The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Catholic Health Partners (CHP) announced a new partnership to reduce preventable harm throughout CHP’s nine regional health systems. IHI will work closely with CHP – the largest health system in Ohio and which includes 34 hospitals serving people in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania – on a large-scale patient safety initiative that will assist CHP in developing exemplar hospitals that will help spread best practice improvements across the CHP organization.
IHI and CHP recently began the initial phase of this partnership, which is intended to realize the Institute of Medicine’s six Aims for Improvement – health care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable.
“This partnership with Catholic Health Partners provides an extraordinary opportunity to take evidence-based improvements to scale in the states served by Catholic Health Partners,” said IHI President and Chief Executive Officer Maureen Bisognano. “We look forward to implementing this initiative and drawing on IHI’s wealth of experience in spreading proven improvement practices across the United States and around the world.”
“Over the past 10 years, CHP has striven relentlessly to improve clinical quality and enhance patient safety. Our objective is to harm no patient. Nothing exemplifies our mission better or is as foundational to our strategic direction and annual plans,” said CHP President & CEO Michael D. Connelly. “Now, in partnership with IHI, our intention is to continue to reduce inpatient mortality, eliminate preventable harm, achieve nationally-designated quality measures and increase patient satisfaction.”
Designed by IHI, the initiative with CHP aims to accelerate CHP’s deployment of a cadre of professionals equipped with enhanced improvement and safety knowledge; implement a set of tested and proven changes to improve patient safety within selected hospitals, with the intent of creating a set of exemplar hospitals to spread improvement across the CHP system; and collaborate with leaders at all levels of CHP.
IHI modeled this approach after its Safer Patients Initiative (SPI) in the UK. Building on their experience with SPI, IHI has expanded this work to other systems and countries, such as the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, the Danish Society for Patient Safety and programs with the National Health Service in England.
About CHP
Catholic Health Partners is the largest health system in Ohio and one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S. With $5.05 billion in assets, CHP employs nearly 38,400 associates in more than 100 organizations, including 34 hospitals which serve the health needs of people in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and contiguous states. True to its mission, in 2009 CHP provided $348.2 million, or 8.7 percent of total expenses, in targeted community benefit. CHP earned national ranking as a Top 10 Health System for quality and efficiency in both 2009 and 2010 by Thomson Reuters, which studied more than 250 health systems across the country. CHP is proud that its diverse associates provide high quality care.
About IHI
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (www.IHI.org) is an independent not-for-profit organization that works with health care providers and leaders throughout the world to achieve safe and effective health care. IHI focuses on motivating and building the will for change, identifying and testing new models of care in partnership with both patients and health care professionals, and ensuring the broadest possible adoption of best practices and effective innovations. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, IHI mobilizes teams, organizations, and increasingly nations, through its staff of more than 100 people and partnerships with hundreds of faculty around the world.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Massachusetts General Hospital Expands Deployment of LiveData OR-Dashboard
LiveData, Inc. announced that Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has expanded its deployment of LiveData OR-Dashboard to five additional operating rooms. LiveData, a leader in team communication tools and operational analytics, reported that the system is now being deployed in one pediatric and four cardiac ORs, to go along with the existing Operating Room of the Future and two general surgery ORs.
In addition to these six rooms, MGH will open their new Lunder Building in June, 2011, equipping all 28 new ORs with OR-Dashboard. At that time, the 28 new and six existing ORs will also be equipped with OR-Dashboard's latest feature, Active Time Out, which automates Safe Surgery Checklist protocols that have been advocated and/or mandated by such organizations as the Joint Commission and World Health Organization.
LiveData OR-Dashboard presents essential information about the patient and surgical case to the entire OR team in real-time, integrating data from patient records, administrative systems, physiological monitors, and medical devices. Presented on a large, flat panel display in the OR, the dashboard is visible from anywhere in the OR, and is updated automatically throughout the perioperative process.
“These deployments demonstrate a real commitment, one that can only result from an ongoing and longstanding record of success," said LiveData CEO Jeff Robbins. "The experience at MGH highlights how LiveData’s people and products continue to advance the state-of-the-art in practical patient safety systems. We are proud of the way our relationship has evolved over these past years, and appreciate the confidence represented in this growing commitment.”
The project, bringing together teams from Massachusetts General Hospital and LiveData, goes back almost six years, since OR-Dashboard was conceptualized and co-developed, at the Operating Room of the Future, by MGH clinicians in collaboration with LiveData’s engineering team. After the initial deployment of OR-Dashboard, LiveData and MGH have continued to develop the ongoing technology and clinical applications.
Improvements such as the Active Time Out are a natural outgrowth of the business relationship. Active Time Out functionality automatically displays checklist items precisely when needed. Impossible to ignore, these electronic checklists are visible from every area of the OR. Everyone sees the same information at the right time. The checklists include key safety steps for perioperative care that have been shown to significantly reduce complications and deaths from surgery.
"The LiveData system automatically presents key patient information to the entire team. Everyone sees the same information at the same time, and this enhances effective communication and helps the team adhere to essential safety protocols,” explained Phil Brzezinski, Vice President of Healthcare Systems at LiveData. “Patient safety is improved by the flow of information from the intraoperative phase into the PACU (recovery). Our next project will address the entire perioperative process, from pre-op through intra-op and post-op. We strive to significantly improve the quality of the patient’s hand off, not only from the pre-op area but especially from the OR to recovery.”
About LiveData
LiveData is a leading innovator in real-time data integration and display technology. The company’s solutions gather data from any number of sources, coordinate it with team workflow, and present it as meaningful information on easy-to-read graphic displays. Leading medical institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, have selected LiveData OR-Dashboard to improve patient safety, team communication, and perioperative efficiency. Founded in 1991, LiveData is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Information is available at www.livedata.com.
In addition to these six rooms, MGH will open their new Lunder Building in June, 2011, equipping all 28 new ORs with OR-Dashboard. At that time, the 28 new and six existing ORs will also be equipped with OR-Dashboard's latest feature, Active Time Out, which automates Safe Surgery Checklist protocols that have been advocated and/or mandated by such organizations as the Joint Commission and World Health Organization.
LiveData OR-Dashboard presents essential information about the patient and surgical case to the entire OR team in real-time, integrating data from patient records, administrative systems, physiological monitors, and medical devices. Presented on a large, flat panel display in the OR, the dashboard is visible from anywhere in the OR, and is updated automatically throughout the perioperative process.
“These deployments demonstrate a real commitment, one that can only result from an ongoing and longstanding record of success," said LiveData CEO Jeff Robbins. "The experience at MGH highlights how LiveData’s people and products continue to advance the state-of-the-art in practical patient safety systems. We are proud of the way our relationship has evolved over these past years, and appreciate the confidence represented in this growing commitment.”
The project, bringing together teams from Massachusetts General Hospital and LiveData, goes back almost six years, since OR-Dashboard was conceptualized and co-developed, at the Operating Room of the Future, by MGH clinicians in collaboration with LiveData’s engineering team. After the initial deployment of OR-Dashboard, LiveData and MGH have continued to develop the ongoing technology and clinical applications.
Improvements such as the Active Time Out are a natural outgrowth of the business relationship. Active Time Out functionality automatically displays checklist items precisely when needed. Impossible to ignore, these electronic checklists are visible from every area of the OR. Everyone sees the same information at the right time. The checklists include key safety steps for perioperative care that have been shown to significantly reduce complications and deaths from surgery.
"The LiveData system automatically presents key patient information to the entire team. Everyone sees the same information at the same time, and this enhances effective communication and helps the team adhere to essential safety protocols,” explained Phil Brzezinski, Vice President of Healthcare Systems at LiveData. “Patient safety is improved by the flow of information from the intraoperative phase into the PACU (recovery). Our next project will address the entire perioperative process, from pre-op through intra-op and post-op. We strive to significantly improve the quality of the patient’s hand off, not only from the pre-op area but especially from the OR to recovery.”
About LiveData
LiveData is a leading innovator in real-time data integration and display technology. The company’s solutions gather data from any number of sources, coordinate it with team workflow, and present it as meaningful information on easy-to-read graphic displays. Leading medical institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, have selected LiveData OR-Dashboard to improve patient safety, team communication, and perioperative efficiency. Founded in 1991, LiveData is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Information is available at www.livedata.com.
Cerner Corporation and Baxa Sign Reseller Agreement
Cerner Corporation and Baxa Corporation have signed a strategic reseller agreement for the Baxa DoseEdge™ Pharmacy Workflow Manager. Cerner Corporation (Nasdaq: CERN) and Baxa Corporation have signed a strategic reseller agreement for the Baxa DoseEdge Pharmacy Workflow Manager. The agreement enables Cerner to market and resell the Baxa DoseEdge System as part of an integrated Cerner offering. Cerner clients now have access to a broader suite of solutions and certified integration for dose tracking from compounding to delivery.
"The agreement expands our offering and positions Cerner to continue increasing interoperability across the medication process," says Tom Herzog, Cerner vice president, IT and medical device technologies. Dennis Schneider, Baxa senior VP of marketing and business development, agrees, "Together, the Baxa and Cerner® solutions increase IV room efficiency and advance patient safety. Their interoperability will reduce drug waste and improve communication about patient doses between pharmacy and nursing."
