Time Out Day for Patient Safety

June 14 is National Time Out Day , a Joint Commission and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) campaign to promote patient safety before, during, and after surgery. The organizations are also reminding healthcare facilities to commit to conducting a safe, effective time outs for each and every surgery.

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Using Data Analytics to Change Behavior

The data-analytics application works in conjunction with the smart pump system to create a continuous quality loop to strengthen patient safety, opportunities for improvement, and data-driven insights.

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Improving Collaboration Around Medication Management Programs

There are numerous reasons patients stop taking medication against their physician’s advice. They might feel better (or, thanks to side effects, feel worse). They might not be able to reach the pharmacy. The cost might be too steep. Then, of course, there is the potential for medications to be prescribed from a number of points of care, which is leading to more challenges regarding medication reconciliation. Whatever the cause, poor medication adherence has significant costs for both the individual and the health system.

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Five Years of Nursing Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital

Five years ago, PSQH spoke with Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, DNP, FAAN, about a new and exciting innovation in her hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) – an initiative that designated 12 Innovation Units, where a philosophy of relationship-based care and 13 evidence-based interventions could be safely tested. This March, we checked in to see how the initiative has fared.

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How to Get Readmission Rates Under Control

To say readmissions are a big deal in medicine is a massive understatement. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was enacted in 2010 specifically to take on this problem and has imposed nearly $1 billion in penalties. An estimated $17 billion in Medicare spending is spent annually on avoidable hospital readmissions.

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CMS Report Reveals Gender Disparities in Care Quality

Two of the most significant healthcare gender disparities are related to follow-up care and alcohol/drug treatment, according to Gender Disparities In Health Care in Medicare Advantage, a report released by the CMS Office of Minority Health in April based on 2015 data.

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Caucus Pushes for Telemedicine Expansion in Congress

When it comes to healthcare and congress, finding bipartisan support on anything is a daunting task. Politicians from both sides are coming together in support of new bills aimed at improving and expanding telemedicine services in the United States.

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