Hospital Peer Review – July 1, 2003
July 1, 2003
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JCAHO’s clinical alarm safety goal requires teamwork, collaboration
As quality improvement professionals tackle the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations patient safety goals, one of the goals is proving to be more challenging and confounding than the others. -
Walking tour could reveal problems with clinical alarms
A walking tour of each patient care area that includes clinical alarms could reveal both problems and solutions you might not otherwise consider, says Britton Berek, CCE, MBA, associate director of the standards interpretation group for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. -
Reader Question: Satisfaction data essential tool in accreditation
Question: Our hospital routinely surveys patients and family members to gauge satisfaction with our services, but so far we havent really used those results in our accreditation efforts. -
QI project cuts patients’ chronic pain dramatically
A quality improvement project at a Michigan long-term care facility resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of chronic pain among its residents from 33% in March 2000 to 18% currently. -
Research institutions prepare for accreditation
The Partnership for Human Research Protection recently announced the approval of final standards for a new accreditation program to safeguard the interests of human subjects participating in research efforts. -
The Quality-Cost Connection: Before implementing changes . . . simulate!
Whether your organization is seeking to reduce process inefficiencies or eliminate the chance of unintended patient harm, action taking is a critical step in the improvement cycle. The cycle involves devising a new or improved process, implementing changes, monitoring the effects of changes, making further adjustments where necessary, and continuing to monitor. -
Discharge Planning Advisor: System’s LOS shrinks as DP, UM functions are combined
Daily bed alerts, emergency department (ED) case management, and an express admit unit for direct admits from physician offices are among the initiatives that help streamline operations at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network in Allentown, PA. -
Discharge Planning Advisor: CHF readmissions decline as med needs addressed
A discovery that came out of a congestive heart failure (CHF) project led to a Medication Mission that is improving quality of life and reducing readmission rates for patients at St. Joseph Health Center in Warren, OH. -
Patient Safety Alert Supplement