Surgeons Take Sides on Transplant Proposal
Proponents claim a new donor liver allocation plan would be more equitable for patients; foes say it could raise costs and close programs.
Patient Identification Deficiencies Plague Quality of Care
Before receiving care at a medical facility – before even seeing a doctor or a nurse – every patient has to go through the simple registration process.
But that seemingly simple process is rife with complications that can linger throughout every step of a patient’s stay, creating the potential for inefficient care, unnecessary tests, and serious medical errors.
HRSA Awards Grants to Improve Primary Care and Telehealth in Rural Communities
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is awarding more than $16 million in grants for providers serving rural communities. Sixty rural communities in 32 states will receive grants. Seven rural health research centers will also be beneficiaries.
ACS Lays Out Attire Guidelines for Surgeons
By Alexandra Wilson Pecci In addition to reflecting patients’ preferences for a professional manner of dress, the attire guidelines for surgeons also incorporate concerns over quality of care and patient safety. Wearing soiled scrubs in front of family members, letting surgical masks dangle, and leaving large sideburns uncontained during surgery are all no-nos for … Continued
Advancing the Role of Nursing, Optimizing Quality Clinical Care
By Dan O’Connor, RN As health information technology (IT) continues to evolve, leveraging more clinical information and adapting to changes in quality reporting, informatics is assuming a larger role in nursing practice. A new and exciting role outside traditional nursing, nursing informatics integrates data, information, and knowledge to support patient and provider decision-making through information … Continued
MACRA Targets Meaningful in Meaningful Use
By Barry P. Chaiken, MD, MPH The 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) opened the way for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to streamline the quality improvement and healthcare information technology programs it built over the past several years. Since the passage of the 2009 HITECH Act, the quality … Continued
To Do No Harm, Rethink How to Measure Hand Hygiene
By Paul Alper, BA Primum non nocere is a Latin phrase that means, “First, do no harm.” It is a precept taught to healthcare students around the world and paraphrased in the Hippocratic Oath. Unfortunately, a vast amount of avoidable harm still takes place in healthcare settings worldwide. The good news is that a new … Continued
Community Circles: Transforming Care in Downeast Maine
By Holly Gartmayer-DeYoung, BSN, MBA Each morning, Eastport, Maine, is the first city in the United States to see the sunrise. Among the contiguous United States, Eastport has the deepest natural harbor (Fallows, 2014), one that buzzed with industry and prosperity during the 19th century and well into the 20th. The city’s fortunes have largely … Continued
Health IT & Quality: Why Things Matter
By Barry P. Chaiken, MD, MPH Compared to automobiles made just a few years ago, new ones provide an amazing driving experience. Expanding beyond the CD changer and iPod® dongle, automobiles now integrate our smartphones and use voice recognition technology, allowing drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. In addition to this … Continued
Using Automated Surveillance to Improve Diagnosis
By Tom Scaletta, MD, CPPS Every day, healthcare becomes more complex, and with that complexity comes a growing need to focus on reducing diagnostic errors. A recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Improving Diagnosis in Healthcare (Balogh, Miller, & Ball, 2015), estimates that 5% of adults seeking outpatient care experience a diagnostic error, while one … Continued