The Cerner partnership will allow health systems to improve their IV room automation by integrating DoseEdge technology with Cerner solutions to create a closed-loop system for medication preparation, management and delivery. DoseEdge connects to the Cerner CareAware® Infusion Management and Cerner Millennium PharmNet® solutions to move critical IV mixing data to the electronic health record.
Baxa and Cerner will work together to assist Cerner clients in their evaluation and implementation of Cerner-integrated DoseEdge. This unique offering of Cerner-integrated DoseEdge is available only from Cerner. Cerner and Baxa have begun work on integration planning, and will communicate further with clients during the first quarter of 2011.
About Cerner
Cerner is transforming healthcare by eliminating error, variance and waste for healthcare providers and consumers around the world. Cerner® solutions optimize processes for healthcare organizations ranging in size from single-doctor practices, to health systems, to entire countries, for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, employer health and wellness services industry and for the healthcare commerce system. These solutions are licensed by more than 8,500 facilities around the world, including approximately 2,300 hospitals; 3,400 physician practices covering more than 30,000 physicians; 600 ambulatory facilities, such as laboratories, ambulatory centers, cardiac facilities, radiology clinics and surgery centers; 700 home-health facilities; and 1,500 retail pharmacies. The trademarks, service marks and logos (collectively, the "Marks") set forth herein are registered and unregistered trademarks and/or service marks owned by Cerner Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and certain other countries throughout the world. Nasdaq: CERN. For more information about Cerner, please visit www.cerner.com, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
About Baxa Corporation
Baxa, a customer-focused medical device company, provides innovative, solution-based technologies for medication handling and delivery. Its systems and devices promote the safe and efficient preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of medications. Key products include the Abacus® Order Entry and Calculation Software, the DoseEdge™ Pharmacy Workflow Manager, ExactaMed® Oral Syringes, ExactaMix™ Automated Compounding Devices, InFuse™ and MicroFuse® Syringe Infusers, Repeater™ Pharmacy Pumps, NeoThrive® Enteral Syringes, the PadLock® Set Saver and the RapidFill™ Automated Syringe Filler; used worldwide in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Its subsidiary FHT, Inc. produces the IntelliFill® i.v. automation. Privately held, Baxa Corporation has subsidiaries and sales offices in Florida, Canada and the United Kingdom; direct representation in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland; and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at www.baxa.com.
"The agreement expands our offering and positions Cerner to continue increasing interoperability across the medication process," says Tom Herzog, Cerner vice president, IT and medical device technologies. Dennis Schneider, Baxa senior VP of marketing and business development, agrees, "Together, the Baxa and Cerner® solutions increase IV room efficiency and advance patient safety. Their interoperability will reduce drug waste and improve communication about patient doses between pharmacy and nursing."
The Cerner partnership will allow health systems to improve their IV room automation by integrating DoseEdge technology with Cerner solutions to create a closed-loop system for medication preparation, management and delivery. DoseEdge connects to the Cerner CareAware® Infusion Management and Cerner Millennium PharmNet® solutions to move critical IV mixing data to the electronic health record.
Baxa and Cerner will work together to assist Cerner clients in their evaluation and implementation of Cerner-integrated DoseEdge. This unique offering of Cerner-integrated DoseEdge is available only from Cerner. Cerner and Baxa have begun work on integration planning, and will communicate further with clients during the first quarter of 2011.
About Cerner
Cerner is transforming healthcare by eliminating error, variance and waste for healthcare providers and consumers around the world. Cerner® solutions optimize processes for healthcare organizations ranging in size from single-doctor practices, to health systems, to entire countries, for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, employer health and wellness services industry and for the healthcare commerce system. These solutions are licensed by more than 8,500 facilities around the world, including approximately 2,300 hospitals; 3,400 physician practices covering more than 30,000 physicians; 600 ambulatory facilities, such as laboratories, ambulatory centers, cardiac facilities, radiology clinics and surgery centers; 700 home-health facilities; and 1,500 retail pharmacies. The trademarks, service marks and logos (collectively, the "Marks") set forth herein are registered and unregistered trademarks and/or service marks owned by Cerner Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and certain other countries throughout the world. Nasdaq: CERN. For more information about Cerner, please visit www.cerner.com, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
About Baxa Corporation
Baxa, a customer-focused medical device company, provides innovative, solution-based technologies for medication handling and delivery. Its systems and devices promote the safe and efficient preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of medications. Key products include the Abacus® Order Entry and Calculation Software, the DoseEdge™ Pharmacy Workflow Manager, ExactaMed® Oral Syringes, ExactaMix™ Automated Compounding Devices, InFuse™ and MicroFuse® Syringe Infusers, Repeater™ Pharmacy Pumps, NeoThrive® Enteral Syringes, the PadLock® Set Saver and the RapidFill™ Automated Syringe Filler; used worldwide in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Its subsidiary FHT, Inc. produces the IntelliFill® i.v. automation. Privately held, Baxa Corporation has subsidiaries and sales offices in Florida, Canada and the United Kingdom; direct representation in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland; and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at www.baxa.com.
Intersystems Corporation Announces Deal with University of Colorado Hospital
InterSystems Corporation, the global leader in software for connected healthcare, announced that the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) has chosen the InterSystems Ensemble® rapid integration and development platform for enterprise-wide integration. InterSystems specializes in advanced integration, database, and business intelligence technologies for breakthrough applications. UCH is recognized as one of the leading hospitals in the nation and is consistently recognized among the top hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Most recently, UCH has been cited as one of the top 10 academic medical centers in the country based on quality, patient safety and patient satisfaction, according to the 2010 Quality and Accountability Performance Scorecard, released by the University HealthSystems Consortium.
Strategy Change Drives Integration Platform Search
“For years, our strategy had been tied to the best-of-breed concept, which resulted in a very decentralized system with more than 150 unique interfaces,” said Peggy Dalious, UCH Applications Director. “Then, we made the decision to move to the InterSystems CACHÉ-based Epic Systems electronic health record application, which required major alterations to our IT plans.”“We recognized that the integration engine represented a key piece of our infrastructure before we entered what is going to be a mass application overhaul,” Dalious continued.
The change in strategy came at a time when UCH was increasingly uneasy about its legacy integration platform, noted Dalious. The acquisition of the product’s company by another vendor, followed by the acquisition by yet another vendor, added a layer of complexity to working with the product.
“Our interface engineers had heard about Ensemble and thought it might be the right integration option for UCH,” Dalious said. After extensive research and interaction with multiple Ensemble customers, “we had a strong, sensible case for moving to Ensemble.”
The foundation for the Ensemble transition was developed based on a proof-of-concept project. UCH specified two difficult interfaces that would have to be built via Ensemble for the POC. InterSystems reviewed the interfaces onsite and defined the requirements, with UCH software specialists building the interfaces under the guidance of the InterSystems team.
Moving Forward on Solid Foundation
Following the success of the proof-of-concept, UHC has gone live with approximately 35 Ensemble-based interfaces with a core group of applications including human resources and ERP systems that will not be replaced by the Epic implementation. Plans are to go live in 1Q11 with the Epic ambulatory clinics application with Epic outpatient and inpatient modules and a total of about 85 interfaces rolling out through 3Q11.
“We’re already beginning to see how we can use other Ensemble capabilities once the interface migration from the legacy platform is complete,” Dalious said. “We know that features such as workflow management and business activity monitoring are available in Ensemble and we plan to take advantage of those facilities in the future.”
“Ensemble delivers the advanced technology required for strategic breakthroughs like the one now being realized by UCH,” said Paul Grabscheid, InterSystems Vice President of Strategic Planning. “As the healthcare industry continues to rapidly evolve, we are committed to partnering with our customers who leverage our software to optimize care delivery.”
About InterSystems
InterSystems Corporation is a global software technology leader with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and offices in 23 countries. InterSystems provides advanced software technologies for breakthrough applications. InterSystems CACHÉ® is a high performance object database that makes applications faster and more scalable. InterSystems Ensemble® is a seamless platform for integration and the development of connectable applications. InterSystems HealthShare™ is a platform that enables the fastest creation of an Electronic Health Record for regional or national health information exchange. InterSystems DeepSee™ is software that makes it possible to embed real-time business intelligence capabilities in transactional applications.
InterSystems is the world’s #1 vendor of database and integration technologies for healthcare applications. InterSystems products are used by thousands of hospitals and labs worldwide, including all 14 hospitals on the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals as rated by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit www.InterSystems.com.
About University of Colorado Hospital
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading academic medical center, and has been recognized as one of the United States’ best hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report. It is best known as an innovator in patient care and often as one of the first hospitals to bring new medicines to patients’ bedsides. Located at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colo., the hospital’s physicians are affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, part of the University of Colorado system. For additional information, go to www.uch.edu.
Strategy Change Drives Integration Platform Search
“For years, our strategy had been tied to the best-of-breed concept, which resulted in a very decentralized system with more than 150 unique interfaces,” said Peggy Dalious, UCH Applications Director. “Then, we made the decision to move to the InterSystems CACHÉ-based Epic Systems electronic health record application, which required major alterations to our IT plans.”“We recognized that the integration engine represented a key piece of our infrastructure before we entered what is going to be a mass application overhaul,” Dalious continued.
The change in strategy came at a time when UCH was increasingly uneasy about its legacy integration platform, noted Dalious. The acquisition of the product’s company by another vendor, followed by the acquisition by yet another vendor, added a layer of complexity to working with the product.
