Social Determinants of Health Measures, Baked into the EHR, Are Improving Patient Care
A Florida health system is putting social determinants of health (SDOH) right into the electronic health record problem list, where doctors can see and act on them. Spearheading this initiative is Jennifer Goldman, DO, chief of Memorial Primary Care at the six-hospital Memorial Healthcare System, based in Hollywood, Florida. In this interview with HealthLeaders, Goldman explains how SDOH is embedded in the EHR and used to improve outcomes.
Six Low-Cost ‘Action Items’ to Recruit and Retain Nurses
While nearly half (46%) of the 86 respondents to the management consultant’s 2022 State of Healthcare Improvement Report say that reducing labor costs provides the greatest opportunity for cost reductions, virtually all of the respondents (98%) say they’re bumping up starting wages, 84% are offering signing bonuses, 73% are offering retention bonuses, and 47% are paying for more overtime hours.
13.9% of Adults Who Test Positive for COVID-19 Experience Long COVID, Study Finds
The new research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, features survey data collected from more than 16,000 adults who experienced a test-confirmed COVID-19 illness.
CMS Revises COVID-19 Vaccination Memos to Combine Survey Instructions as Infection Rates Decline
One of the revisions, highlighted in red, notes that “egregious noncompliance” such as more than half the staff unvaccinated, will be cited as a condition level deficiency. Instances of noncompliance where “good faith” efforts to comply are ongoing would only be a standard-level deficiency.
Want to Solve Your Workforce Shortages? Grow Your Own Staff
Many healthcare executives say workforce shortages are their top challenge as the country emerges from the crisis phase of the coronavirus pandemic. Health systems, hospitals, and physician practices nationwide are struggling with workforce shortages in clinical and nonclinical roles.
Frailty and Probable Dementia Risk Factors for Mortality After Major Surgery for Older Adults
The new research article, which was published by JAMA Surgery, features data collected from 1,193 major surgeries involving 992 community-living older adults from 2011 to 2017. The data was drawn from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services fee-for-service Medicare claims and the National Health and Aging Trends Study. The definition of major surgery included any procedure performed in an operating room with general anesthesia.
Survey Finds Chronic, Widespread Shortages of Allied Care Professionals
A survey of 1,005 healthcare venues by the Dallas-based healthcare staffing recruiter found that 85% of respondents say they are experiencing a shortage of allied healthcare professionals “a great deal,” “a lot” or “a moderate amount,” while 82% report hiring new graduates over the last 12 months to address ongoing staffing shortages. Only 15% responded “a little” or “not at all.”
ECRI: Healthcare Organizations Must Address Racist Behavior in the Workplace
The majority of the racist incidents involved patients and family members making inappropriate comments related to race or ethnicity. These comments can have a negative impact on the mental health of healthcare providers—leading them to consider leaving their jobs at a time when workforce shortages are a significant problem at healthcare organizations.
International Infection Prevention Week Resources From PSQH
As International Infection Prevention Week wraps up, we want to thank infection preventionists for all the hard work they do every day. In Friday’s issue of Patient Safety & Quality Insider, we’re recapping the content we ran this week for IIPW.
Review Needlestick Training After ER Nurse Acquires Monkeypox
Remind clinical staff and others about sharps safety now that the CDC has confirmed an emergency department nurse contracted monkeypox in Florida from a needlestick. It is the first healthcare-acquired monkeypox case in the United States since a public health emergency was declared earlier this year.