PSQH: The Podcast Episode 59 – Increasing the Adoption of Advance Directives
On episode 59 of PSQH: The Podcast, Michael Cousins, Chief Analytics Officer at Lumeris, talks about efforts to increase the adoption of advance directives.
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.
Misinformation Can Be Catastrophic for Cardiovascular Patients
There is a lot of medical information and education on cardiovascular disease, particularly on the internet. But with that comes the problem of misinformation. Finding trustworthy information can be challenging, and relying upon wrong information can have health ramifications. Just because something is on the internet does not mean it’s medically true.
Researchers Find Decreased In-Hospital Adverse Events from 2010 to 2019
The new research article, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is based on data collected from more than 244,000 adult patients hospitalized in 3,256 hospitals from 2010 to 2019.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 57 – The Importance of PAH Patients Returning to In-Person Visits
On episode 57 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dr. Sean Studer of Janssen and Dr. Patricia George, pulmonologist and board president at Team Phenomenal Hope, talk about the need for pulmonary arterial hypertension patients to return to in-person care visits.
Addressing the Challenge of IV Dislodgement
IV dislodgements happen on a daily basis, so common that everyone in the hospital environment is aware of them. Whether it’s a caregiver tripping over tubing or a patient rolling over in their sleep, these incidents are understandable. But because they’re so universal, IV dislodgements cost the U.S. healthcare system as much as $2 billion annually.
Six Strategies to Reduce Patient Discharge and Care Transition Risk
Four in 10 hospitals have struggled to appropriately discharge patients due to staffing shortages. Moreover, 86% of hospitals say COVID-19 has made it harder to secure placement for discharged patients. With the lack of postacute care staffing, health systems are under pressure to extend the length of hospital stays—making the cost of care dramatically more expensive.
Lessons Learned From the RaDonda Vaught Case
Change does not happen overnight; it takes time, strategy, and concerted effort. Take the U.S. commercial aviation industry, for instance. Over the past 20 years, the sector has decreased its overall fatality rates by 95%. This was achieved with the support of the Federal Aviation Administration, which worked with the industry to form a number of programs that monitor for and ensure compliance, like the Commercial Aviation Safety Team.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 55 – Lessons Learned From the Vaught Case
On episode 55 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dr. Michael Ramsay, CEO of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, talks about lessons learned from the RaDonda Vaught case and how to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Urgent Call Made to Improve Patient Safety
Patient safety has been a pressing issue in healthcare since 1999, with the publication of the landmark report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Despite two decades of attention, estimates of annual patient deaths due to medical errors have risen steadily to as many as 440,000 lives, a figure that was reported in the Journal of Patient Safety in 2013.