“Our interface engineers had heard about Ensemble and thought it might be the right integration option for UCH,” Dalious said. After extensive research and interaction with multiple Ensemble customers, “we had a strong, sensible case for moving to Ensemble.”
The foundation for the Ensemble transition was developed based on a proof-of-concept project. UCH specified two difficult interfaces that would have to be built via Ensemble for the POC. InterSystems reviewed the interfaces onsite and defined the requirements, with UCH software specialists building the interfaces under the guidance of the InterSystems team.
Moving Forward on Solid Foundation
Following the success of the proof-of-concept, UHC has gone live with approximately 35 Ensemble-based interfaces with a core group of applications including human resources and ERP systems that will not be replaced by the Epic implementation. Plans are to go live in 1Q11 with the Epic ambulatory clinics application with Epic outpatient and inpatient modules and a total of about 85 interfaces rolling out through 3Q11.
“We’re already beginning to see how we can use other Ensemble capabilities once the interface migration from the legacy platform is complete,” Dalious said. “We know that features such as workflow management and business activity monitoring are available in Ensemble and we plan to take advantage of those facilities in the future.”
“Ensemble delivers the advanced technology required for strategic breakthroughs like the one now being realized by UCH,” said Paul Grabscheid, InterSystems Vice President of Strategic Planning. “As the healthcare industry continues to rapidly evolve, we are committed to partnering with our customers who leverage our software to optimize care delivery.”
About InterSystems
InterSystems Corporation is a global software technology leader with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and offices in 23 countries. InterSystems provides advanced software technologies for breakthrough applications. InterSystems CACHÉ® is a high performance object database that makes applications faster and more scalable. InterSystems Ensemble® is a seamless platform for integration and the development of connectable applications. InterSystems HealthShare™ is a platform that enables the fastest creation of an Electronic Health Record for regional or national health information exchange. InterSystems DeepSee™ is software that makes it possible to embed real-time business intelligence capabilities in transactional applications.
InterSystems is the world’s #1 vendor of database and integration technologies for healthcare applications. InterSystems products are used by thousands of hospitals and labs worldwide, including all 14 hospitals on the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals as rated by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit www.InterSystems.com.
About University of Colorado Hospital
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading academic medical center, and has been recognized as one of the United States’ best hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report. It is best known as an innovator in patient care and often as one of the first hospitals to bring new medicines to patients’ bedsides. Located at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colo., the hospital’s physicians are affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, part of the University of Colorado system. For additional information, go to www.uch.edu.
New Medical ID Wristband Developed By MEDICOM
MEDICOM Technologies, Inc.. , a purveyor of technically advanced medical identification solutions, today introduced its revolutionary multimedia-enabled interactive Medical I.D. Wristband that readily presents an individual’s complete medical history to emergency treatment personnel in critical situations. The first-of-its-kind, patent-pending MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband is an industry game changer, boasting an extraordinary array of audio, video and voice-driven health and entertainment features unsurpassed in today’s marketplace in a stylish wristband design.
A boon for the 65 million Americans with chronic medical conditions requiring regular physicians’ care, the computerized MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband is the first and only device with audio-visual capabilities that can store, display, edit, voice and transfer a patient’s complete medical history in up to 9 languages to first responders, EMTs, and hospital personnel in any emergency medical situation. For non-emergency use in leisure time, consumers may also view photos or listen to songs, voice recordings, 20 FM radio stations, or watch movies via earphones that plug directly into the device.
With a touch of a button the wristband’s graphic 1.5” LCD screen with digital display presents, in a scrolling fashion, comprehensive health data automatically pre-parsed into 14 intuitive files that may be individually selected, scrolled in either direction, and paused for easy viewing. The information can also be uploaded from the wristband to an ambulance lap top or hospital computer via a standard USB 2.0 cable connection.
“The medication scheduling file, for example, will help an ER doctor avoid administering contra-indicated medications and the patient from spending any excessive time in the hospital going through unnecessary and expensive diagnostic treatment,” explains James Klink, founder and CEO of MEDICOM Technologies, Inc. “If the patient arrives at a hospital unconscious, the staff will have access to the individual’s insurance information in another file to authorize admittance, and can also quickly find the patient’s blood type, degree or class of medical disease, any special treatment requests the patient may have including process for resuscitation, organ donation, languages understood other than English, and basically any other data needed to effectively treat the specific patient.”
Available in two trendy wristband options – stainless steel or black leather – the attractive fashion accessory design removes the stigma often associated with medical I.D. devices, thus encouraging more self-conscious and style-savvy adolescents and adults with chronic pre-existing medical conditions to wear one and have it at-the-ready when an emergency presents.
Also more affordable than other medical identification solutions on the market that charge recurring annual fees, the MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristbands sell for an economical one-time charge of $125 for the stainless steel banded model or $115 for the leather banded model. In addition, other lower-tech medical I.D. products do provide patient information as readily, requiring emergency or hospital personnel to spend precious minutes calling an 800-number for basic medical history and instruction, with the secondary hope there are no problems with the I.D. number transfer, telephone connection, or the data access computer at that critical time.
“Our purpose with this medical I.D. innovation is to empower patients to be more aware of their personal health and better inform, alert, and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to EMTs and other first responders, physicians and hospital personnel,” Klink continues “Our device enables patients to receive the personalized emergency care that is needed relative to their specific chronic illness or advance directives. It also allows patients to get in and out of the hospital faster, safer, and less expensively. This results in fewer malpractice lawsuits, thereby reducing physician malpractice premiums and the expenses insurance companies pay out.”
“Only a small percentage - a paltry 4% - of those with chronic illnesses and who should be wearing a medical identification device currently owns one,” Klink notes. “With our solution being so feature rich, easy to use, and wearable as a bona-fide fashion accessory, we believe many more consumers will opt to safeguard their health and welfare in emergency medical situations.”
How it works
From any Internet-enabled computer consumers may enter from 2GB to 8GB of vital medical, personal, and entertainment information via an intuitive Web site template, and then transfer the data to the MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband via a standard USB 2.0 cable/port connection.
The MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband will store and, at the touch of a button, instantly display a user’s personal demographics; medical conditions; emergency contact information; all medications, dosages and times taken; advance directives and special treatment requests; x-ray disks and recent medical/lab results; medical/dental Insurance information; I.D. photo, allergies; physicians and pharmacy addresses and phone numbers; medical history including any diseases, surgeries, immunizations, etc.; as well as a miscellaneous folder to input medical appointments, notes, and virtually any additional medical information of note (charting & graphing, diet/exercise programs, Web favorites, etc).
Updates and edits to keep personal data current and accurate are also done at the push of a button. In addition, any medical data can be downloaded to the MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband from any physician’s office, laboratory, medical or other relevant facility in the world via any Internet-enabled computer.
Klink concludes, “This device is critical to the millions of individuals in the United States alone with chronic medical conditions. Having such robust medical identification allows them to function with complete peace of mind in their everyday lives, providing immeasurable value.”
About MEDICOM Technologies, Inc.
Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, MEDICOM Technologies, Inc. is a purveyor of technically advanced medical identification solutions. Its flagship, patent pending MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband presents a patient’s complete medical history to emergency treatment personnel in critical situations. The company’s first-of-its-kind medical identification solution offers a comprehensive array of audio, video and voice-driven health and entertainment features unsurpassed in today’s marketplace in a stylish wristband design and at an affordable price point. Learn more online at www.medicomtech.com.
A boon for the 65 million Americans with chronic medical conditions requiring regular physicians’ care, the computerized MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband is the first and only device with audio-visual capabilities that can store, display, edit, voice and transfer a patient’s complete medical history in up to 9 languages to first responders, EMTs, and hospital personnel in any emergency medical situation. For non-emergency use in leisure time, consumers may also view photos or listen to songs, voice recordings, 20 FM radio stations, or watch movies via earphones that plug directly into the device.
With a touch of a button the wristband’s graphic 1.5” LCD screen with digital display presents, in a scrolling fashion, comprehensive health data automatically pre-parsed into 14 intuitive files that may be individually selected, scrolled in either direction, and paused for easy viewing. The information can also be uploaded from the wristband to an ambulance lap top or hospital computer via a standard USB 2.0 cable connection.
“The medication scheduling file, for example, will help an ER doctor avoid administering contra-indicated medications and the patient from spending any excessive time in the hospital going through unnecessary and expensive diagnostic treatment,” explains James Klink, founder and CEO of MEDICOM Technologies, Inc. “If the patient arrives at a hospital unconscious, the staff will have access to the individual’s insurance information in another file to authorize admittance, and can also quickly find the patient’s blood type, degree or class of medical disease, any special treatment requests the patient may have including process for resuscitation, organ donation, languages understood other than English, and basically any other data needed to effectively treat the specific patient.”
Available in two trendy wristband options – stainless steel or black leather – the attractive fashion accessory design removes the stigma often associated with medical I.D. devices, thus encouraging more self-conscious and style-savvy adolescents and adults with chronic pre-existing medical conditions to wear one and have it at-the-ready when an emergency presents.
Also more affordable than other medical identification solutions on the market that charge recurring annual fees, the MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristbands sell for an economical one-time charge of $125 for the stainless steel banded model or $115 for the leather banded model. In addition, other lower-tech medical I.D. products do provide patient information as readily, requiring emergency or hospital personnel to spend precious minutes calling an 800-number for basic medical history and instruction, with the secondary hope there are no problems with the I.D. number transfer, telephone connection, or the data access computer at that critical time.
