans...

• Medicare pushes for increase in adoption of e-prescribing

  Although Medicare has given physicians a pay incentive to use e-prescribing starting in January...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Quality Data conference

  Data Rich—Information Poor? Learn how to convince your organization that less is more! Join...

Issue 43, October 22, 2008

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Universal Protocol audio conference

  Don’t wait until an actual sentinel event occurs--take a proactive approach to improve...

• Top hospitals boast a lower death rate

  A new study shows that the death rate is 70% lower at top-ranked U.S. hospitals than the...

• Rand Corporation study endorses need for national unique patient identifiers

  Although its price tag would likely be $11 billion, unique patient identifiers (UPI) would...

• Johns Hopkins publishes list of practices to facilitate better patient handoffs

  Transferring the care of a patient from one caregiver to another has always been a sore spot for...

• CMS’ no-pay conditions are difficult for the agency to enforce internally

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) no-pay conditions have arrived in the...

Issue 42, October 15, 2008

• Uninsured patients routinely given poorer care than those insured, Washington Post reports

  Although many doctors don’t like to admit it or feel badly about doing so, many treat...

• AHRQ offers interim guidance for Patient Safety Organizations

  Because of the strong interest in Patient Safety Organizations (PSO), the Agency for Healthcare...

• Five major U.S. healthcare organizations endorse infection control strategies

  Recognizing the importance of preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAI), five of the...

• Pennsylvania nurses celebrate bill that limits working hours

  The Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill last week that bans mandatory overtime for nurses and...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: HCAHPS Success handbook

  The public, potential patients, and payers can now look online to see how well you fared on the...

Issue 41, October 8, 2008

• Rhode Island to launch Health Information Exchange

  Becoming one of the few states to launch an electronic health system, Rhode Island is starting a...

• Study: Many ER visits the result of adverse reactions to antibiotics

  One in five visits to the emergency room that deal with medications result from adverse reactions...

• Physicians more apt to admit obvious errors than less obvious ones

  Doctors are more likely to admit errors that are obvious than those that are less obvious, reports...

• Massachusetts ERs still overcrowded despite universal healthcare program

  Although Massachusetts has required its residents to have health insurance since passing a 2006...

• Pay-for-performance emphasis helps with smoking cessation

  A study in the October 13 Archives of Internal Medicine found that programs that tie physician pay...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Hospital-Acquired Conditions Audio Conference

  Learn about the latest CMS no-pay rule and protect your bottom line Healthcare facilities across...

Issue 40, October 1, 2008

• Joint Commission releases latest Sentinel Event Alert targeting anticoagulants

    The Joint Commission has released its latest Sentinel Event Alert targeting anticoagulant...

• New York hospitals scrutinize attempts to standardize wristband colors

  New York’s 11 public hospitals have recently begun the move towards standardizing the colors...

• California passes legislation concerning prevention of staph infections in hospitals

  Almost four years after vetoing a similar bill, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two...

• New program brings idea of monitoring hand washing via video surveillance to hospitals

  In order to combat the spread of deadly hospital infections, staff members may need more reminding...

• New program brings idea of monitoring handwashing via video surveillance to hospitals

  In order to combat the spread of deadly hospital infections, staff members may need more reminding...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Preventing Tubing Misconnections Video

  Avoid mistakes in tubing, line, and catheter misconnections   The new video from HCPro...

Issue 39, September 24, 2008

• HHS to roll out national infection control action plan

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to launch a national infection control...

• Hospital infections can survive on clothing, may affect how they are spread

  New studies point to medical personnel’s clothing as a means of spreading hospital...

• Wrong knee operated on even after new protocol at RI hospital

  The state of Rhode Island suffered its eighth wrong site surgery within the past decade, when...

• Doctors provide little, if any empathy towards patients, study shows

  In a recent study, researchers taped 10 patients and their doctors and then analyzed those...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Root Cause Analysis audio conference

  Join HCPro on Wednesday, October 15, 2008, for the live 90–minute Webcast Root Cause Analysis...

Issue 38, September 17, 2008

• Medical errors go unreported at NJ, PA hospitals

  Despite state laws requiring hospitals to report medical errors to state agencies, hospitals in...

