July / August 2019 Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue

July / August Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue

July August.JPG

July / August Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue

 

INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY

‘Beyond horrifying’: Cardiologists warned UNC

Children’s of heart program issues Cardiologists at UNC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill expressed erious concerns about the safety and quality of the hospital’s pediatric heart surgery program in 2016, after noticing an uptick in surgical complications and deaths, according to a 7,000-word investigative report from The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Healthcare professionals tune out messages to wash their hands

Pictures of eye images and messages encouraging compliance with social norms failed to improve adherence to hand hygiene protocols among healthcare professionals in a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. CLICK TO CONTINUE

6 insights into endoscope reprocessing and how to ensure guideline adherence

Endoscope reprocessing is still an issue of utmost importance, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Training lapses may have led to rise in C. diff infections at VA hospital

Failure to adequately train housekeeping staff may have contributed to growing rates of potentially deadly infections at Loma Linda, Calif.-based Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital, according to a report released June 18 from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How 1 health system saved $515K with antiseptic bathing

Bathing every patient in chlorhexidine gluconate decreases the infection rate and cost of numerous healthcare-associated infections, according to a study presented June 12 at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Conference in Philadelphia. CLICK TO CONTINUE

MD Anderson patient died after contaminated blood transfusion, CMS says

A 23-year-old leukemia patient died after receiving a contaminated blood transfusion at MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a CMS report made public June 24 and cited by the Houston Chronicle. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Nurse understaffing linked to higher HAI risk

Nurse understaffing increases the risk of healthcare-associated infections in hospital units, a study published in the Journal of Nursing Administration found. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Over 60 patients allege sterilization negligence at Porter Adventist Hospital

Sixty-seven patients and 22 spouses filed a lawsuit June 15 against Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver, claiming the hospital caused infections and death due to improper equipment sterilization, according to The Denver Post. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Why zero harm is a realistic goal for every hospital

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare has a single, important mission: help health systems reach zero harm. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Pennsylvania hospital cited over 2 patient care incidents

State health officials cited Lancaster (Pa.) Behavioral Health Hospital over two patient safety incidents that occurred in spring 2019, reported WPMT FOX43. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Nurses raise patient safety concerns at U of Chicago Medical Center

Nurses at University of Chicago Medical Center claim the hospital is violating several laws linked to staffing and overtime, which poses a threat to patient safety. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: Hospitals must lift veil of secrecy around superbug outbreaks

Hospitals must work to eliminate the “climate of secrecy” that surrounds superbug outbreaks without creating misplaced fear in patients, Matt McCarthy, MD, an infectious disease physician Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Patient dies from fecal transplant, FDA warns

The FDA alerted healthcare providers June 13 that at least one patient has died after receiving a fecal transplant containing drug-resistant bacteria. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Ohio hospital confirms hot water system source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

Mount Carmel Grove City (Ohio) hospital confirmed bacteria in its hot water system caused a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak resulting in 16 confirmed cases and one death. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Deadly fungal infection can spread through skin shedding, study finds

Patients heavily colonized with Candida auris can contaminate their surroundings by shedding the deadly fungus from their skin, research found. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: Patients have the right to not know their prognosis

It is important that terminally ill patients be able to choose whether they are informed of their prognosis, BJ Miller, MD, a hospice and palliative care specialist at the University of California San Francisco, and Shoshana Berger, an editorial director at Ideo, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Hospitals with fewer services receive more 5-starpatient experience ratings

Patients are more likely to give five-star ratings for patient experience to hospitals that offer fewer services, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: 4 vaccine misconceptions physicians should address with patients

Physicians have a responsibility to provide patients with a solid foundation of information on vaccines, Amitha Kalaichandran, MD, a resident physician of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, wrote in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Familial support best way to engage patients in their health, survey shows

When it comes to engaging patients in their health goals, support from friends and family outranks support from clinicians or financial rewards, according to an NEJM Catalyst patient engagement survey. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: Patients’ lies to providers must be addressed

It is imperative that physicians form more collaborative, trusting relationships with their patients to encourage more honest conversations about their health, Angela Fagerlin, PhD, department chair of population health sciences at Salt Lake City-based University of Utah School of Medicine, argues in an op-ed for AAMC News. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Teamwork is main driver of patient loyalty, Press Ganey finds

The main driver of patient loyalty in hospitals and medical practices is teamwork between clinicians, according to a report from Press Ganey. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: Why hospitals should think twice about disrupting patients’ sleep 

Hospitals should limit unnecessary sleep disruptions for patients, as poor sleep can hinder the healing process, a physician wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Hospitals are glamorizing the mammogram

Hospitals are stepping up the game at their imaging centers to woo women to undergo mammogram screenings regularly, The New York Times reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Why this surgeon emails patients’ family members before surgery

Benjamin Schwartz, MD, a gynecological surgeon at Northwell Health’s Southside Hospital in Bayshore, N.Y., implemented an additional step to standard preoperative protocols: He emails patients’ loved ones to learn more about them before surgery. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Scripps CXO: How to make patient experience part of employees’ daily routines