“Our purpose with this medical I.D. innovation is to empower patients to be more aware of their personal health and better inform, alert, and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to EMTs and other first responders, physicians and hospital personnel,” Klink continues “Our device enables patients to receive the personalized emergency care that is needed relative to their specific chronic illness or advance directives. It also allows patients to get in and out of the hospital faster, safer, and less expensively. This results in fewer malpractice lawsuits, thereby reducing physician malpractice premiums and the expenses insurance companies pay out.”
“Only a small percentage - a paltry 4% - of those with chronic illnesses and who should be wearing a medical identification device currently owns one,” Klink notes. “With our solution being so feature rich, easy to use, and wearable as a bona-fide fashion accessory, we believe many more consumers will opt to safeguard their health and welfare in emergency medical situations.”
How it works
From any Internet-enabled computer consumers may enter from 2GB to 8GB of vital medical, personal, and entertainment information via an intuitive Web site template, and then transfer the data to the MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband via a standard USB 2.0 cable/port connection.
The MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband will store and, at the touch of a button, instantly display a user’s personal demographics; medical conditions; emergency contact information; all medications, dosages and times taken; advance directives and special treatment requests; x-ray disks and recent medical/lab results; medical/dental Insurance information; I.D. photo, allergies; physicians and pharmacy addresses and phone numbers; medical history including any diseases, surgeries, immunizations, etc.; as well as a miscellaneous folder to input medical appointments, notes, and virtually any additional medical information of note (charting & graphing, diet/exercise programs, Web favorites, etc).
Updates and edits to keep personal data current and accurate are also done at the push of a button. In addition, any medical data can be downloaded to the MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband from any physician’s office, laboratory, medical or other relevant facility in the world via any Internet-enabled computer.
Klink concludes, “This device is critical to the millions of individuals in the United States alone with chronic medical conditions. Having such robust medical identification allows them to function with complete peace of mind in their everyday lives, providing immeasurable value.”
About MEDICOM Technologies, Inc.
Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, MEDICOM Technologies, Inc. is a purveyor of technically advanced medical identification solutions. Its flagship, patent pending MEDICOM Medical I.D. Wristband presents a patient’s complete medical history to emergency treatment personnel in critical situations. The company’s first-of-its-kind medical identification solution offers a comprehensive array of audio, video and voice-driven health and entertainment features unsurpassed in today’s marketplace in a stylish wristband design and at an affordable price point. Learn more online at www.medicomtech.com.
National Patient Safety Foundation Creating New Membership Program
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), a nonprofit specializing in advancing safe patient care, is creating a groundbreaking new membership program for patient safety professionals that will provide a unique opportunity for sharing of best practices and the unification of the growing patient safety community. New members can join the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety at NPSF starting in January 2011.
In addition, beginning in January 2012, NPSF will launch a certification program specifically designed to standardize a curriculum and elevate the patient safety profession. Taken together with Society membership, this will provide a level of professional development for practitioners of patient safety that does not currently exist.
”Patient safety is a top priority for our health care system. But we will not be able to truly move the needle until those who are involved in the practice have the knowledge base necessary to do the job. The certification program is an essential element in that quest,” according to Dr. Lucian L. Leape, chair of the Lucian Leape Institute at NPSF.The program will offer certification for healthcare professionals according to criteria determined through clinical research and industry best practices. Certification for Professionals in Patient Safety (CPPS) will enable healthcare professionals to assess activities that affect patient safety according to the best available information, and implement strategies to reduce medical errors.
“Patient safety is an obligation for all health professionals, and a critical component of improving the quality and efficiency of care delivery to meet the challenges of healthcare reform,” said Diane Pinakiewicz, president of the National Patient Safety Foundation. “NPSF has led the campaign for patient safety since 1997 and, with help from the best minds in medicine, we are proud to establish a home organization for what has often been a fragmented patient safety community, provide the educational tools needed to bring consistency and standards to the patient safety discipline, and help healthcare professionals hone their skills and keep patients safe.”
Membership in the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety is open to professionals whose primary responsibility is patient safety as well as others across the healthcare disciplines, including medical students, providers, risk and quality leaders, patient safety advocates and all those committed to safe patient care. Individual membership is the newest addition to NPSF’s portfolio, which include continuing education credits through the Professional Learning Series, Annual Patient Safety Congress, and other high-value programs.
The National Patient Safety Foundation
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has been pursuing one mission since its founding in 1997 – to improve the safety of care provided to patients. As a central voice for patient safety, NPSF is committed to a collaborative, inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach in all that it does. NPSF is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more about the work of the National Patient Safety Foundation and how you can get involved, please visit: www.npsf.org.
In addition, beginning in January 2012, NPSF will launch a certification program specifically designed to standardize a curriculum and elevate the patient safety profession. Taken together with Society membership, this will provide a level of professional development for practitioners of patient safety that does not currently exist.
”Patient safety is a top priority for our health care system. But we will not be able to truly move the needle until those who are involved in the practice have the knowledge base necessary to do the job. The certification program is an essential element in that quest,” according to Dr. Lucian L. Leape, chair of the Lucian Leape Institute at NPSF.The program will offer certification for healthcare professionals according to criteria determined through clinical research and industry best practices. Certification for Professionals in Patient Safety (CPPS) will enable healthcare professionals to assess activities that affect patient safety according to the best available information, and implement strategies to reduce medical errors.
“Patient safety is an obligation for all health professionals, and a critical component of improving the quality and efficiency of care delivery to meet the challenges of healthcare reform,” said Diane Pinakiewicz, president of the National Patient Safety Foundation. “NPSF has led the campaign for patient safety since 1997 and, with help from the best minds in medicine, we are proud to establish a home organization for what has often been a fragmented patient safety community, provide the educational tools needed to bring consistency and standards to the patient safety discipline, and help healthcare professionals hone their skills and keep patients safe.”
Membership in the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety is open to professionals whose primary responsibility is patient safety as well as others across the healthcare disciplines, including medical students, providers, risk and quality leaders, patient safety advocates and all those committed to safe patient care. Individual membership is the newest addition to NPSF’s portfolio, which include continuing education credits through the Professional Learning Series, Annual Patient Safety Congress, and other high-value programs.
The National Patient Safety Foundation
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) has been pursuing one mission since its founding in 1997 – to improve the safety of care provided to patients. As a central voice for patient safety, NPSF is committed to a collaborative, inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach in all that it does. NPSF is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more about the work of the National Patient Safety Foundation and how you can get involved, please visit: www.npsf.org.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Aetna to Acquire Medicity
Originally Published on Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare website
Aetna announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Medicity, a health information exchange technology company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. A leading innovator in provider solutions, Medicity offers a broad range of products and services that enable health systems, hospitals, physician practices and health information exchanges to securely access and exchange health care information, improving the quality and efficiency of patient care and reducing unnecessary health care costs. Medicity markets its products and services locally, regionally and nationally.
"We are excited about joining Aetna, with the shared vision for improving the health care experience for all stakeholders," said James K. 'Kipp' Lassetter, M.D., Medicity chairman and CEO. "The combination of Medicity's connected health care platform for providers with the clinical decision support capabilities of Aetna's ActiveHealth Management subsidiary can help physicians make better decisions in real-time as they collaborate and coordinate care."
Medicity will operate as a separate business within Aetna, under its existing leadership structure.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.4 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.
Aetna announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Medicity, a health information exchange technology company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. A leading innovator in provider solutions, Medicity offers a broad range of products and services that enable health systems, hospitals, physician practices and health information exchanges to securely access and exchange health care information, improving the quality and efficiency of patient care and reducing unnecessary health care costs. Medicity markets its products and services locally, regionally and nationally.
The purchase price is approximately $500 million. Aetna expects to finance the acquisition with available resources. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust regulatory approval. The transaction is projected to be neutral to Aetna's financial results in 2011.Medicity's connected network provides collaboration and coordination of care delivered through a variety of communications tools, which helps physicians and other health care providers get timely clinical information about patients using the platform of their choice. Medicity's health information exchange (HIE) technology reaches more than 760 hospitals, 125,000 physician users and 250,000 end users.
The company has:- The largest installed base of enterprise HIE systems for hospitals, physicians and other health care providers;
- A substantial presence in the emerging state and regional health information exchange marketplaces;
- A proven track record of implementation. Medicity has demonstrated an ability to connect to many different types of information systems that provide physicians and other users with information necessary to make better informed health care decisions;
- A flexible technology platform that, combined with Aetna resources, will enable development of new business offerings;
- A record of sustained, strong growth in recent years.
"We are excited about joining Aetna, with the shared vision for improving the health care experience for all stakeholders," said James K. 'Kipp' Lassetter, M.D., Medicity chairman and CEO. "The combination of Medicity's connected health care platform for providers with the clinical decision support capabilities of Aetna's ActiveHealth Management subsidiary can help physicians make better decisions in real-time as they collaborate and coordinate care."
Medicity will operate as a separate business within Aetna, under its existing leadership structure.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.4 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.