• Massachusetts orders hospitals to stop ambulance diversions

  Massachusetts has ordered all hospitals to stop diverting ambulances when their emergency rooms...

• Michigan hospitals have been paying for many patients who can’t afford care

  Michigan hospitals spent an unprecedented $2.6 billion paying for free and discounted care for many...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: CMS Interpretive Guidelines audio conference

  Join HCPro on Thursday, September 18, at 1 p.m. for the live 90-minute audio conference, CMS...

Issue 37, September 10, 2008

• Massachusetts lawsuit accuses doctor of negligence in prescribing a patient’s medication

  The liability of medical professionals may be broadened in a pending Massachusetts case, reports...

• University of Chicago directs uninsured patients with minor injuries to other facilities

  As a means of making more money, the University of Chicago (U of C) Medical Center has in recent...

• AHA recommends all hospitals standardize wristband colors

  The American Hospital Association (AHA) is asking all American hospitals to consider standardizing...

• Hospitals launch SWAT teams to fight infections

  With less than a month to go before Medicare stops paying for hospital-acquired conditions, some...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: SBAR Basics Webcast

  Promote better communication and save lives. Join us for this 90-minute Webcast, SBAR Basics...

Issue 36, September 3, 2008

• AHA shares opinion about CMS’ criteria for surgical errors

  The American Hospital Association asked The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to...

• AHRQ releases information about common definitions and reporting formats for PSOs

  The Patient Safety Act of 2005 outlines a means of collecting patient safety data for analysis from...

• NQF endorses health information technology standards

  The National Quality Forum endorsed of nine new voluntary health information technology (HIT...

• Alabama state workers told they will pay extra in insurance for obesity

  The Alabama state government has told its employees that anyone with high blood pressure, high...

• Editor's Pick of the Week: Transparency Success Stories

  Take an active approach to improving patient satisfaction Transparency Success Stories is a new...

Issue 35, August 27, 2008

• Illinois man steals friend’s identity for bypass surgery

  A man who claimed to be his mentally-disabled friend had bypass surgery on his heart in 2007...

• Four CA facilities fined for medical errors

  Four California hospitals received the state’s maximum fine of $25,000 for medical errors...

• Joint Commission seeks experts to develop standards for culturally competent care

  The Joint Commission has placed a call for experts for an advisory group to help create standards...

• Limits on resident hours may not lead to less hours worked

  Although limits were placed on the number of hours residents can work during a week (80 a week, 24...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Rapid Response Teams, Second Edition

  Save time, money, and patient lives! Although healthcare organizations across the country may...

Issue 34, August 20, 2008

• Study: Incorrect medication information often entered into medical records

  A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows that medication errors are...

• FDA may suggest mandatory training to dispense narcotics

  Although the Food and Drug Administration does not have the authority to make special education for...

• Patient badly burned during surgical error

  A patient who was getting her pacemaker replaced at Abbot Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN...

• Hospital Compare Web updates some content

  The Hospital Compare Web site underwent an update on August 19, according to AHAnews. The Centers...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Transparancy Success Stories

  Take an active approach to improving patient satisfaction Transparency Success Stories is a new...

Issue 33, August 13, 2008

• Illinois insurer to stop paying for errors

  Another insurer has announced it will no longer pay hospitals for egregious errors, according to...

• Waiting time for the ER grows to one hour

  The average waiting time for patients wanting a visit in the emergency room (ER) has grown to...

• FDA to regulate look-alike/sound-alike drugs

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under a congressional mandate, is working on a pilot...

• Stroke patients may be better off going to specialized facility

  More stroke patients may be taken to stroke care-specific facilities, reports USA Today. Even when...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Webcast: SBAR Basics

  Promote better communication and save lives. Join us for this 90-minute Webcast, SBAR Basics...

Issue 32, August 6, 2008

• Minnesotan’s state employees ready themselves for personal health records

  The governor of Minnesota is introducing personal health records (PHR) to all state employees by as...

• Boston to create a primary care referral service

  Boston’s health department is creating a service that city residents can call to find a...

• Aetna researches reward plan to entice patients to use medications correctly

  The Aetna Foundation’s non-profit health plan is researching the idea of paying patients to...

