CMS Announces Standardized Quality Measures
CMS and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released seven quality measures yesterday that aim to reduce the cost of measuring clinical quality while supporting multi-payer alignment on core measures for physician quality programs. The new measure sets will improve informed consumer decision-making, reduce variability in measure selection, collection burden, and cost, according to CMS. “In … Continued
C.diff Infection Raises Hospital Costs by 40% per Case
By Alexandra Pecci, for HealthLeaders Media
Treating Clostridium difficile adds about $7,285 in hospital costs per patient, not including readmissions, research finds.
It can be difficult to quantify the exact economic burden of C. diff on hospitals and the health system as a whole. But a recent study puts a dollar amount on the cost of C. diff, that number is not only big, but also likely underestimated.
Published in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the study found that C. diff-associated diarrhea (CDAD) increases hospital costs by 40% per case and puts those infected at high risk for longer hospital stays and readmissions.
Spectra 900 UVC Overhead Light Disinfection System for Labs, Operating Rooms, and Telemedicine
Spectra254, a provider of UVC light disinfection solutions, has released the Spectra 900 Series Overhead Cleaning System, a fixed decontamination system similar to a ceiling light fixture that kills MRSA, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), and other pathogens. Using three custom-built germicidal bulbs with protective FEP sleeves, the Spectra 900 Series Overhead Cleaning System is appropriate … Continued
Adverse Events: Recognizing, Reporting, Analyzing
While we must continue to emphasize to all members of the care team that they are the front line to preventing errors, taking a systems or holistic approach will greatly assist in making adverse events rarer. Aiding in the implementation of the latter are many companies that provide incident reporting, analysis, and review systems.
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
AHRQ Report Finds Gaps in Evidence for Best Ways to Clean Hospital Rooms
A new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviews clinical studies examining methods for cleaning and disinfecting hospital rooms to prevent healthcare-associated infections. The literature reviewed also covered strategies for monitoring rooms for cleanliness and “contextual” factors, such as organizational culture, that influence implementation and effectiveness of room cleaning. The … Continued
AHA Recognizes Hospitals with the Equity of Care Award
Grants & Awards Award honors hospitals for promoting diversity, reducing health disparities. Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, are both winners of the American Hospital Association’s second annual Equity of Care Award. The AHA award recognizes hospitals for their efforts to reduce healthcare … Continued
ANA Panel Aims to Prevent Violence, Bullying in Healthcare Facilities
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has convened a panel of experts to make recommendations on preventing and reducing workplace violence, bullying, and incivility, behaviors identified by research as particular problems in healthcare settings.
Strengthen Your Resolve: No Unlabeled Containers Anywhere, Ever!
Just when you think you’ve made significant headway with a persistent unsafe practice, an error creeps up, and disappointment sets in. The error serves to remind you just how vulnerable patients are to human error, and to expose the fact that strategies you may have thought were in place to prevent the error are either ineffective or not implemented in all areas of the organization.
Update Clinical Communication Strategy, Not Just the BYOD Policy
Step into most healthcare facilities and you will notice that while community physicians are openly using their smartphones, employed clinicians are carrying voice-only phones, multiple pagers, or wearable voice-activated two-way communication devices provided by their employers. Hospitals report that 67% of nurses use their personal smartphones for clinical communications, while 89% of hospitals say they do not allow nurses to use them during their work shift (Spyglass Consulting Group, 2014).