PSQH: The Podcast Episode 63 – Getting Back to Basics With Hand Hygiene
On episode 63 of PSQH: The Podcast, Megan DiGiorgio, senior clinical manager at GOJO Industries, talks about getting back to basics with hand hygiene.
Discuss Any Revisions to Masking Policies With Your Staff, IC Experts
The CDC recently revised its guidance on COVID-19 universal masking, but consult with your staff and infection control experts before making changes to your organization policies. The guidance from CDC and CMS has been revised several times over the last few months, including the final days in September.
Researcher: Paxlovid is ‘Game Changer’ in Treatment of COVID-19
The recent study examined data from more than 560,000 patients who could have been treated with Paxlovid from March 1, 2022, to Aug. 1, 2022. Among these patients, 146,000 received Paxlovid and 421,000 did not receive the oral antiviral medication.
How Behavioral ‘Nudges’ Help Patient Engagement—and Improve Provider Experience
A new JAMA Network Open study has found that patient engagement technology can significantly increase the number of patients who get, and stay, vaccinated. By using text reminders, automated vaccine reservations, and other techniques like links to vaccine verification, providers can leverage technology to keep patients engaged and healthy as the industry continues to work through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing Rural Healthcare Disparities With Patient Movement Data
As the conversation turns to rebuilding the resiliency of our healthcare system, disparities in care are top of mind for many organizations. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as on rural and poor populations, has shown the extent of our healthcare accessibility gaps.
OSHA: Look for Final COVID Rule, Emerging Infectious Disease, Workplace Violence Standards
In addition to a final rule on COVID-19, the agency is working on standards covering emerging infectious diseases and workplace violence in healthcare, said OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor Doug Parker in an address at the National Safety Council’s 2022 NSC Congress & Expo in San Diego.
One PHE Declared as Another is On Its Way Out—Maybe
On August 4, two days after appointing a national monkeypox response team, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared the infectious disease a U.S. public health emergency (PHE). Cases are now being reported in all U.S. states and some territories.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 60 – Using Reminders to Boost COVID Vaccination Rates
On episode 60 of PSQH: The Podcast, Jeff Gartland, CEO of Relatient, talks about using technological reminders to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Even After Infectious Outbreaks, Nursing Home Staffing May Never be Fully Replaced
The study, Staffing Patterns in US Nursing Homes During COVID-19 Outbreaks, noted that significant staffing declines during a severe COVID-19 outbreak continued even as much as 16 weeks after the outbreak’s start. And even though facilities temporarily increased hiring, contract staff, and overtime to boost staffing, these measures did not fully replace lost staff—particularly certified nursing assistants.
Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance Following COVID-19
Before COVID-19, deaths from antimicrobial resistance were headed in the right direction, decreasing by nearly 30% in hospitals between 2012 and 2017. But in 2020, resistant hospital-onset infections and deaths both increased by 15% compared to 2019.