• CMS adds three additional conditions to its no-pay list

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final inpatient prospective payment...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: SBAR Basics: Train Staff to Improve Communication and Save Lives,

  Promote better communication and save lives. Join us for this 90-minute Webcast, SBAR Basics...

Issue 31, July 30, 2008

• "Medical malls" a possibility for Maryland County

  County Council members of Maryland’s Prince George’s County are contemplating the...

• AHRQ estimates surgical errors cost $1.5 billion annually

  A new study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality published in the July 28 Health...

• New England hospitals form group to share quality data

  A group of 19 New England hospitals are joining together to share quality data, specifically about...

• Hospital hopes noise alarm will boost patient satisfaction

  Staff members at University Hospital of San Antonio has implemented a new technique to cut through...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Prevent Tubing Misconnections: Six Steps to Keep Patients Safe

  Avoid mistakes in tubing, line, and catheter misconnections   The new video from HCPro...

Issue 30, July 23, 2008

• Very elderly more often given treatments reserved for younger seniors

  Those people aged in their high 90s, 100, and over 100 have seen a rise in procedures and...

• Charges dropped against doctor at New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina

  Dr. Anna Pou, a cancer surgeon at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, LA, recently had charges...

• AARP of New Jersey calls for more public information about medical errors

  In order for New Jersey consumers to make an educated decision about where they receive healthcare...

• Study: Healthcare spending up, quality rates down, less access

  A new study by the Commonwealth Fund, which first surveyed the U.S.’s healthcare in 2006...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Rapid Response Teams, Second Edition: Proven Strategies for Successful Implementation

  Save time, money, and patient lives! Although healthcare organizations across the country may...

Issue 29, July 16, 2008

• New Sentinel Event Alert targets disruptive behavior

  The Joint Commission has released its latest Sentinel Event Alert, targeting disruptive behavior by...

• Patients reporting more adverse events than are in their medical records

  A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine says that patients who were interviewed...

• GAO suggests Medicare consider prior authorization for MRIs and CT scans

  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is suggesting that Medicare consider using prior...

• Frequent users are burdening ERs

  Certain patients at emergency rooms (ER) across the country are being known as ’super...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Rapid Response Teams, Second Edition: Proven Strategies for Successful Implementation

  Save time, money, and patient lives! Although healthcare organizations across the country may...

Issue 28, July 9, 2008

• California posts adverse event data

  During a 10-month period beginning in July 2007, 466 patients in California developed pressure...

• More than 75% of ER patients don’t understand physician instructions

  A new study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine says that more than 75% of patients in...

• New Jersey hospitals going broke, shutting doors

  New Jersey has 1.3 million uninsured residents, reports The Washington Post. Because New Jersey law...

• Bar coding may help locate sponges and surgical instruments during surgery

  Staff members in the operating room lose count of sponges and surgical instruments used during the...

• CEO offers full disclosure for recent medical error at Boston hospital

  A wrong-site surgery occurred on July 3 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Hospital-Acquired Conditions: Protect Patients and Ensure Proper Reimbursement

  Beginning October 1, 2008, CMS will no longer pay for eight hospital acquired conditions unless...

Issue 27, July 2, 2008

• Study finds RFID technology may interfere with medical devices

  The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a study saying that the use of radio...

• Wisconsin Hospital Association to standardize hospital code alerts

  The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) is joining 12 other states in standardizing the colors...

• Joint Commission unveils 2009 standards

  The Joint Commission has released its revised standards, rationales, and elements of performance...

• American Medical Association makes statement against CMS’ no-pay list

  The American Medical Association (AMA) has come out against many of the conditions on The Centers...

• Editor’s pick of the week: 2009 National Patient Safety Goals audioconference

  The Joint Commission's 2009 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) include more changes that ever...

Issue 26, June 25, 2008

• MA insurance will no longer pay for medical mistakes

  Health authorities in MA announced yesterday that hospitals and doctors will no longer be able to...

• Controversy lights up when health clinics sell cigarettes

  The American Medical Association (AMA) recently told retailers that house in-store clinics to shut...

