Going Lean Can Reduce Risk, Improve Care
Johns Hopkins researchers found that most errors stem from systemic problems such as poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks, the absence or underuse of safety nets, and other protocols. Healthcare organizations have begun to give such risks the attention they deserve—and some are using Lean principles to do so.
Becoming a High-Reliability Organization Through Shared Learning of Safety Events
Successful focus on and prevention of relapse requires leaders at all levels to constantly employ mindfulness through a concern over failure as a core strategy in maintaining reliability. Organizations commit to resilience through embracing human-factor failures and rapidly learning from them when they occur.
Should You Conduct Allergy Testing for Asthma Patients in Primary Care?
Up to 60% of adults and 90% of children with asthma may have allergic triggers. That connection is part of why the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma recommend specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) testing to look for allergic sensitizations that may be contributing to inflammation.
Anesthesiologists Play Critical Role in Identifying Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea
While sleep apnea affects 9%–24% of the general population—or 29.4 million American men and women, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)—more than 90% of cases remain undiagnosed.
Berwick Outlines 7-Step Campaign for the Quality Movement
Berwick urged healthcare providers to embrace his unabashedly progressive agenda that looks beyond their own immediate needs and margin pressures, and actively confronts the root causes of the vast social and moral issues that ultimately affect the health of humanity, such as a lack of access to food, shelter, healthcare, and hope.
IHI Looks to Expand ‘Age-Friendly’ Health Systems
The initiative, Age-Friendly Health Systems, uses evidence-based framework called the 4Ms: what matters to older adults; medication that is age friendly; attending to mentation, including delirium, depression, and dementia; and mobility, so seniors can maintain function.
Hospital Splits This Payroll Expense 50/50 With Local Payer to Curb ER Overuse
Rather than shouldering the full cost of employing a full-time ED social worker, the hospital partnered with local insurer South Country Health Alliance. They struck a deal and signed a contract agreeing to split the personnel expense 50/50, beginning in 2012.
The Relationship Between Supply Chain and the Frontline Clinician
The intent of this paper is to begin filling the void in the literature as to the importance of the clinician and supply chain relationship and its impact on achievement of the Quadruple Aim, and to make recommendations for alignment between frontline clinicians and the supply chain. This paper will also contend that an “invisible” healthcare supply chain represents a high-functioning, efficient supply chain as clinician needs are being met, resulting in quality care administration among other areas of impact.
Industry Focus: Evaluating Sources of Patient Experience Data
In addition to comments, there is plenty of quantitative data related to the patient experience. Most organizations, regardless of sector (long-term care, home health, emergency department, ambulatory surgery centers, clinics, hospitals) have some kind of survey related to their patients’ experiences.
Using Digital Dashboards to Reduce Wait Times
Known in the industry as e-consultations, the telemedicine platforms help connect PCPs with specialists to help improve care management and care coordination for patients. The services are being touted as a cost-effective way to expand access to care and improve outcomes, as well.