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In this month's issue of Case Management Insider, we will continue our discussion on case management roles, functions, and models, with more information on today's best practice models. We will explore the advantages of each model and minimum staffing ratios for each.
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With increasing scrutiny on medical necessity and cuts in reimbursement, along with a growing emphasis on care coordination and transitions in care, case management's position as a major player in the hospital should be assured. But that's not always the case.
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Despite the progress toward safe patient handling, about eight in 10 nurses still suffer from frequent musculoskeletal pain and six in 10 worry about having a disabling musculoskeletal injury, according to a 2011 online survey by the American Nurses Association in Silver Spring, MD.
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Hospitals have been put on alert to recognize fatigue among health care workers as a risk to patient safety. But for now, hospitals won't face any regulatory consequences for failing to address it.
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The housekeeper had always done a thorough job cleaning patient rooms, but lately her work was haphazard. When a supervisor pointed out things she'd missed, she said, "Oh, I must have forgotten." Forgotten? How could you forget how to do a job you'd done every day for 30 years?
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A federal advisory panel gave a boost to policies that require health care workers to receive the flu vaccine but stopped short of endorsing the strongest mandates. If health care employers can't achieve an influenza vaccination goal of 90% "in an efficient and timely manner," then they should "strongly consider an employer requirement," a subgroup of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) said.
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A new Washington state rule requires employers to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazardous drugs. The hazardous drugs control program must include:
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In a recent Sentinel Event Alert, the Joint Commission accrediting organization offered suggestions for health care employers to "mitigate the risks of fatigue that result from extended work hours and, therefore, protect patients from preventable adverse outcomes."
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Washington became the first state to issue a rule to protect health care workers who handle hazardous drugs a move that proponents hope will prompt other states to take similar action.
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A working group of the National Vaccine Advisory Group, which advises the Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), developed the following recommendations to improve influenza vaccination of health care workers. They were all recently approved by the full committee and are now under consideration for adoption by the HHS.
