Hospital Peer Review – August 1, 2008
August 1, 2008
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Look closely at processes to prevent these hospital-acquired infections
Health care-associated infections due to multiple drug-resistant organisms, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections. The Joint Commission's new National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) for 2009 require you to implement evidence-based practices to prevent all three of these. -
Here are key changes for existing NPSGs
In an effort to clarify the requirements of its Universal Protocol, The Joint Commission has made several revisions and additions, effective Jan. 1, 2009. -
You'll need this data on patient QI involvement
The national focus on patient-centered care isn't just about teaching patients to become more engaged in self-management of their careit also means putting patients on committees and advisory boards to participate in the process of developing quality programs. -
Are you getting patients involved in their care?
If a patient noticed a health care provider didn't wash his hands, or suspected she was being given an incorrect dosage of medication, would she hesitate to speak up about her concern? -
Joint Commission focuses on pediatric drug errors
Medication errors harm roughly one out of 15 hospitalized children, according to a new study. Researchers reported an 11.1% rate of adverse drug events in pediatric patients. Of those, 22% were deemed preventable, 17.8% could have been identified earlier, and 16.8% could have been mitigated more effectively. -
Use proven strategies for error disclosure to patients
A growing number of organizations are disclosing errors to patients, but this can be disastrous if handled poorly. -
Bar codes help improve safety in operating room
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston have shown that using bar-code technology to augment the counting of surgical sponges during an operative procedure increases the detection rate of miscounted and/or misplaced sponges. Their research is published in the April 2008 issue of the Annals of Surgery.