• New hospitals design comes from staff members

  Staff members, physicians, and patients had their say in the design of the new SSM St. Clare...

• New York Times editorial urges doctors to adopt electronic medical records

  An editorial in the June 24 edition of the New York Times urges doctors to switch from paper to...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Occurrence Reporting 2.0 audioconference

  Develop an effective occurrence reporting program Join HCPro on Thursday, July 17, at 1 p.m...

Issue 25, June 18, 2008

• Bernanke says improving healthcare system is one of U.S.’ biggest challenges

  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake said that improving the U.S.’ healthcare system is one...

• Few patients using Web sites that rate physicians

  Although there is more information than ever about specific physicians on the Internet, most...

• Like a mystery shopper, AMA will decide on use of undercover patients

  The ethics council of the American Medical Association (AMA) will weigh in on the practice of using...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Making Your Data Work: Tools and Templates for Effective Analysis

  Are you letting your data control you? The Joint Commission, state agencies, and others are...

• Joint Commission releases 2009 National Patient Safety Goals

  The Joint Commission released the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) and their...

Issue 24, June 11, 2008

• AHA supports NQF’s propsed framework for patient care that is culturally competent

  In a June 9 letter, the American Hospital Association (AHA) endorsed the National Quality...

• Evidence-based design popular in new hospitals

  A new movement around evidence-based design has become popular when constructing new hospitals...

• North Carolina hospital under fire for serious errors, will lose CMS funding

  Franklin Regional Medical Center, located in Louisburg NC, has undergone three federal...

• NY Medicaid to stop paying for 14 ’never events’

  New York State’s Medicaid program this week announced that beginning in October, it will no...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Patient Safety Officer’s Handbook

Issue 23, June 4, 2008

• Long lines for patients at Orlando-area emergency rooms

  Wait times at emergency rooms across the country are becoming longer, and this is especially true...

• Children more likely to suffer hospital infection than adults

  Children suffer many hospital acquired infections, reports The St. Louis Post Dispatch. The study...

• Study: More healthcare may not mean better healthcare

  Patients with serious conditions who receive more tests and procedures and see additional...

• CA hospital dumped patient, now must pay $1 million

  Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center has agreed to pay $1 million for dumping a homeless...

• News from HCPro: Quality improvement ezine

  HCPro, publishers of this e-newsletter, wants to make you aware of a companion free e-newsletter...

Issue 22, May 28, 2008

• Fundraising efforts by hospitals puts patients’ private information at risk

  Many hospitals use patient demographic information, collected willingly from patients, to boost...

• Congressional Budget Office questions whether health information technology really saves money

  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report lat week questioning projections that...

• CMS and FDA to monitor use of medical products as means of keeping patients safer

  Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the Centers for Medicare and...

• Boston Globe editorial asks, "Where have all the doctors gone?"

  The next major crisis in U.S. healthcare, particularly as many states move to a universal coverage...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Periodic Performance Review audioconference

  Make sure your PPR is everything it should be by attending HCPros live 90-minute audioconference...

Issue 21, May 21, 2008

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Transparency Success Stories

  Take an active approach to improving patient satisfaction Transparency Success Stories is a new...

• Replacement Heparin causes concerns about medication errors

  After Heparin containers were wiped from hospital shelves earlier this year after some were found...

• New report offers methods to reduce ED overcrowding

  The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has issued a report that suggests ways to...

• Quality down at hospitals that focus on care for poor

  The quality of care provided for patients at hospitals that typically care for the poor, sometimes...

• Some doctors apologize to patients when a medical error occurs

  Some hospitals are trying a new tactic when a medical error has occurred: Ask physicians and staff...

Issue 20, May 14, 2008

• Detroit-area hospital improves food to better patients’ stays

  Henry Ford West Bloomington Hospital is serving its patients higher quality food as part of an...

• MD perinatal care collaborative to continue

  The Maryland Patient Safety Center has decided to continue to finance its Perinatal Collaborative...

• Study shows patient toilets not cleaned appropriately, aids spread of CDAD

  One third of toilets of patients in a Canadian study were found to be insufficiently cleaned. The...