Metro Hybrid Workstation Designed to Improve Patient Care
Originally published on Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare website
Metro, a world leader in providing technology, storage and transport solutions for healthcare facilities and other industries, unveiled the 1760Rx hybrid mobile workstation with the SecureRx Med Module at the 45th ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition in Anaheim, Calif. The highly mobile system, which combines access to real-time information with secure and accurate point-of-care medication delivery, is the latest workstation to join Metro’s broad range of storage, transport, mobile computing and automated dispensing healthcare solutions.
Available for purchase in 2011 and designed specifically to optimize nursing workflow, the Metro hybrid workstation’s user-driven design allows clinicians access to patients’ medications individually to help improve patient care, while its locking system ensures medication security during delivery and clinical documentation. The workstation also seamlessly integrates with electronic administration records (eMARs). Other sought-after workstation features include a cleanable and intuitive ergonomic design along with unsurpassed runtime.
“The combination of the 1760 workstation with our new SecureRx Med Module was specifically designed to meet the unique needs of nurses in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes, as new mandates in medication delivery demand more of their time and attention,” explained Rob Wolfe, product manager at Metro. “This system is a demonstration of our commitment to provide solutions that improve patient care at every turn. We are proud to have combined the best of our Lionville and Flo Series in this system, further confirming the long-term benefits of Metro’s now integrated healthcare division.”
The SecureRx Med Module’s robust individual bin locking system allows nurses to secure and easily access medications for up to 12 patients, ensuring the efficient delivery of multiple medications while increasing time at the patient’s bedside. For additional security, the SecureRx Med Module features multiple locking and drawer configuration options and secondary locking for controlled substances. It can be easily retrofitted to upgrade the breadth of Metro’s Flo Series mobile computing workstations.
For more information on Metro’s 1760Rx and the SecureRx Med Module, visit www.Metro.com/SecureRX.
Metro, a world leader in providing technology, storage and transport solutions for healthcare facilities and other industries, unveiled the 1760Rx hybrid mobile workstation with the SecureRx Med Module at the 45th ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition in Anaheim, Calif. The highly mobile system, which combines access to real-time information with secure and accurate point-of-care medication delivery, is the latest workstation to join Metro’s broad range of storage, transport, mobile computing and automated dispensing healthcare solutions.
Available for purchase in 2011 and designed specifically to optimize nursing workflow, the Metro hybrid workstation’s user-driven design allows clinicians access to patients’ medications individually to help improve patient care, while its locking system ensures medication security during delivery and clinical documentation. The workstation also seamlessly integrates with electronic administration records (eMARs). Other sought-after workstation features include a cleanable and intuitive ergonomic design along with unsurpassed runtime.
“The combination of the 1760 workstation with our new SecureRx Med Module was specifically designed to meet the unique needs of nurses in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes, as new mandates in medication delivery demand more of their time and attention,” explained Rob Wolfe, product manager at Metro. “This system is a demonstration of our commitment to provide solutions that improve patient care at every turn. We are proud to have combined the best of our Lionville and Flo Series in this system, further confirming the long-term benefits of Metro’s now integrated healthcare division.”
The SecureRx Med Module’s robust individual bin locking system allows nurses to secure and easily access medications for up to 12 patients, ensuring the efficient delivery of multiple medications while increasing time at the patient’s bedside. For additional security, the SecureRx Med Module features multiple locking and drawer configuration options and secondary locking for controlled substances. It can be easily retrofitted to upgrade the breadth of Metro’s Flo Series mobile computing workstations.
For more information on Metro’s 1760Rx and the SecureRx Med Module, visit www.Metro.com/SecureRX.
UV Radiation Helps Control Hospital Room Infections
Previously published in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare website
Results of an 8-month hospital study, "Room Decontamination with UV Radiation," were published in the October 2010 issue of "Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology." The study evaluated the ability of an automated UV device, Tru-D, to decontaminate patient rooms contaminated with MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and a MDR strain of Acinetobacter baumannii.The research team of William A. Rutala, PhD, MPH, Maria F. Gergen, MT (ASCP), and David J. Weber, MD, MPH, conducted the study at University of North Carolina Health Care from January 21 through September 21, 2009.
Results of an 8-month hospital study, "Room Decontamination with UV Radiation," were published in the October 2010 issue of "Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology." The study evaluated the ability of an automated UV device, Tru-D, to decontaminate patient rooms contaminated with MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and a MDR strain of Acinetobacter baumannii.The research team of William A. Rutala, PhD, MPH, Maria F. Gergen, MT (ASCP), and David J. Weber, MD, MPH, conducted the study at University of North Carolina Health Care from January 21 through September 21, 2009.
Epidemiologic studies show that patients hospitalized in rooms occupied previously by infected individuals experience a significantly higher rate of acquiring infectious organisms from environmental surfaces. Trials using fluorescent markers reveal that only 48% of environmental surfaces are actually disinfected during terminal cleaning.These studies identify problems associated with manual disinfection and provide substantial opportunities to improve the patient environment, while inspiring the development of decontamination devices like the automated Tru-D (Total Room Ultraviolet Disinfection).
During phase 1 of the North Carolina trial, MRSA, VRE, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Clostridium difficile samples were placed behind objects and within line-of-sight of the UV-C device. UV-C reduced vegetative bacteria counts by more than 99.9% within 15 minutes. C. difficile spore reduction was 99.8% within 50 minutes. For phase 2, isolation rooms for MRSA or VRE infected patients were sampled. After 15 minutes of UV-C exposure, researchers found a significant decrease in total CFUs (384 vs. 19), in positive MRSA samples (81 vs. 2), and in MRSA counts per plate (37 vs. 2). Similar reductions were recorded for VRE.
Meaningful reduction (3.3-3.9 log10) occurred when contaminants were shadowed from direct exposure (e.g., back of the handrails).
The team concluded that the environment-friendly UV-C device is effective in significantly reducing pathogens on all environmental surfaces, both line of sight and shadowed.
Results of published Tru-D studies should not be interpreted or applied to similar, second-tier products. Tru-D is ETL listed in conformance to UL STD 61010-1.
Call Jack Treas at 800-774-5799, or go to http://www.lumalier.com for additional data and a copy of the study, and to view a video clip of Tru-D recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning. To read more about reducing Hospital Infections please visit Patient Safety website
Tele-Monitoring Can Improve Patient Safety
Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 1, 2010—The New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) released a report that shows tele-ICU technology could save 350 additional lives, benefit hospitals financially, and save more than $122 million annually if broadly and effectively implemented across Massachusetts.
The study, Critical Care, Critical Choices: The Case for Tele-ICUs in Intensive Care analyzed data collected from a demonstration project at UMass Memorial Medical Center and two community hospitals in Massachusetts. NEHI and MTC studied tele-ICU technology because of its potential to save lives and address the supply-and-demand problem of certified clinical care physicians and nurses: their numbers are declining even as the number of patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) continues to grow.
Tele-ICU, a telemedicine technology, provides a potential solution to this problem because it allows physicians and nurses who specialize in critical care to monitor a higher volume of ICU patients in multiple, distant locations from a centralized command center. The report’s findings examined the clinical and financial benefits of tele-ICU technology on two outcomes—ICU mortality and ICU length of stay—and were announced at an event today in Boston that featured Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mitchell Adams, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Wendy Everett, President of the New England Healthcare Institute and Dr. Craig Lilly, Director of UMass Memorial Medical Center’s eICU Support Center.
The top-line findings of the report are:
Tele-ICUs save lives. In the academic medical center, patient ICU mortality decreased by 20 percent and total hospital mortality rates (which is time spent in ICU plus the remainder of their hospital stay) declined by 13 percent. At one of the community hospitals, ICU-adjusted mortality rate decreased 36 percent.
Tele-ICUs shorten ICU stays. Patient ICU stays were reduced by 30 percent or an average of two days in the academic medical center. Community hospital stays were also reduced.
Tele-ICUs save money. Hospitals recovered the up-front investments for tele-ICU in approximately one year. Health insurers saved $2,600 per patient treated in the academic medical center. Tele-ICUs also enable community hospitals to care for a substantial portion of patients who are now transferred to teaching hospitals. Retaining these patients in community hospitals saves the payers approximately $10,000 per case.
Tele-ICUs should be implemented statewide. Given the clinical and financial benefits, NEHI and MTC recommend that all academic medical centers implement tele-ICUs by the year 2014 and that all community hospitals in Massachusetts implement them by 2015.
Tele-ICU technology represents a three-way win for patients, physicians and payers,” said NEHI President Wendy Everett. “While the data for this study was extrapolated to show the benefits of tele-ICU for Massachusetts, there are national implications as well.”
ICUs play a critical role in U.S. healthcare, treating six million of the sickest and often oldest patients annually. ICUs also have the highest mortality rate and the highest costs in health care.
“While there are challenges such as up-front capital costs that are slowing the adoption of this promising technology, the data clearly show that it saves lives and reduces costs in the health care system,” said MTC Executive Director Mitchell Adams. “Tele-ICU technology significantly expands the ability our best trained critical care physicians to treat some of the most vulnerable patients in the Commonwealth.”
“This report demonstrates that new tele-ICU technology has the potential to address two of the most important issues facing health care delivery today,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “The first is the shortage of specialists needed to serve a growing population of older patients in need of critical care, and the second, increasing health care costs that challenge our ability to provide adequate care for those who need it.”
