March / April Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue

March / April Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue 

March April Quality.JPG

March / April Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue

 

ON THE COVER 

How to create the 'aha moment' most nurses are​ missing: 5 questions with ANA's VP of innovation

When Bonnie Clipper, DNP, RN, asks a room full of nurses if​ they consider themselves to be innovators, the response is​ usually the same: only a few people raise their hands. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Patient relationships in the age of tech and 8-second​ attention spans: 5 Qs with Dignity Health’s SVP of​ Quality, patient experience

Meaningful patient encounters are​ the building blocks of high-quality​ healthcare and positive patient​ experiences. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Boston Children’s researchers​ tap machine learning for​ better flu surveillance

Researchers created a surveillance model that​ uses machine learning to provide highly accurate​ estimates of local flu activity, according to a study​ published in Nature Communications. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How CRISPR can help with​ antibiotic development

Researchers developed a way to use the gene-editing​ tool CRISPR to better understand pathogenic​ bacteria and their weaknesses, according to a study​ published in Nature Microbiology. CLICK TO CONTINUE

3 most, least rewarding​ parts of working as an RN

Most registered nurses enjoy that their work helps make a​ difference in people's lives, but many also feel frustrated​ with workplace politics and administrative duties,​ according to Medscape's Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2018. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Physician viewpoint: We must​ stop blaming patients for​ unhealthy lifestyle choices

Physicians must abandon the mindset that patients​ who practice unhealthy behaviors, such as​ smoking, are to blame for their illnesses or cancer,​ Monica Bhargava, MD, an Oakland, Calif.-based pulmonary​ and critical care physician, wrote in an op-ed for​ The Washington Post. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY

Computer model can help control MRSA​ ​outbreaks in hospitals

A computer-based model could help hospitals control outbreaks​ ​of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and identify​ ​MRSA patients who don’t show symptoms, according to a​ ​study published in eLife. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Drug-resistant bacteria may​ ​thrive in certain hospital sink​ ​drains, study finds

Hospital sinks stationed near toilets in patient rooms​ ​may act as reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing bacteria, according to a study​ published in the American Journal of Infection Control. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Boston Children’s researchers​ tap machine learning for​ better flu surveillance

Researchers created a surveillance model that​ uses machine learning to provide highly accurate​ estimates of local flu activity, according to a study​ published in Nature Communications. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Patient dies​ ​hours after being​ ​turned away​ ​from Wisconsin​ ​hospital

A patient at a Franklin, Wis., hospital​ ​died of heart disease hours after being​ ​sent home to wait for a bed to be​ ​freed up for him, according to the Milwaukee​ ​Journal Sentinel. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Johns Hopkins hospitals don’t always​ ​follow ‘basic safety rules,’ report claims

Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine has faced numerous allegations​ ​of “making preventable errors or setting aside basic safety​ ​rules” in recent years, which arguably contradicts its reputation as a​ ​national leader in patient safety, according to an investigative report​ ​from​ ​the Tampa Bay Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE


How Sentara hospitals use copper to​ ​drop infection rates

Copper-infused patient gowns, pillowcases, bed sheets, blankets​ ​and towels helped decrease infection rates at six hospitals owned​ ​by Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare, a study published in th​e ​Journal of Hospital Infection found. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Bill Gates: We​ ​aren’t ready​ ​for deadly flu​ ​pandemic

In his annual “What I learned at​ work this year” letter, Microsoft​ founder and philanthropist​ Bill Gates said he believes the​ next deadly epidemic will be the​ flu — and humanity may not be​ equipped to handle it. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Woman tests positive for hep B​ ​after sterilization breach at New​ Jersey clinic

A New Jersey woman tested positive for hepatitis B in January after undergoing​ surgery at a healthcare facility where infection control lapses potentially exposed​ more than 3,700 patients to HIV and hepatitis, reported Reuters. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Johns Hopkins hires former prosecutor to​ probe safety issues at All Children’s