• VHA Foundation launches Healthcare Safety Network

  The VHA Foundation is launching a new initiative to train CEOs of healthcare bodies in areas of...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Patient Flow Solutions: Practical Strategies for Hospital Capacity Management

  Learn to manage patient flow If your ED suffers from capacity issues and overcrowding, your...

Issue 19, May 7, 2008

• CMS plans to add more preventable conditions to list

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to add nine more hospital-acquired...

• New Hampshire launches hand sanitation campaign to fight infectious diseases

  In an effort to reduce the number of infections transmitted among staff members and patients in the...

• Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority releases annual report, undertakes 11 new initiatives

  The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority released its 2007 annual report this week, outlining 11...

• Medically Induced Trauma Support Services launches new blogs

  Medically Induced Trauma Support Services (MITSS), a group aimed at clinicians, patients, and...

• Making Your Data Work: Tools and Templates for Effective Analysis

  Are you letting your data control you? The Joint Commission, state agencies, and others are...

Issue 18, April 30, 2008

• Maryland ED patients to be cared for by Delaware doctors electronically

  A program called Maryland eCare will allow six MD hospitals to have as many as 150 intensive care...

• AHRQ creates Web site for sharing innovation in healthcare

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has launched a Web site called the Health Care...

• ISMP develops guidelines to assist staff members when using automated dispensing cabinets

  The use of automated dispensing cabinets (ADC) is growing and because of that, the Institute for...

• Study: CDAD infection rates on the rise

  Rates of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) are on the rise as a new study shows that...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Pressure Ulcer Prevention: Develop a Zero Tolerance Program Through Evidence-Based Strategies

  Create a culture of awareness and improve patient care If you feel that your pressure ulcer...

Issue 17, April 23, 2008

• American Hospital Association suggests an end to physician self-referral

  On April 18, the American Hospital Association (AHA) asked Congress to ban any physician...

• Research suggests aggressive screening of healthcare workers for MRSA

  New research recommends that healthcare workers be screened aggressively and other measure should...

• AHRQ releases report on patient safety culture

  The AHRQ released its Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 2008 Comparative Database Report...

• GAO: Leadership needed to combat healthcare-acquired infections

  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report concerning the need for leadership...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: The Joint Commission's Suicide Risk Assessment NPSG aims to save lives-so why is compliance still such a challenge?

  The Joint Commission’s Suicide Risk Assessment NPSG aims to save lives—so why is...

Issue 16, April 16, 2008

• Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert about pediatric medication errors

  The Joint Commission’s most recent Sentinel Event Alert takes aim at pediatric medication...

• Institute of Medicine releases report on state of U.S. geriatric care

  The number of healthcare workers to manage the needs of the elderly, who make up nearly 20% of the...

• FDA and Wellpoint team up to launch drug surveillance system

  The US’ largest insurer is joining forces with the Food and Drug Administration to form a...

• NY nursing homes admit more patients for short-term stays

  New York nursing homes are having to take on many short-term patients in the wake of hospitals...

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Rapid Response Systems for Small Hospitals: Tips and Tools to Overcome a Lack of Resources audioconference

  Are you struggling for the resources necessary to create an effective rapid response system...

Issue 15, April 9, 2008

• Study: More intense care at end of life does not always mean higher quality of life

  A recent study from Dartmouth Medical School shows that patients who live in areas where superior...

• Reevaluation of hospital roles and waste have improved care at Wisconsin hospital

  Through a redefinition of doctor roles and the institution of a system better at locating waste...

• Study: Medical errors cause more than 230,000 deaths in 3-year span

  The most recent HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals study has shed light on an $8.8...

• Wellpoint to stop paying for 11 preventable errors

  Following in the footsteps of the Centers for U.S. Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Wellpoint...

• Editor’s Product Pick of the Week: Rapid Response Systems for Small Hospitals: Tips and Tools to Overcome a Lack of Resources

  Are you struggling for the resources necessary to create an effective rapid response system...

Issue 14, April 2, 2008

• Editor's Product Pick: Suicide Risk Assessment: Practical Strategies and Tools for Joint Commission Compliance

  Suicide Risk Assessment: Practical Strategies and Tools for Joint Commission Compliance offers the...

