The Joint Commission announces publication of the new “Patient Safety Systems” chapter in the 2015 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. The purpose of the chapter is to inform and educate hospital leaders about the importance and structure of an integrated patient-centered system that aims to improve quality of care and patient safety.

Less than half of healthcare providers say their electronic medical records (EMR) vendor cooperates well with other vendors.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) commends the Congress for passing the “Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014,” or IMPACT Act.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently issued a policy statement that underscores the importance of safe, accurate, and effective diagnostic tests by recommending that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) begin to actively exert its authority to regulate high-risk laboratory developed tests (LDTs) that are being utilized by physicians to make treatment decisions, including the tailoring of an individual’s cancer treatment regimen.

The Joint Commission has issued a new Sentinel Event Alert that addresses the risks of accidental medical tubing misconnections that can cause severe patient injury or death. 

New guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recommends monitoring of patients receiving opioids.

Home use of medical devices includes both prescription and over-the-counter products. Among prescription devices, some may be intended by the manufacturer to be used at home, and others may not have that intent but are provided nonetheless to patients by or through prescribers. All home use devices raise basic questions.