“The results of this report show that there are real ways to improve patient care while helping to curb the cost of care. This is exactly the kind of technology we need to move health care forward,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “The Tele-ICU model is a perfect example of why Massachusetts is a leader in health care across the country and around the globe. I want to commend Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the New England Healthcare Institute for their work to advance health care.”
MTC and NEHI identified tele-ICU as a promising technology in 2003 when there were only three operating command centers in the country and their work in this area has been ongoing since then. This study was conducted as part of the FAST Initiative (Fast Adoption of Significant Technologies)—a collaboration between MTC and NEHI.
“Tele-ICU provides a unique but practical method for meeting the growing need for critical care services,’’ said Dr. Craig Lilly, Director of the UMass memorial Medical Center’s eICU Support Center.
For more information on Patient Safety please visit www.psqh.com
The study, Critical Care, Critical Choices: The Case for Tele-ICUs in Intensive Care analyzed data collected from a demonstration project at UMass Memorial Medical Center and two community hospitals in Massachusetts. NEHI and MTC studied tele-ICU technology because of its potential to save lives and address the supply-and-demand problem of certified clinical care physicians and nurses: their numbers are declining even as the number of patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) continues to grow.
Tele-ICU, a telemedicine technology, provides a potential solution to this problem because it allows physicians and nurses who specialize in critical care to monitor a higher volume of ICU patients in multiple, distant locations from a centralized command center. The report’s findings examined the clinical and financial benefits of tele-ICU technology on two outcomes—ICU mortality and ICU length of stay—and were announced at an event today in Boston that featured Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mitchell Adams, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Wendy Everett, President of the New England Healthcare Institute and Dr. Craig Lilly, Director of UMass Memorial Medical Center’s eICU Support Center.
The top-line findings of the report are:
Tele-ICUs save lives. In the academic medical center, patient ICU mortality decreased by 20 percent and total hospital mortality rates (which is time spent in ICU plus the remainder of their hospital stay) declined by 13 percent. At one of the community hospitals, ICU-adjusted mortality rate decreased 36 percent.
Tele-ICUs shorten ICU stays. Patient ICU stays were reduced by 30 percent or an average of two days in the academic medical center. Community hospital stays were also reduced.
Tele-ICUs save money. Hospitals recovered the up-front investments for tele-ICU in approximately one year. Health insurers saved $2,600 per patient treated in the academic medical center. Tele-ICUs also enable community hospitals to care for a substantial portion of patients who are now transferred to teaching hospitals. Retaining these patients in community hospitals saves the payers approximately $10,000 per case.
Tele-ICUs should be implemented statewide. Given the clinical and financial benefits, NEHI and MTC recommend that all academic medical centers implement tele-ICUs by the year 2014 and that all community hospitals in Massachusetts implement them by 2015.
Tele-ICU technology represents a three-way win for patients, physicians and payers,” said NEHI President Wendy Everett. “While the data for this study was extrapolated to show the benefits of tele-ICU for Massachusetts, there are national implications as well.”
ICUs play a critical role in U.S. healthcare, treating six million of the sickest and often oldest patients annually. ICUs also have the highest mortality rate and the highest costs in health care.
“While there are challenges such as up-front capital costs that are slowing the adoption of this promising technology, the data clearly show that it saves lives and reduces costs in the health care system,” said MTC Executive Director Mitchell Adams. “Tele-ICU technology significantly expands the ability our best trained critical care physicians to treat some of the most vulnerable patients in the Commonwealth.”
“This report demonstrates that new tele-ICU technology has the potential to address two of the most important issues facing health care delivery today,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “The first is the shortage of specialists needed to serve a growing population of older patients in need of critical care, and the second, increasing health care costs that challenge our ability to provide adequate care for those who need it.”
“The results of this report show that there are real ways to improve patient care while helping to curb the cost of care. This is exactly the kind of technology we need to move health care forward,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “The Tele-ICU model is a perfect example of why Massachusetts is a leader in health care across the country and around the globe. I want to commend Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the New England Healthcare Institute for their work to advance health care.”
MTC and NEHI identified tele-ICU as a promising technology in 2003 when there were only three operating command centers in the country and their work in this area has been ongoing since then. This study was conducted as part of the FAST Initiative (Fast Adoption of Significant Technologies)—a collaboration between MTC and NEHI.
“Tele-ICU provides a unique but practical method for meeting the growing need for critical care services,’’ said Dr. Craig Lilly, Director of the UMass memorial Medical Center’s eICU Support Center.
For more information on Patient Safety please visit www.psqh.com
Thursday, December 16, 2010
New National Awards to Recognize Progress Toward Eliminating Healthcare-Associated Infections
A new national awards program will recognize teams of critical care professionals, hospital units and healthcare institutions able to successfully reduce or eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAI), a leading cause of death in the United States.The awards are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Healthcare Quality, and the Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC), a multidisciplinary organization that includes the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society and Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Applications for the awards are due by January 29, 2011. Visit www.aacn.org/hhs-ccsc-award for complete details, eligibility, selection criteria and application requirements. AACN will coordinate nomination and selection for the first awards cycle."The awards strive to motivate clinicians, hospital executives and facilities to improve clinical practice so the healthcare community can achieve wide-scale reduction and long-term elimination of healthcare-associated infections," says Justine Medina, RN, MS, AACN director of professional practice and programs. "They recognize teams of critical care professionals whose notable achievements lead the way toward achieving this goal."
Healthcare-associated infections rank among the top 10 causes of death in the United States, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta. The CDC reports nearly two million HAIs occur in hospitals each year, contributing to almost 100,000 deaths.The new awards program will annually recognize teams of critical care professionals, hospital units and healthcare institutions that achieve excellence and notable, sustained improvements in preventing healthcare-associated infections, specifically infections in critical care. Initially, the awards will emphasize success related to reducing and eliminating central line-associated bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Awards will be conferred at two levels, according to specific criteria tied to national standards. The Outstanding Leadership Award will recognize benchmark systems of excellence that result in sustained success of 25 months or longer in the prevention of elimination of targeted HAIs and national leadership in sharing and disseminating information. A second award for sustained improvement will recognize teams able to demonstrate consistent and sustained progress over an 18-to-24 month period.
The first awards will be presented Monday, May 2, 2011, at AACN's National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, Chicago.
Applications for the awards are due by January 29, 2011. Visit www.aacn.org/hhs-ccsc-award for complete details, eligibility, selection criteria and application requirements. AACN will coordinate nomination and selection for the first awards cycle."The awards strive to motivate clinicians, hospital executives and facilities to improve clinical practice so the healthcare community can achieve wide-scale reduction and long-term elimination of healthcare-associated infections," says Justine Medina, RN, MS, AACN director of professional practice and programs. "They recognize teams of critical care professionals whose notable achievements lead the way toward achieving this goal."
Healthcare-associated infections rank among the top 10 causes of death in the United States, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta. The CDC reports nearly two million HAIs occur in hospitals each year, contributing to almost 100,000 deaths.The new awards program will annually recognize teams of critical care professionals, hospital units and healthcare institutions that achieve excellence and notable, sustained improvements in preventing healthcare-associated infections, specifically infections in critical care. Initially, the awards will emphasize success related to reducing and eliminating central line-associated bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Awards will be conferred at two levels, according to specific criteria tied to national standards. The Outstanding Leadership Award will recognize benchmark systems of excellence that result in sustained success of 25 months or longer in the prevention of elimination of targeted HAIs and national leadership in sharing and disseminating information. A second award for sustained improvement will recognize teams able to demonstrate consistent and sustained progress over an 18-to-24 month period.
The first awards will be presented Monday, May 2, 2011, at AACN's National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, Chicago.
ECRI Institute Releases Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2011
Where do you start when trying to minimize the risks from healthcare technology? ECRI Institute (https://www.ecri.org), an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, helps hospitals answer this question with the release of its 4th annual list of Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2011. Available now as a free download with registration, the list features the top 10 health technology hazards that warrant critical attention by hospitals and other healthcare organizations in the coming year.
The Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list is updated each year based upon the prevalence and severity of incidents reported to ECRI Institute by healthcare facilities nationwide; information found in the Institute’s medical device problem reporting databases; and the judgment, analysis, and expertise of the organization’s multidisciplinary staff. Many of the items on this year’s list are well-recognized hazards with numerous reported incidents over the years.
The 2011 list, originally published in ECRI Institute’s Health Devices journal (Nov. 2010), offers information about how these hazards occur, with recommendations for prevention and a comprehensive resource list for more in-depth information. The top five hazards on ECRI Institute’s 2011 list are:
1. Radiation overdose and other dose errors during radiation therapy
2. Patient Alarm hazards
3. Cross-contamination from flexible endoscopes
4. The high radiation dose of CT scans
5. Data loss, system incompatibilities, and other health IT complications
“If a hospital or health system needs help prioritizing its technology-related patient safety efforts, our top 10 list is a good place to start,” says James P. Keller, Jr., Vice President, Health Technology and Safety, ECRI Institute.“From dose errors during radiation therapy, to critical patient alarms that are set incorrectly, inappropriately silenced, or ignored, each of the problems on our list can be prevented or made less likely to occur if recommendations for effective risk-mitigation strategies are employed,” says Keller in a one-minute overview video about the report.