• Study shows stent procedures may be safe at small hospitals

  A new study released by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions shows that...

• Majority of physicians support creation of national health insurance

  The Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research at Indiana University's School of...

• First HCAHPS data released to Hospital Compare Web site

  The first Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data was...

• PA physicians told they will have to pay more for malpractice insurance

  Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania told physicians in the state they will be paying more for...

Issue 13, March 26, 2008

• APIC launches first C. Difficile study

  To better understand Clostridium Difficle (C. Difficle) and related diseases, the Association for...

• CA medication tracking system gets delayed

  The state of California has tried for five years to create a drug tracking system, which would be...

• Doctors must use tamper-proof prescription pads by April 1

  As of April 1, 2008, any written Medicaid prescriptions must be written on tamper-proof...

• AHRQ issues advice on becoming a "high reliability organization"

  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a paper to guide any hospital leaders...

• Editor's Product Pick: How to Comply With CMS and Joint Commission Restraint & Seclusion Requirements

  Are you ready to meet the revised restraint and seclusion requirements?How to Comply with CMS and...

Issue 12, March 19, 2008

• Editor’s Pick of the Week: Failure Modes and Effect Analysis: Templates and Tools to Improve Patient Safety

  Failure Modes and Effect Analysis: Templates and Tools to Improve Patient Safety will help guide...

• HCPro, Inc. launches new logo and tagline as part of its new corporate branding initiative

  HCPro, Inc. is launching a new corporate branding campaign designed to reflect the company's focus...

• Study: MRSA screening helps lower infection rates

  A new study from Evanston Northwestern Healthcare shows that screening for MRSA has lowered rates...

• Study: Hospitals improved in patient safety areas for five consecutive years

  A recent study called Trends in Patient Safety Adverse Outcomes and 100 Top Hospitals Performance...

• Oregon hospitals: Errors caused 24 deaths last year

  Oregon, the only state to employ a completely voluntary reporting system for medical errors, said...

• Proposed electronic medical record privacy bill struck down in NH

  New Hampshire lawmakers struck down a bill proposing increased privacy restrictions on electronic...

Issue 11, March 12, 2008

• National Patient Safety Foundation proposes idea of "Universal Patient Compact"

  To go along with the Consumer Bill of Rights, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has...

• FDA finds contamination in heparin samples

  The Food and Drug Administration found 5 to 20 % of heparin samples distributed by Baxter...

• Mayo Clinic Survey: Consumers want to be actively involved in healthcare reform

  A new survey from the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center says that Americans want to see healthcare...

• Death of FL patient brings use of agency nurses into question

  After an 80-year-old patient fell and hit his head in an emergency room in Plantation, FL...

• Editor’s product pick of the week: National Patient Safety Goals Calculator, 2008

  Are you complying with the 2008 National Patient Safety Goals? Ensure your hospital's success on...

Issue 10, March 5, 2008

• AHRQ releases annual reports on national healthcare quality and disparities

  The quality of healthcare at a national level got better by 2.3% each year from 1995 through 2005...

• ER at a DC hospital being specially built for future emergencies

  Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, is constructing a new emergency room (ER) with the...

• Maryland Hospital Association to offer public education about MRSA

  During March 2008, the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) is sponsoring an education series for...

• BCBS of MA: Financial benefits of EMRs not worth investment to doctors, but worth it for CPOE

  Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts estimates that doctors see 11 cents of every...

Issue 9, February 27, 2008

• U.S. government estimates healthcare-related spending to rise sharply in next decade

  An aging population and higher prices will cause healthcare spending to rise 6.7 percent annually...

• California falling behind other states in terms of tracking drug-resistant infections

  California has spent time collecting data about drug-resistant infections in the community, but not...

• Google tests waters of electronic health records

  In a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, Google will be piloting its electronic personal health...

• HHS okays use of IC checklists in Michigan program

  After saying that the use of checklists was an invasion of patient privacy, the Office of Human...

Issue 8, February 20, 2008

• Joint Commission warns of MRI dangers

  The Joint Commission recently released a sentinel event alert warning hospitals of the potential...

• Regulation for Patient Safety Organizations proposed by HHS

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed regulation that would establish...