To improve patient experience, healthcare employees must always keep patients’ needs top of mind, Ghazala Q. Sharieff, MD, corporate vice president and chief experience officer at San Diego-based Scripps Health, wrote in an article for Harvard Business Review. CLICK TO CONTINUE

VA hospitals use storytelling to strengthen patient-provider relationships

About 40 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country are looking to use storytelling as a method for improving patients’ relationships with their healthcare providers, according to NPR. CLICK TO CONTINUE

IU Health rolls out star ratings for 450 facilities: 3 things to know

Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health is rolling out online patient star ratings for about 450 of its facilities, reported Inside Indiana Business. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP

71% of Americans aware of antibiotic resistance, yet confusion remains: 4 report findings

Seventy-one percent of the public says they have heard of and know the meaning of antibiotic resistance, according to a data note from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Drug-resistant staph found on most nursing students’ cellphones

Contamination of medical students ‘cellphones with drug-resistant bacteria is not uncommon, according to research presented in June at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Francisco. CLICK TO CONTINUE

WHO urges adoption of antibiotic resistance tool

The World Health Organization launched a global campaign to encourage adoption of a tool designed to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance. CLICK TO CONTINUE

3 best metrics or assessing antimicrobial stewardship practices

Health experts identified new best practices that could help hospitals improve antimicrobial stewardship programs, according to an article published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Prolonged antibiotic exposure common after patient discharge, study finds

Nearly 40 percent of antibiotic exposure occurs after a patient has been discharged from the hospital, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Genome sequencing could help hospitals track superbug transmission, researchers say

Whole genome sequencing may be an effective method to track the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals, according to research presented June 23 at the American Society for Microbiology’s annual meeting in San Francisco. CLICK TO CONTINUE

5 tips for sustainable antibiotic use

The creation of new antibiotics could help solve the global antimicrobial resistance crisis, but must be paired with more disciplined, strategic use of the medications, according to a paper published in Evolutionary Applications. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Sepsis patients with higher ED triage scores get antibiotics faster, study finds

Emergency department sepsis patients with higher acuity scale scores get their antibiotics sooner than their counterparts with lower scores, giving them a greater chance at survival, researchers found. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Antibiotic guidelines ignored for most kids with community-acquired pneumonia, study finds

Even though the routine use of diagnostic testing and antibiotics is not recommended for children with community-acquired pneumonia, a study found that these patients do commonly undergo several tests, and most are given antibiotics. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Patient, physician education can cut inappropriate antibiotics by 32%

Educating physicians and patients about safe antibiotic practices could cut inappropriate prescriptions by nearly one-third, according to a study published in Academic Emergency Medicine. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Gene that makes salmonella resistant to antibiotics found in US patient

Researchers have found a gene that makes the salmonella bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics in a human patient in the U.S. CLICK TO CONTINUE

1 antibiotic course could create resistance in children, study finds

A single course of antibiotics could increase antibiotic resistance in children, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT

How 1 hospital saved $322K in 4 months with a new sepsis strategy

East Norriton, Pa.-based Einstein Medical Center Montgomery established a new process for treating patients with sepsis, which saved the hospital over $300,000 in four months, decreased patients’ lengths of stay and reduced patients' time spent on broad-spectrum antibialiotics, according to Heo. CLICK TO CONTINUE

American College of Surgeons’ new standards for geriatric patients: 4 things to know

The American College of Surgeons’ Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery released a set of updated care standards in July after four years of research and planning, according to The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Patients may have worse outcomes when surgeons act unprofessionally

Patients of surgeons who act unprofessionally in the operating room are more likely to experience surgical complications, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery. CLICK TO CONTINUE

‘Weekend effect’ on hospital care quality a myth, study suggests

The “weekend effect,” defined as differences in patient outcomes fort hose admitted on weekends compared to admissions on weekdays, may not be a “reliable indicator of care quality” on weekends, according to a study published in BMJ Open. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How this St. Louis hospital cut C-section rates with better communication

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis has reduced its cesarean section rate to 12 percent, in part due to improved provider communication, according to a case study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. CLICK TO CONTINUE

AHRQ aims to prevent 1M diagnostic errors annually by 2025

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality hopes to prevent 1million diagnostic errors per year by 2025, according to a blog post on the organization’s website. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: How whiteboards could help hospitals cut C-section rates

Improved communication may be the missing piece of the puzzle for hospitals trying to lower their cesarean-section rates, journalist Allison Yarrow wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Centers of excellence not linked to lower mortality, readmission rates

Hospitals designated as centers of excellence do not always achieve better patient outcomes, suggest the findings of a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How this Georgia hospital is addressing high maternal mortality rates

Georgia has the highest maternal mortality rate of all states at 46.2 deaths per 1,000 births, but Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Gwinnett Medical Center is working to change that, reported the Gwinnett Daily Post. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How Penn Medicine is tackling sepsis readmissions

Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine is working to reduce sepsis readmissions and improve life after sepsis for survivors with anew post-discharge care pathway. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

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