Antibiotics Market ‘Fragile and Failing,’ Report Says
There is an ongoing struggle between antibiotic resistant infections—superbugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—and the makers of antibiotics. The global death toll is alarming, with more than 1.2 million people dying annually, and estimated mortality expected to reach 10 million people annually by 2050.
Ongoing Pandemic Stretching Health Systems and Hospitals to Their Limits
The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest public health crisis in generations. The pandemic has strained health systems and hospitals on several fronts, including staffing, supply chain, and finances. In 2020 and 2021, health systems and hospitals received financial assistance from the federal government, but that assistance is dwindling.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 47 – How to Improve Interoperability and Outcomes
On episode 47 of PSQH: The Podcast, David Lareau, CEO of Medicomp Systems, talks about how new tools are needed to improve interoperability and patient outcomes.
Tackling Healthcare Disparities Begins in the C-Suite
In a report on the importance of diversity in the healthcare workforce published in 2021, Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACP, FTOS, expressed the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities when pursuing their medical degrees compared to those from majority groups. In a survey of about 3,500 healthcare professionals, the findings showed that minorities and women were less likely to rank their organization as “culturally competent.”
CMS to States: Enforce Vaccine and Other Patient Safety Requirements or Else
CMS published a warning to states that if they are contracted with the federal agency to carry out health and safety surveys that failure to carry out their responsibilities, including enforcing the new vaccine requirement, will result in a reduction of federal funds to the state’s survey offices.
NAHQ: Quality Professionals and Quality Work Essential During Crises Such as Coronavirus Pandemic
The pandemic has posed some of the greatest challenges to the healthcare sector in generations, and quality professionals have played key roles such as operating crisis command centers, activating telemedicine programs, and developing safety protocols for healthcare workers and patients.
Add Sleep Problems to the List of COVID-19 Challenges for Nurses
On the frontlines of the pandemic, nurses have faced staffing shortages, an early lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), intense fatigue, and being witness to unparalleled suffering, death, and grief, and these ongoing stressors have taken a toll on their mental health and well-being.
At Nursing Homes, Long Waits for Results Render COVID Tests ‘Useless’
More nursing homes are waiting longer for COVID-19 test results for residents and staffers, according to federal data, making the fight against record numbers of omicron cases even harder. The double whammy of slower turnaround times for lab-based PCR tests and a shortage of rapid antigen tests has strained facilities where quickly identifying infections is crucial for keeping a highly vulnerable population safe.
How Digital Health Lays the Groundwork for Future Healthcare Strategy
Baptist Health is one of many health systems using digital health to improve its ICU services and connect care providers throughout the Arkansas-based 11-hospital network, improving care at the bedside and enabling small, rural hospitals to reduce transfers and care for more patients. Executives say the platform, which has been in use for roughly 14 years, allows them to coordinate care from the main hospitals in Little Rock and give outlying hospitals with fewer resources the support they need.
Please Share Your Input on Patient Safety
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a brief survey that examines patient safety and quality improvement.