Quality & Patient Safety Newsletters

Briefings on Infection Control Briefings on The Joint Commission Patient Safety Monitor (Briefings on Patient Safety)

As part of your Patient Safety Monitor membership, you'll receive Briefings on Patient Safety. In this 12-page monthly newsletter, discover the regulatory news, best practices, and staff training ideas you need to successfully create a culture of patient safety in your facility. Don't miss another issue. Become a member of Patient Safety Monitor today!

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Patient Safety Monitor (Briefings on Patient Safety)

Issue 12, December 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Patient involvement in your own words

  At Florida Hospital DeLand, patient involvement has been on the agenda for years, but with a little...

• Real life examples help to curb illegible handwriting

  At Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, NM, Kathy Mosely remembers about 12 years ago when...

• New Jersey mandates patient safety reporting

  New Jersey is the latest state to post an annual report on patient safety. The state is poised to...

• Patient satisfaction surveys lead to better performance

  Eight years ago, when the state of Massachusetts unveiled how hospitals scored on patient...

• Measles and mumps outbreaks test state responses

  News reports have highlighted outbreaks of mumps and measles in various parts of the country this...

Issue 11, November 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Med rec copies help keep everyone on the same page

  The JCAHO has made a conscious effort to simplify how hospitals meet the medication reconciliation...

• Set protocols and use kits to reduce central-line infections

  Forced functions and evidence-based guidelines eliminate variability, reduce...

• Frequently asked questions about the 2007 National Patient Safety Goals

  Editor's note: The following is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the 2007 National...

• JCAHO issues updated listing of look-alike/sound-alike drugs

  In August, the JCAHO released an updated list of look-alike/sound-alike medications that hospitals...

Issue 10, October 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Staff stories affirm patient safety needs

  Storytelling can help to convince skeptical staff about the usefulness of many patient safety...

• A nutty idea for patient handoffs

  At Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, TN, staff are encouraged to "Just Go NUTS" during patient...

• Talk with your patients to focus their care

  Surveys can help to calibrate patient-centered care Last summer Alison S. Clay, MD, was stung...

• Quality Colloquium focuses on patient safety officers

  Patient safety officers want more support from management and more training to better meet the...

Issue 9, September 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Screen early and often for patient suicide risk

  At Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center in Redlands, CA, staff have started a suicide...

• Online tools help to reduce medication errors

  Johns Hopkins Children's Medical and Surgical Center in Baltimore has reduced medication errors...

• IOM: Communication, tools reduce preventable med errors

  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released a report and series of recommendations to help prevent...

• Clean hands are important during surveys

  With staff handwashing being such an easy item to observe, expect this National Patient Safety Goal...

Issue 8, August 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• 2007 NPSGs: Suicide risk and patient involvement

  Suicide risk assessment and patient communication are two new requirements in the JCAHO's 2007...

• Training with simulators to prepare for the floor

  Immersive training techniques help staff deal with real life, rare situations North Shore-Long...

• Host your own patient safety conference

  Alexian Brothers Hospital Network recently held a patient safety conference for its hospitals. The...

Issue 7, July 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Patient safety surveys help focus staff training

  Find a survey or tailor one to your facility At Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, TX, the...

• Measure understanding during handoffs

  A naval hospital uses an evaluation tool to determine whether information is understood At...

• Fly high with presurgery checklists

  The Air Force has developed a surgical checklist that's used before every surgery, according to Lt...

Issue 6, June 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Huddle up to stop patient falls

  Use team approach to learn from your mistakes At Elmhurst (IL) Memorial Hospital, Education...

• Use Web tools to teach patients

  Web site hosts low-literacy and multilingual materials Patients come from vastly different...

• Smart Cookies go to the head of the class

  Use games as a way to teach staff and have fun The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) and...

• Noninvasive pressure ventilation can lead to infection, pneumonia reduction

  Using noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) when a patient exhibits the early stages of...

Issue 5, May 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Use mnemonics to help with the National Patient Safety Goals

  Memory tools will help you remember the patient safety goals The JCAHO's National Patient...

• Use colored wristbands carefully

  Limit colors, coordinate with other hospitals The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority has put...

• What's in a name? What's in two?

  Use e-mail alerts, stickers to identify patients with similar names There are only so many...

• Improve handoffs with I PASS the BATON

  Technique offers more comprehensive communication between caregivers Complying with a new...

Issue 4, April 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Keep ICU medication errors in check

  Use these seven tips to improve ICU safety Better communication, legible writing, fewer...

• Adapt IHI initiatives to fit your hospital

  With tweaking, smaller facilities can make initiatives work National patient safety initiatives...

• Staffing plan data available to public in MA

  New initiative gives public information unit by unit in every acute-care facility Staffing data...

• Four ways to keep your hands clean

  Use these ideas to further your own efforts for cleaner hands With hand hygiene continually a...

Issue 3, March 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Celebrate patient safety awareness week by hosting a room of horrors

  Hosting a room of horrors is an easy and fun way to educate staff about the hidden dangers that...

• Condition H: Giving families a say with rapid response teams can save lives

  Rapid response teams (RRT) are gaining popularity in hospitals nationwide. The teams, which are...

• JCAHO issues med rec Sentinel Event Alert

  Accrediting body stresses importance of closely monitoring patient medications The JCAHO on...

Issue 2, February 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The proposed 2007 National Patient Safety Goals at a glance

  Rapid response teams, patient suicide prevention, worker fatigue, and disruptive behavior are among...

• Frequently asked SBAR questions

  Root-cause studies have found that miscommunication is involved in more than 60% of sentinel...

• IHI campaign on track to save 100,000 lives

  The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is closing in on its goal to save 100,000 lives by...

• Use assessment tools to help reduce patient falls

  Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Patient Falls Assessment and Prevention by...

Issue 1, January 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Putting hygiene in patients’ hands

  Educating patients can increase handwashing compliance Did you wash your hands? Patients at...

• Examine your process to improve patient flow

  Assume nothing is sacred when making changes Improving patient flow is a critical step to...