Healthcare professionals can obtain the complete 2011 list and its recommendations at no cost by using the following link: https://www.ecri.org/Forms/Pages
The Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list is updated each year based upon the prevalence and severity of incidents reported to ECRI Institute by healthcare facilities nationwide; information found in the Institute’s medical device problem reporting databases; and the judgment, analysis, and expertise of the organization’s multidisciplinary staff. Many of the items on this year’s list are well-recognized hazards with numerous reported incidents over the years.
The 2011 list, originally published in ECRI Institute’s Health Devices journal (Nov. 2010), offers information about how these hazards occur, with recommendations for prevention and a comprehensive resource list for more in-depth information. The top five hazards on ECRI Institute’s 2011 list are:
1. Radiation overdose and other dose errors during radiation therapy
2. Patient Alarm hazards
3. Cross-contamination from flexible endoscopes
4. The high radiation dose of CT scans
5. Data loss, system incompatibilities, and other health IT complications
“If a hospital or health system needs help prioritizing its technology-related patient safety efforts, our top 10 list is a good place to start,” says James P. Keller, Jr., Vice President, Health Technology and Safety, ECRI Institute.“From dose errors during radiation therapy, to critical patient alarms that are set incorrectly, inappropriately silenced, or ignored, each of the problems on our list can be prevented or made less likely to occur if recommendations for effective risk-mitigation strategies are employed,” says Keller in a one-minute overview video about the report.
Healthcare professionals can obtain the complete 2011 list and its recommendations at no cost by using the following link: https://www.ecri.org/Forms/Pages
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization Sign Alternative Quality Contract
Boston, December 10, 2010—Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc. (BCBSMA), a locally-based, community-focused health plan, and Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization (BIDPO), an independent physician network affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, today announced they have signed a multi-year Alternative Quality Contract (AQC). The AQC, a modified global payment model, is designed to encourage cost-effective and patient-centered care by paying participating physicians and hospitals for the quality, not the quantity of the care they deliver to patients (click here to see a fact sheet for additional details).
With nearly 1,800 physicians, BIDPO, affiliated with a major tertiary hospital, is the largest physician organization to join the AQC to-date. The BIDPO network includes hospital and community-based physicians who practice at BIDMC, BIDH-Needham, Milton, Anna Jaques, Merrimack Valley and Lawrence General Hospitals, as well as physicians who utilize hospitals on Cape Cod, in Norwood, Brockton and the MetroWest area. The agreement announced today covers approximately 75,000 BCBSMA members. With the addition of BIDPO, approximately 40 percent of BCBSMA’s Massachusetts-based HMO members are provided care by physicians in an Alternative Quality Contract.
“We’re looking forward to collaborating with Beth Israel Deaconess physicians on our shared goal of improving the quality and affordability of patient care,” said Andrew Dreyfus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “Payment models like the AQC are a crucial component of our broader strategy to make quality health care affordable for our members and employer customers. We believe it is very significant that in the AQC, participating physicians and hospitals have agreed to share responsibility and accountability for improving care and moderating the unsustainable rate of increase in health care costs.”
“BIDPO physicians are completely dedicated to patient centered care and we believe this new Alternative Quality Contract is an excellent way for us to meet our goal of providing patients the right care in the right place at the right time,” said Stuart Rosenberg, MD, BIDPO’s President and Chief Executive Officer.“With nearly 500 primary care physicians and 1,300 specialists, aligned across the entire spectrum of care, we are confident this contract will result in the best health care and outcomes for our patients,” added Richard A. Parker, MD, BIDPO’s medical director and an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
“We’re encouraged by the rapid adoption of the AQC which has grown to include one third of our HMO physicians in less than two years,” added Patrick Gilligan, Senior Vice President of Health Care Services for BCBSMA.
The AQC is one of the largest private payment reform initiatives in the country and is an example of the kind of innovative payment models encouraged by the new federal health care reform law. This model also aligns with the focus on payment reform in Massachusetts that Gov. Deval Patrick has indicated will be a major priority of his Administration next year. Governor Patrick’s focus follows the Massachusetts Special Commission on Payment Reform’s unanimous vote to move toward a global payment system as the best opportunity to moderate costs while promoting high-quality healthcare.
The AQC is a significant change from traditional fee-for-service contracts. It includes a global, or fixed, payment per patient adjusted for age, sex, and health status as well as payments tied to performance on nationally accepted measures of quality, health outcomes, and patient care experiences. The contract’s global payment covers all services received by a patient, including primary, specialty, and hospital care. So, when a doctor spends more time with a patient and helps the patient successfully manage a chronic medical condition, like hypertension or diabetes, the result is both improved health outcomes for the patient and lower overall costs by helping avoid exacerbations of the condition. Employers and employees/members benefit as the new system moderates cost increases and hence health insurance premiums through better care.
In the new BIDPO agreement, there are 32 specific quality measures, including the appropriate use of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening, pediatric and adolescent well visits; successful control of important chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure; as well as other measures that help keep patients healthy and make care more patient-centered. BIDPO physicians, BIDMC and many of the local community hospitals, where BIDPO physicians practice, will work closely together under the AQC to achieve the best care and cost outcomes for their patients.
With nearly 1,800 physicians, BIDPO, affiliated with a major tertiary hospital, is the largest physician organization to join the AQC to-date. The BIDPO network includes hospital and community-based physicians who practice at BIDMC, BIDH-Needham, Milton, Anna Jaques, Merrimack Valley and Lawrence General Hospitals, as well as physicians who utilize hospitals on Cape Cod, in Norwood, Brockton and the MetroWest area. The agreement announced today covers approximately 75,000 BCBSMA members. With the addition of BIDPO, approximately 40 percent of BCBSMA’s Massachusetts-based HMO members are provided care by physicians in an Alternative Quality Contract.
“We’re looking forward to collaborating with Beth Israel Deaconess physicians on our shared goal of improving the quality and affordability of patient care,” said Andrew Dreyfus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “Payment models like the AQC are a crucial component of our broader strategy to make quality health care affordable for our members and employer customers. We believe it is very significant that in the AQC, participating physicians and hospitals have agreed to share responsibility and accountability for improving care and moderating the unsustainable rate of increase in health care costs.”
“BIDPO physicians are completely dedicated to patient centered care and we believe this new Alternative Quality Contract is an excellent way for us to meet our goal of providing patients the right care in the right place at the right time,” said Stuart Rosenberg, MD, BIDPO’s President and Chief Executive Officer.“With nearly 500 primary care physicians and 1,300 specialists, aligned across the entire spectrum of care, we are confident this contract will result in the best health care and outcomes for our patients,” added Richard A. Parker, MD, BIDPO’s medical director and an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
“We’re encouraged by the rapid adoption of the AQC which has grown to include one third of our HMO physicians in less than two years,” added Patrick Gilligan, Senior Vice President of Health Care Services for BCBSMA.
The AQC is one of the largest private payment reform initiatives in the country and is an example of the kind of innovative payment models encouraged by the new federal health care reform law. This model also aligns with the focus on payment reform in Massachusetts that Gov. Deval Patrick has indicated will be a major priority of his Administration next year. Governor Patrick’s focus follows the Massachusetts Special Commission on Payment Reform’s unanimous vote to move toward a global payment system as the best opportunity to moderate costs while promoting high-quality healthcare.
The AQC is a significant change from traditional fee-for-service contracts. It includes a global, or fixed, payment per patient adjusted for age, sex, and health status as well as payments tied to performance on nationally accepted measures of quality, health outcomes, and patient care experiences. The contract’s global payment covers all services received by a patient, including primary, specialty, and hospital care. So, when a doctor spends more time with a patient and helps the patient successfully manage a chronic medical condition, like hypertension or diabetes, the result is both improved health outcomes for the patient and lower overall costs by helping avoid exacerbations of the condition. Employers and employees/members benefit as the new system moderates cost increases and hence health insurance premiums through better care.
In the new BIDPO agreement, there are 32 specific quality measures, including the appropriate use of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening, pediatric and adolescent well visits; successful control of important chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure; as well as other measures that help keep patients healthy and make care more patient-centered. BIDPO physicians, BIDMC and many of the local community hospitals, where BIDPO physicians practice, will work closely together under the AQC to achieve the best care and cost outcomes for their patients.
HIMSS Introduces New Patient Care Resource-Meaningful OneSource
Providing current and vital resources for implementation of health information technology to improve patient care, HIMSS introduces Meaningful Use OneSource, an online repository of hundreds of documents, tools and links to other knowledge available on the Internet. Users can go to www.himss.org/meaningfuluse to find this meaningful use compendium vetted by content experts.
HIMSS developed the Meaningful Use OneSource to equip its members and interested organizations to prepare for the Meaningful Use and Certification Criteria and Standards regulations. Meaningful Use OneSource provides answers to questions including:
· How to meet and use meaningful use certification criteria;
· How to receive the Medicare and Medicaid incentive funding and avoid penalties;
· How to practically and successfully implement meaningful use in a healthcare organization; and
· How to access recently released updates on federal and state laws and regulations.
The website offers information in three major categories: The Basics: Meaningful Use 101; Qualifying for Meaningful Use and Funding; and Putting MU into Practice. Within each area, users can find specific information relevant to their situation and organization with resources further delineated on specific topics.
“Almost 400 documents and source links appear on Meaningful Use OneSource, and new information will be added on a regular basis,” said Patricia B. Wise, RN, MS, MA COL (USA ret’d), Vice President, Health Information Systems, HIMSS. “Because HIMSS reviews and vets all research and information before it is posted, users have the assurance they are accessing credible and current knowledge."