• Study of six MA community hospitals finds one in 10 patients victim of error

  A recent study found medication mistakes affected one in every 10 patients at six Massachusetts...

• Arizona nurses protest in favor of Patient Protection Act

  Nurses in Arizona took to the state's capitol to protest in favor of the Arizona Patient Protection...

Issue 7, February 13, 2008

• Indiana Health Information Exchange program releases annual report

  One of the US's foremost health information collaborations, the Indiana Health Information Exchange...

• Federal government seeks to create patient safety organizations to collect and analyze adverse event data

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is accepting comment on a proposed rule that...

• Some CA hospitals choosing not to participate in online rating system

  Like many other states, California recently instituted a hospital online rating system, based off...

• More medication errors attributed to depression in residents than to burnout

  According to a new study reported in (BMJ) British Medical Journal more medication errors are...

Issue 6, February 6, 2008

• Aetna of New Jersey faces physician opposition on anesthesia use

  Aetna of New Jersey is dropping coverage of Propofol, a type of anesthesia, used during...

• Study: Costs associated with CDAD climb substantially

  Because incidence of Clostridium-difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) is on the rise, costs are also...

• Washington governor supports agreement between nurses and hospitals

  Union leaders and heads of the Washington Hospital Association have come to an agreement to...

• Connecticut Hospital Association announces effort to prevent MDROs

  On January 30, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) announced that it is hosting several...

Issue 5, January 30, 2008

• St. Louis hospital proposes plan to not directly employ ER doctors

  In an effort to increase patient flow, the leadership at St. Anthony's Medical Center, of St...

• ISMP survey shows that automated medication dispensing cabinets only safest when used correctly

  More than 800 people responded to a survey from the Institute for Safer Medication Practices about...

• New Massachusetts ruling may make doctors liable to anyone for risks of drug side effects and potential consequences

  A Dec. 10 decision by a Massachusetts court may allow for doctors to be held liable for any...

• Pennsylvania hospitals forced to use better infection control methods

  Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell has put his "Prescription for Pennsylvania" into effect, reports...

Issue 4, January 23, 2008

• Massachusetts hospitals report pressure ulcer data

  The Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) is releasing data from all Massachusetts hospitals on...

• The Joint Commission releases potential 2009 NPSGs for review

  The possible 2009 National Patient Safety Goals and new Implementation Expectations  have been...

• Senator slams HHS for failure to implement Patient Safety and Quality Act of 2005

  Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) called out the Department of Health and Human Services on January 17...

Issue 3, January 16, 2008

• Study finds longer ED wait times

  A new report from Health Affairs shows that between 1997 and 2004, the average time patients had to...

• FDA issues warning on two drugs that look and sound alike

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning for two drugs commonly referred to as...

• Two insurance companies to stop paying for hospital errors

  Two major insurance companies, Aetna and WellPoint Inc., have decided to stop paying for certain...

• Error reporting systems inadequate, say physicians

  A new study done by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says that physicians think error...

• Long-term care patients taking up too many hospital beds in Hawaii

  Hawaiian hospitals have been housing long term care patients as the state deals with a shortage of...

Issue 2, January 9, 2008

• Strategies not in place to stop catheter infections

  A new study from the University of Michigan reports that most hospitals are not using methods to...

• Government says data collection around checklists violates patient privacy

  The U.S. government has revoked funding for a program studying the effectiveness of checklists to...

• Some doctors deliver test results electronically

  Instead of calling patients with good or bad test results, some doctors are embracing new...

• FDA releases first quick test for MRSA

  The Food and Drug Administration has released a rapid blood test that will allow healthcare...

Issue 1, January 2, 2008

• Study: Hospitalists shorten a patient's average length of stay

  A study published in the December 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that the...

• Louisiana uses bidding system to fill nursing shifts

  To help lessen the effects of a large nursing shortage, two hospitals in Louisiana have started...

• Nuclear particle accelerators being used to fight cancer in hospitals

  Since 2000, nuclear particle accelerators have become more common to treat cancer, reports The New...

• KU hospital recognized for preventing sepsis

  The University of Kansas Hospital has been recognized again in 2007 for reducing deaths from sepsis...