July / August Issue of Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
ON THE COVER
50 Experts Leading the Field of Patient Safety | 2018
Becker’s Hospital Review is pleased to release the 2018 edition of the “50 experts leading the field of patient safety” list. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Are hospital readmissions an accurate quality measure? These 2 researchers aren’t so sure
CMS rolled out its Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in 2012, transforming hospital readmissions into a widely accepted measure of hospitals’ care quality among payers and other policymakers. CLICK TO CONTINUE
How Intermountain researchers are helping smaller hospitals cut antibiotic use
Researchers at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health completed a study establishing how community hospitals with fewer than 200 beds can create antibiotic stewardship programs that aim to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria growth, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. CLICK TO CONTINUE
INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY
Physicians claim Mississippi children’s hospital had ‘pervasive mold and cockroaches’
More than 30 physicians have left Batson Children’s Hospital, part of Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center, in recent years, including several pediatricians who are now working for a new local competitor. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Jackson Health had most MRSA infections in US for 2017
Miami-based Jackson Health System reported 61 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections for the year ending in June 2017, a higher tally than any other U.S. hospital, according to CMS data cited by the Miami Herald. CLICK TO CONTINUE
New York state’s proposal to implement mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios aims to protect patients from harm, but these rigid rules may take the state backward on patient safety progress, Bea Grause, RN, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, argued in the Times Union. CLICK TO CONTINUE
The Joint Commission implemented a sentinel event policy in 1996 to help hospitals improve patient safety and learn from adverse events, including unexpected deaths and serious physiological or psychological harm to patients. CLICK TO CONTINUE
In 2017, three patients suffered from medication errors at Boston Children’s Hospital, including one patient who waited 14 hours for an antibiotic and later died, according to a state and federal inspection report cited by The Boston Globe. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Healthgrades honors 458 hospitals for patient safety
Healthgrades — an online resource for information on hospitals and physicians — announced the recipients of the Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award and the Healthgrades 2018 Outstanding Patient Experience Award. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Researchers are working on tech to monitor handwashing in hospitals 24/7
Physicians and computer scientists are installing depth sensors and various monitors in hospital hallways, near patients’ bedsides and in operating rooms to monitor staff 24/7 and improve hand hygiene compliance, The Wall
Street Journal reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Infection prevention programs may need up to 66% more staffing
A study published in American Journal of Infection Control examined a nonprofit health system’s approach at quantifying the actual number of infection preventionists and support staff needed for a successful infection prevention program. CLICK TO CONTINUE
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
How Mount Sinai is harnessing the power of bright light to boost patient satisfaction
A clinical trial at New York City based Mount Sinai Health System is testing whether brighter lights in cancer patients’ rooms during the morning can boost their mood and help them sleep through the night, The Wall Street Journal reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Study: Negative online physician reviews fail to reflect patient satisfaction survey responses
Patients who give physicians negative reviews online do not give similar responses in formal patient satisfaction surveys, according to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. CLICK TO CONTINUE
US News adds patient experience ratings to physician profiles
U.S. News & World Report teamed up with patient feedback management solutions provider Binary Fountain to publish patient experience ratings on a number of its physician profile pages. CLICK TO CONTINUE
CMS gives 213 hospitals 5 stars for patient experience
CMS updated its Hospital Compare website April 25, revealing new Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems summary star ratings for 3,466 hospitals, with 213 hospitals earning five stars, according to a notification from the Advisory Board. CLICK TO CONTINUE
What patients & caregivers value most during care transitionsduring care transitions
Boston Medical Center researchers examined the care transition values that are most important to patients and caregivers. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Study: Patients don't care if physicians have tattoos or piercings
Although hospitals may aim to control how providers visually present themselves to patients, whether a physician has visible tattoos or piercings does not affect patient satisfaction levels, according to a study published in Emergency Medicine Journal. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Physicians and patients differ on concept of good communication, study finds
Physicians, patients and peer clinical reviewers gave significantly different ratings for physicians' communication skills, signaling physicians may not fully know what patients consider to be good communication, a study published in Annals of Family Medicine found. CLICK TO CONTINUE
50 Experts Leading the Field of Patient Safety | 2018
Becker’s Hospital Review is pleased to release the 2018 edition of the “50 experts leading the field of patient safety” list. CLICK TO CONTINUE
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP
How Intermountain researchers are helping smaller hospitals cut antibiotic use
Researchers at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health completed a study establishing how community hospitals with fewer than 200 beds can create antibiotic stewardship programs that aim to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria growth, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Patients in warmer climates face higher risk of drug-resistant infections
Research from Boston Children’s Hospital and the University of Toronto in Canada revealed patients who live in warmer climates may face a greater risk of acquiring a drug-resistant infection, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change. CLICK TO CONTINUE
5 questions on antibiotic susceptibility testing with Accelerate DiagnosticsAccelerate Diagnostics
Preliminary data indicate the rate of sepsis mortality related to overall patient deaths is dropping at University Health Care System in Augusta, Ga. CLICK TO CONTINUE
3 barriers to nurse engagement in antibiotic stewardship
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control examined nurses’ confidence in engaging in antibiotic stewardship practices, as well as barriers to engagement. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Vast majority of preterm babies receive early antibiotic therapy
A majority of premature infants in the U.S. are given antibiotics, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Global antibiotic shortages are fueling superbugs: 5 report findings
Global antibiotic shortages, caused by a fragile drug supply chain, are contributing to the rise of multi-drug resistant bacteria known as superbugs, according to a report from the Access to Medicine Foundation. CLICK TO CONTINUE
The first known epidemic of extensively drug-resistant typhoid has infected approximately 850 people in Pakistan across 14 districts since 2016 and is anticipated to disseminate globally, according to data from the National Institute of Health Islamabad cited by The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
How pharmacists are slashing readmission rates at a Philadelphia hospital
Pharmacist interventions at Philadelphia-based Einstein Medical Center cut the hospital’s 30-day readmission rate by more than half for traditional Medicare patients, according to a study published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Fewer medical mistakes saved hospitals $2.9B from 2014 to 2016
The rate of hospital-acquired conditions, including infections, injuries from falls and harm from medication errors, fell 8 percent from 2014 to 2016, saving the industry $2.9 billion and preventing about 8,000 deaths, according to preliminary data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. CLICK TO CONTINUE
CMS unveils $25B quality improvement program
CMS seeks to combine various Medicare quality improvement programs under a single contract worth up to $25 billion, the agency announced May 15. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Are hospital readmissions an accurate quality measure? These 2 researchers aren’t so sure
CMS rolled out its Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in 2012, transforming hospital readmissions into a widely accepted measure of hospitals’ care quality among payers and other policymakers. CLICK TO CONTINUE
‘Time’s up’: California exchange insurers to drop in-network hospitals missing safety marks
Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange established under the ACA, will require participating payers to kick hospitals out of their network if they don’t reach certain safety and quality measures, WBUR reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE
State-by-state breakdown of hospital admission rates
The Kaiser Family Foundation compiled a state-by-state breakdown of hospital admission rates per 1,000 population from 1999 through 2016 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. CLICK TO CONTINUE
CMS postpones July hospital star ratings update
CMS did not update the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on its Hospital Compare website in July — marking the second consecutive year the agency postponed the midsummer update, the American Hospital Association reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE