Patient Safety & Outcomes

4 ways COVID-19 is affecting labor and delivery care

The COVID-19 pandemic is radically changing labor and delivery care for pregnant women nationwide, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Leaked Henry Ford letter outlines care rationing plans

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System developed a policy on how to ration care in case the system runs out of ventilators and intensive care unit beds, reports NPR affiliate Michigan Radio.

Premier Inc. survey: more than two-thirds of senior living facilities say they can’t access personal protective equipment needed for COVID-19 containment plans

A recent survey performed by Premier reports that more than two-thirds of senior living facilities in the United States cannot obtain the necessary N95 masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment needed for COVID-19 containment plans.

Pandemic puts organ transplants on hold for critically ill patients

In anticipation of a COVID-19 patient surge and lack of space in intensive care units, some hospitals have limited transplant procedures, leaving thousands of Americans waiting for new organs in the lurch, according to NBC News.

Racial discrimination widespread at Missouri VA hospital, employees allege

More than 20 current and former employees at the Kansas City (Mo.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center claim they've faced years of racial discrimination while working at the facility, FOX4 News reported earlier this month.

The Joint Commission suspends regular surveys

The Joint Commission has suspended regular accreditation and certification surveys to let healthcare organizations concentrate on the new coronavirus pandemic, according to a letter sent out by the accrediting agency.

Discharge criteria for common diagnoses cuts length of stay for kids, study shows

Establishing criteria for discharge from the hospital for the most commonly diagnosed conditions can help hospitals reduce length of stay among children, according to a study published in Hospital Pediatrics.

Older adults with these risk factors unlikely to survive a year after surgery

Older adults with poor physical function and mental cognition were more likely to die within a year of undergoing major surgery, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.

1 dead, 6 sickened after OpenBiome fecal transplants, FDA says

One patient died and four were hospitalized after receiving OpenBiome stool transplants as a treatment for Clostridium difficile, the FDA said in a March 12 safety alert.

Nonprofit wins FDA contract to make tool assessing medication safety habits

The FDA has awarded a contract to a nonprofit organization to create a tool to assess medication safety practices in healthcare settings, from the time of patient admission to discharge from the healthcare facility.