The Johns Hopkins Medicine Board of Trustees appointed a former federal​ ​prosecutor to lead its investigation into patient safety issues at Johns​ Hopkins All Children’s Hospital’s Heart Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.,​ according to the Tampa Bay Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

UChicago Medicine cuts inpatient sleep disruptions​ ​with EHR tool

University of Chicago Medicine​ ​successfully reduced nighttime​ disruptions for patients by integrating​ a sleep-friendly tool into its EHR. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Half of young patients don’t get​ private time with physicians,​ study finds

Only about half of adolescents and young adults in the​ U.S. get private time with their physicians, according to​ a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Physician viewpoint: We must​ stop blaming patients for​ unhealthy lifestyle choices

Physicians must abandon the mindset that patients​ who practice unhealthy behaviors, such as​ smoking, are to blame for their illnesses or cancer,​ Monica Bhargava, MD, an Oakland, Calif.-based pulmonary​ and critical care physician, wrote in an op-ed for​ The Washington Post. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Patient relationships in the age of tech and 8-second​ attention spans: 5 Qs with Dignity Health’s SVP of​ Quality, patient experience

Meaningful patient encounters are​ the building blocks of high-quality​ healthcare and positive patient​ experiences. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

Accessible care more important to​ patients than care quality, survey says

Over half of patients (51.3 percent) say convenient, easily accessible​ care is the most important factor in their healthcare decision-making —​ ranking more important than care quality (34.6 percent), according to​ NRC Health’s 2019 Healthcare Consumer Report. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: Why removing access​ to healthcare is a moral issue

After a federal judge in Texas ruled the ACA is unconstitutional​ in December, Texas physician Hussain​ Lalani, MD, wrote that taking away patients’​ access to healthcare is morally flawed in an op-ed for The​ Dallas Morning News. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Why some hospitals are​ offering essential oils to​ surgery patients

More hospitals are using essential oils to help​ surgical patients with pain management, relaxation​ and nausea, according to an article​ from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP

How detecting false​ penicillin allergies​ helps physicians fight​ antibiotic resistance​ ​

More than 32 million U.S. patients have a documented​ penicillin allergy, but studies have found​ more than 95 percent can be treated safely with​ this class of antibiotics. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Researchers uncover key step to how​ antibiotic resistance spreads in hospitals

Researchers at St. Louis-based Washington University​ School of Medicine found a key step in the transmission​ of antibiotic resistance from one Acinetobacter​ bacterium to another, which helps reveal how drug resistance​ spreads through hospitals. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Late-career physicians more likely​ to prescribe long antibiotic courses

Physicians late in their career are more likely to prescribe antibiotics​ for longer durations, according to a study published​ in Clinical Infectious Diseases. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: 4 moments to change how antibiotics​ are prescribed

Four moments in the antibiotic decision-​making process can make all​ the difference in curbing antibiotic​ resistance, three physicians wrote in a​ JAMA commentary. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Wyoming hospital patient​ diagnosed with rare,​ drug-resistant infection

The Wyoming Department of Health on​ Jan. 9 confirmed a patient at Cheyenne​ Regional Medical Center was diagnosed​ with a rare, drug-resistant infection. CLICK TO CONTINUE

84% of patients receive antibiotics for​ infection-like symptoms, survey finds

Most patients who seek treatment for infection-like symptoms​ receive a prescription for antibiotics, according to​ the January 2019 IBM Watson Health-NPR Health Poll. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How CRISPR can help with​ antibiotic development

Researchers developed a way to use the gene-editing​ tool CRISPR to better understand pathogenic​ bacteria and their weaknesses, according to a study​ published in Nature Microbiology. CLICK TO CONTINUE

1 in 4 antibiotic prescriptions​ are unnecessary, study finds

Healthcare providers inappropriately prescribe​ antibiotics 25 percent of the time, according to a​ ​study published in The BMJ. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT

Why this tool​ to predict​ readmission​ risk may have a​ blind spot

The “LACE index,” a tool physicians​ and nurses often use to determine​ hospital patients’ readmission risk,​ may have a blind spot, according to research​ from Morgantown-based West Virginia​ University. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Hospital readmission improvements under​ Medicare program may be overstated

Success from the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which​ penalizes hospitals with high 30-day readmission rates among​ Medicare beneficiaries, may be overstated, according to a study​ published in Health Affairs. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Hospital insurance claims probably not​ best way to track SSIs, study suggests

Hospital claims data may not be adequate to track surgical site infections,​ a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

How machine learning can reduce tests, improve​ treatments for ICU patients

Researchers from Princeton (N.J.) University​ are using machine learning to design​ a system that could reduce the frequency​ of tests and improve the timing of critical treatments​ for intensive care unit patients. CLICK TO CONTINUE

5 stats on the dangers of​ surgical smoke

Smoke from surgical tools can pose serious health risks for​ clinicians in the operating room. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Early intervention with​ infectious disease specialist​ linked to lower death rates

Patients who received early intervention with​ an infectious disease physician experienced​ lower mortality rates and shorter​ lengths of stay, according to a study published in​ Clinical Infectious Diseases. CLICK TO CONTINUE 

Hospital-acquired conditions​ dropped nearly 1 million from​ 2014 -17

Hospital-acquired conditions fell by an estimated​ 910,000 from 2014-17, according to data released​ by CMS and the Agency for Healthcare Research​ and Quality. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Deaths linked to medical​ treatment have fallen in​ last 25 years

Mortality associated with the adverse effects of medical treatment​ has decreased modestly in the last 25 years, researchers​ report in JAMA Network Open. CLICK TO CONTINUE

How this New York​ hospital cut postoperative​ blood clots in half

New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi achieved a​ 53 percent reduction in deep vein blood clot cases in one year by​ implementing new postsurgical care protocols. CLICK TO CONTINUE

US News 'Best Hospitals'​ rankings to incorporate​ HCAHPS data

U.S. News & World Report will begin incorporating​ patient experience data, like a hospital's HCAHPS​ scores, into its "Best Hospitals" specialty rankings. CLICK TO CONTINUE

 

NURSING SPOTLIGHT

How to create the 'aha moment' most nurses are​ missing: 5 questions with ANA's VP of innovation

When Bonnie Clipper, DNP, RN, asks a room full of nurses if​ they consider themselves to be innovators, the response is​ usually the same: only a few people raise their hands. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Massachusetts nurse stabbed by former patient urges​ hospital safety changes

A nurse stabbed 11 times by a former​ patient at a Southbridge, Mass.,​ hospital has traveled across the U.S.​ to speak before hospital CEOs and CNOs, demanding​ action on improving hospital safety,​ ABC-affiliate TV station WCVB reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE

50 states ranked by amount of active nurses​ 

California contains the most​ professionally active registered​ ​nurses in the U.S., with​ 337,738 RNs, according to a ranking​ from the Kaiser Family Foundation. CLICK TO CONTINUE

3 most, least rewarding​ parts of working as an RN

Most registered nurses enjoy that their work helps make a​ difference in people's lives, but many also feel frustrated​ with workplace politics and administrative duties,​ according to Medscape's Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2018. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Hospitals with better nurse​ work environments have safer​ pediatric care

Hospitals that have better work environments​ for nurses provide safer care for the youngest​ — and often most vulnerable — patients, a study​ published in the Journal of Patient Safety found. CLICK TO CONTINUE

Viewpoint: Why this nursing 'rite of passage' is bullying​ in disguise

Giving new graduate nurses the busiest patient​ assignments as a "rite of passage" is really just another​ form of nurse bullying, travel nurse Mariam​ Yazdi, BSN, RN, wrote in an op-ed for Nurse.org. CLICK TO CONTINUE

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