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Quality & Patient Safety
The quality/patient safety department assists hospitals with meeting The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals, addressing CMS patient safety-related regulations, ensuring patient satisfaction, and improving the overall quality of care.
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Top Stories
- From the Patient Safety Monitor Blog: GAO says not enough information yet about PSO system to assess progress
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was required by the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 to assess the effectiveness of the law by February 1, 2010. In its report released on January 29, the GAO found that although the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in conjuntion with the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS), has taken action to carry out the intent of the Patient Safety Act. However, because much of the action took place within the last year (final regulations became effective on January 19, 2009), the GAO is unable to evaluate at this time if the intent of the Patient Safety Act is being carried out.
- HealthGrades releases annual study, shows top hospitals are improving faster
HealthGrades has released its eight annual HealthGrades Annual Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence study and the results show that the top five % of U.S. hospitals are improving faster than the rest of the field. The same top hospitals have a 29% lower risk-adjusted mortality rate. The information on which these conclusions are based comes from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data for 26 patient outcomes at all non-federal hospitals in the country from 2006 through 2008.
- From the Patient Safety Monitor Blog: Patient safety group asks congress to include device identification system in health reform bill
Members of the Advancing Patient Safety Coalition (APSC) wrote a letter to congressional leaders yesterday requesting they leave language in the final health reform bill that calls for the creation of a unique device identification (UDI) system.
- From the Patient Safety Monitor Blog: OIG says adverse event reporting systems vary by state
The Office of Inspector General released a memorandum last week saying that there is no standardized method of collecting adverse event information nationally, and that state systems vary on how they define and manage this information. The memorandum, mandated by the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, outlined the results of an examination of adverse event reporting systems in 17 states, as well as eight Patient Safety Organizations and CMS "never events."
- From the PSM blog: Governmental agencies release electronic health records standards
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health released two regulations that provided the definition of "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs) as well as the standards to improve the efficiency of health information technology used nationwide by hospitals and physicians.
- Patient Safety Monitor Blog’s top 7 posts of 2009
The Patient Safety Monitor Blog take a look back at the seven blog posts that garnered the most views in the last year. What is interesting about this list is not all of the items are news-related. Many are highlighting simple patient safety solutions or broader issues in the field.
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Spotlight
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The CMS Joint Commission Crosswalk 2010 Edition
In a practical, side-by-side table format, the book walks you through each of the CMS Conditions of Participation (CoP) and relates them to corresponding Joint Commission standards and elements of performance for 2010.