Hospital Peer Review – December 1, 2004
December 1, 2004
View Issues
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Publicly reported data on the rise: Act now to work that to your advantage
A patient is about to be admitted to your hospital but first goes on-line to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations new Quality Check web site. -
Consider risks of sharing quality data with public
If your organization is ranked as having lower mortality rates for heart attack patients than any other hospital in your community, your public relations staff probably would want to jump all over this for their next promotional campaign. -
Anesthesia awareness alert is call to action
If an obviously upset patient told a nurse that he thought he remembered his surgery taking place, would appropriate steps be taken, or would the patients complaint be dismissed or ignored? -
Coming patient safety law will have dramatic impact
If a devastating medical error occurred at your organization, would all the involved parties feel free to discuss the circumstances candidly and openly? Too often, the answer is no, and with good reason, says Jeffrey Driver, chief risk officer and director of the risk management department at Stanford (CA) Hospital & Clinics and presi-dent of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management. -
You’ll soon need to update your PPR every year
As of Jan. 1, 2006, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations will require your organization to complete or update its periodic performance review (PPR) once a year, as opposed to every three years. Does this sound like an additional burden for your already overworked staff? If so, you may not be using the PPR as you should. -
The Quality-Cost Connection: Move from measurement to data intelligence
The subject of health care performance measurement has to date focused on two main topics: What should be measured and how to design efficient measurement systems. -
Prepare your hospital for a very unusual flu season
With the unprecedented shortage of influenza vaccine this flu season, hospitals are scrambling to prepare for what may be a record number of flu patients presenting to their already overcrowded emergency departments (EDs) and for staff shortages due to record absenteeism. -
Patient Satisfaction Planner - Poor communication: Root of most patient safety ills
A 54-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain, and the emergency physician performed an initial evaluation, including an electrocardiogram and cardiac markers, but they didnt reveal a diagnosis. -
Patient Satisfaction Planner - Shift bidding: Hospitals see boost in staff morale
A number of hospitals across the country have found they can drastically reduce the cost of staff salaries, while at the same time ensuring full nursing shifts, through shift bidding. This on-line vehicle also has been shown to boost staff morale while improving patient care and satisfaction.