JAMA: Nurses Key to Surviving Surgery
A study released in The Journal of the American Medical Association has found that surgical patients in hospitals with better nursing environments receive better care without drastically increasing costs. Researchers found the rate of 30-day mortality rates for postoperative patients was 4.8% at hospitals with more than 1.5 nurses per bed (NPB), while facilities with … Continued
FDA Releases Cybersecurity Recommendations for Medical Device Manufacturers
Cybersecurity threats to medical devices are a growing concern. The FDA took a proactive step last week and released draft guidance last week encouraging medical device manufacturers to address certain cybersecurity risks to keep patients safe. Manufacturers should look beyond the initial security measures implemented in a medical device and consider additional safety measures throughout … Continued
FDA validates revised reprocessing instructions for Model ED-530XT duodenoscopes
FUJIFILM Medical Systems issued revised reprocessing instructions late last month for Model ED-530XT duodenoscopes, according to a safety communication issued by the FDA. The instructions require exacting pre-cleaning, manual cleaning, and high-level disinfection procedures. While these revised reprocessing instructions are for Model ED-530XT duodenoscopes, the FDA is encouraging healthcare facilities that use Fuji’s 250 and … Continued
Massachusetts medical board proposes rules on simultaneous surgeries
Surgeons in the state of Massachusetts will have to document each time they enter and leave the operating room according to a new regulation approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, according to a recent report in The Boston Globe. Patients rarely know if they are sharing their surgeon with another patient, and … Continued
Process Improvements in the ED increase sepsis bundle compliance, reduce mortality
By improving compliance with the sepsis three-hour bundle, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center reduced patient mortality by 50% in just 90 days Effectively treating any infection requires a certain measure of early identification and rapid response. Infections, by their nature, worsen over time, so hospitals with successful care processes that rapidly identify and treat infections often see … Continued
ECRI Institute Issues Technology Hazards List for 2016
Reprocessing of flexible endoscopes rises to #1 hazard; failure to recognize clinical alarms, health IT errors and other issues remain perennial hazards. Every year hospitals are blindsided and patients are harmed by unexpected health technology hazards. Medical technology is intended to improve patient care, but even the best technology—if configured, used, or maintained improperly—can lead … Continued
New Sentinel Event Alert Focuses on Preventing Patient Falls
Preventing patient falls and fall-related injuries is the focus of the Sentinel Event Alert: Issue 55 released by The Joint Commission. The new alert examines the contributing factors to patient falls and includes suggested solutions to be implemented by health care organizations to help reduce patient falls and falls with injury, according to the press … Continued
AMA and MedStar Health Partner to Improve EHR Usability
In an effort to promote transparency around how electronic health records (EHRs) are designed and user-tested, and drive improvements in clinician support and patient safety, the American Medical Association (AMA) and MedStar Health’s National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare have developed a comparative EHR User-Centered Design Evaluation Framework that reveals a lack of focus … Continued
Medication Management Training Improves CMS Quality Metrics, New Study Finds
Scores improve in hospitalization, readmission and high-risk disease states A new study shows that medication management educational tools can improve key Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measures. Following a seven-month program developed by Prescriber’s Letter drug advisory service, Quality Independent Physicians (QIP) successfully decreased patient hospitalization across all disease states by 26%. … Continued
CMS Extends Funding for Hospital Engagement Networks
On September 25, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $110 million to 17 national, regional, or state hospital associations and health system organizations to fund a second round of Hospital Engagement Networks (HEN), which will extend through September 2016. The contracts are part of the Partnership for Patients, a nationwide public-private … Continued
