Tighter Focus on Nursing Home Infection Control Offers More Effective Patient Safety
Duties of an on-site infection preventionist would include gathering and reporting data on different infections to the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and doing rounds through the facility to observe direct care practices, providing coaching and feedback if necessary. If a resident had previously been treated for an infection, the preventionist would follow up with them.
Executive Briefing: TJC to Trim Requirements Starting January 1, 2023
TJC will be looking for requirements that are now obsolete or unnecessary, President and CEO Jonathan Perlin said, and will “eliminate standards and elements performance that don’t add commensurate value,” noting “that’s where the cost is, that’s where the burnout is.”
New Study Touts Value of In-Person Training for Patient Portal Use
New research conducted at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and published in JAMA Network Open finds that patients who are trained by their healthcare providers in person will have a better grasp on how to use digital tools than those who use videos for their education. This means that healthcare organizations should emphasize and invest in hands-on training if they want to see the full benefits from patient portals.
Telehealth Diagnoses Match In-Person Clinical Visit Diagnoses in 86.9% of Cases, Study Finds
The recent research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, examines data collected from more than 2,000 Mayo Clinic patients who had telehealth diagnoses followed by an in-person visit diagnosis for the same clinical concern in the same specialty within 90 days.
5,217 Nurses Were Assaulted on the Job Just in Q2 2022
Press Ganey’s analysis was based on findings from 483 facilities in its National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®). The analysis also defined assault as any encounter involving deliberate forcible, unwanted physical or sexual contact, regardless of whether there is intent to harm.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 61 – Fighting the Rise of Antimicrobial Resistance
On episode 61 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dr. Anthony Senagore, senior medical director of PolyPid, talks about the trend of rising antimicrobial resistance.
Survey Time: Check Your Ice Machine Outlets, Brush Up on IC, Staff Safety
The Joint Commission (TJC) is still catching up on the surveys backlogged during the COVID-19 pandemic—but they are catching up. Be aware that you might soon be getting a notice that your survey is scheduled, although you still won’t be told an exact date because CMS requires the visits to be unannounced.
One PHE Declared as Another is On Its Way Out—Maybe
On August 4, two days after appointing a national monkeypox response team, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared the infectious disease a U.S. public health emergency (PHE). Cases are now being reported in all U.S. states and some territories.
CMS Revised Guidance Offers Nursing Homes Flexibility in Nurse Aide Training
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a revised guidance that will provide waivers to allow nursing homes to continue certifying TNAs beyond the deadline to keep staffing at safer levels. In the early days of the COVID-10 pandemic, CMS enacted several temporary public health emergency blanket waivers intended to provide healthcare providers needed flexibility to respond to the pandemic.
4 Hot Topics at HealthLeaders Chief Medical Officer Exchange
The HealthLeaders Exchange program features peer-to-peer interactions to address industry challenges. The intimate conference format of small-group breakout sessions encourages open conversation and deep networking.