Visit and bookmark Meaningful Use OneSource for a complete resource on the latest developments on implementing and managing meaningful use.
About HIMSS
HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 50 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations have offices in Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Brussels; Singapore; Leipzig; and other locations across the United States. HIMSS represents more than 30,000 individual members, of which two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 470 corporate members and more than 85 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, and research initiatives designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the healthcare quality, patient safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, visit www.himss.org.
HIMSS developed the Meaningful Use OneSource to equip its members and interested organizations to prepare for the Meaningful Use and Certification Criteria and Standards regulations. Meaningful Use OneSource provides answers to questions including:
· How to meet and use meaningful use certification criteria;
· How to receive the Medicare and Medicaid incentive funding and avoid penalties;
· How to practically and successfully implement meaningful use in a healthcare organization; and
· How to access recently released updates on federal and state laws and regulations.
The website offers information in three major categories: The Basics: Meaningful Use 101; Qualifying for Meaningful Use and Funding; and Putting MU into Practice. Within each area, users can find specific information relevant to their situation and organization with resources further delineated on specific topics.
“Almost 400 documents and source links appear on Meaningful Use OneSource, and new information will be added on a regular basis,” said Patricia B. Wise, RN, MS, MA COL (USA ret’d), Vice President, Health Information Systems, HIMSS. “Because HIMSS reviews and vets all research and information before it is posted, users have the assurance they are accessing credible and current knowledge."
Visit and bookmark Meaningful Use OneSource for a complete resource on the latest developments on implementing and managing meaningful use.
About HIMSS
HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 50 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations have offices in Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Brussels; Singapore; Leipzig; and other locations across the United States. HIMSS represents more than 30,000 individual members, of which two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 470 corporate members and more than 85 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, and research initiatives designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the healthcare quality, patient safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, visit www.himss.org.
Healthcare Systems Announce Effort to Improve Health Care Quality
Six of the nation's leading health care systems today announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration to improve health care quality while reducing costs.
Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Denver Health, Geisinger Health System, Intermountain Healthcare, and Mayo Clinic will join The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice to share data on outcomes, healthcare quality, and costs across a range of common and costly conditions and treatments. The group will determine best practices for delivering care for these conditions and will rapidly disseminate actionable recommendations to providers and health systems across the United States. In addition to achieving better quality and outcomes, the Collaborative intends to improve the efficiency of standard clinical care delivery to reduce the per capita cost in these conditions and to keep costs in pace with the consumer price index.
The Collaborative will initially focus on eight conditions and treatments for which costs have been increasing rapidly in recent years and for which there are wide variations in quality and outcomes across the country. The conditions and treatments will be: knee replacement, diabetes, heart failure, asthma, weight loss surgery, labor and delivery, spine surgery, and depression, which together amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in direct medical costs each year.
"The intractable problems of healthcare quality and cost cannot be solved without getting to the fundamental issue of how we deliver health care in this country," said Dr. Brent James, Chief Quality Officer at Intermountain Healthcare and Executive Director of the Intermountain Institute for Health Care Delivery Research. "By collaborating to gather data and identify the most effective care models, we can address variation in treatment, cost, and outcomes to give patients the quality care they need and bend the cost curve down in a meaningful way."
The six health care systems, with a combined patient population of more than 10 million people, will share data on outcomes and clinical protocols for the selected conditions and treatments to arrive at optimal care models which can then be implemented by many other health care systems. The Collaborative aims to see these best practices replicated across the country.
The Dartmouth Institute will coordinate data sharing and analysis, and report results back to the Collaborative members to inform development of best practices. The Dartmouth Institute has twenty years of experience analyzing Medicare claims data and disseminating the findings. This same expertise will be applied to the work of the Collaborative.
The Collaborative will first analyze Total Knee Replacement, a procedure that is performed more than 300,000 times a year in the U.S., with a cost that ranges on average from $16,000 to $24,000 per surgery. Simultaneously, Collaborative partners will build the metrics to study the care of the other selected conditions at their centers and arrive at best practices. Work to define best practices in diabetes and heart failure care will begin early in 2011.
"If we know that the treatment path for diabetes at one institution results in better clinical outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and lower overall costs, then there is knowledge to be shared and replicated in other institutions," said Dr. Robert Nesse, Chief Executive Officer of Mayo Clinic Health System and member of Mayo Clinic's Board of Trustees. "We need to learn from each other and put systems in place that ensure that every patient gets the very best, most appropriate care, every time."
"There is broad support from other health care systems across the country who want to participate in the work of the Collaborative," said Dr. James Weinstein, Director of The Dartmouth Institute. "It would be enormously valuable to have the broadest geographic and demographic representation in the sharing of outcomes and experience."
Developing models to reduce cost, while improving quality, is only part of the equation. An equally important goal is to impact the clinical care of patients across the country by disseminating these models quickly and working with providers and health systems to adapt them to local conditions. "In my view, the most critical piece of this initiative is the transfer of knowledge to other health systems," said Dr. Glenn Steele, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Geisinger Health System. "We need to aggressively implement a rapid learning network to disseminate our work and assist other systems in implementing these best practices, especially the highest cost systems."
Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Denver Health, Geisinger Health System, Intermountain Healthcare, and Mayo Clinic will join The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice to share data on outcomes, healthcare quality, and costs across a range of common and costly conditions and treatments. The group will determine best practices for delivering care for these conditions and will rapidly disseminate actionable recommendations to providers and health systems across the United States. In addition to achieving better quality and outcomes, the Collaborative intends to improve the efficiency of standard clinical care delivery to reduce the per capita cost in these conditions and to keep costs in pace with the consumer price index.
The Collaborative will initially focus on eight conditions and treatments for which costs have been increasing rapidly in recent years and for which there are wide variations in quality and outcomes across the country. The conditions and treatments will be: knee replacement, diabetes, heart failure, asthma, weight loss surgery, labor and delivery, spine surgery, and depression, which together amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in direct medical costs each year.
"The intractable problems of healthcare quality and cost cannot be solved without getting to the fundamental issue of how we deliver health care in this country," said Dr. Brent James, Chief Quality Officer at Intermountain Healthcare and Executive Director of the Intermountain Institute for Health Care Delivery Research. "By collaborating to gather data and identify the most effective care models, we can address variation in treatment, cost, and outcomes to give patients the quality care they need and bend the cost curve down in a meaningful way."
The six health care systems, with a combined patient population of more than 10 million people, will share data on outcomes and clinical protocols for the selected conditions and treatments to arrive at optimal care models which can then be implemented by many other health care systems. The Collaborative aims to see these best practices replicated across the country.
The Dartmouth Institute will coordinate data sharing and analysis, and report results back to the Collaborative members to inform development of best practices. The Dartmouth Institute has twenty years of experience analyzing Medicare claims data and disseminating the findings. This same expertise will be applied to the work of the Collaborative.
The Collaborative will first analyze Total Knee Replacement, a procedure that is performed more than 300,000 times a year in the U.S., with a cost that ranges on average from $16,000 to $24,000 per surgery. Simultaneously, Collaborative partners will build the metrics to study the care of the other selected conditions at their centers and arrive at best practices. Work to define best practices in diabetes and heart failure care will begin early in 2011.
"If we know that the treatment path for diabetes at one institution results in better clinical outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and lower overall costs, then there is knowledge to be shared and replicated in other institutions," said Dr. Robert Nesse, Chief Executive Officer of Mayo Clinic Health System and member of Mayo Clinic's Board of Trustees. "We need to learn from each other and put systems in place that ensure that every patient gets the very best, most appropriate care, every time."
"There is broad support from other health care systems across the country who want to participate in the work of the Collaborative," said Dr. James Weinstein, Director of The Dartmouth Institute. "It would be enormously valuable to have the broadest geographic and demographic representation in the sharing of outcomes and experience."
Developing models to reduce cost, while improving quality, is only part of the equation. An equally important goal is to impact the clinical care of patients across the country by disseminating these models quickly and working with providers and health systems to adapt them to local conditions. "In my view, the most critical piece of this initiative is the transfer of knowledge to other health systems," said Dr. Glenn Steele, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Geisinger Health System. "We need to aggressively implement a rapid learning network to disseminate our work and assist other systems in implementing these best practices, especially the highest cost systems."
PSQH Notes From Institute For Healthcare Improvement
In recent years, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) National Forum — held in Orlando in early December — has become for me as much a harbinger of the holiday season as leftover Thanksgiving turkey, the media’s obsession with Black Friday, and the dark, cold afternoons of early winter in New England. My trip to Orlando this year offered both new and familiar experiences.
This was IHI’s 22nd National Forum and the first held without founder and original CEO and President Don Berwick, serving now in Washington, DC, as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Forum provided an interesting snapshot of IHI’s transition to the post-Berwick era. On the one hand, many IHI regulars keenly missed Berwick’s unmistakable presence, which for many embodied the organization. On the other hand, more than half of the 5,800 who attended the Forum in person (15,000 attended via webcast) were there for the first time. Not distracted by memories of Berwick, they will associate the opening keynote early on Tuesday morning—always a highly anticipated, signature Berwick moment—with Maureen Bisognano, Berwick’s successor as CEO and president, who told her family’s compelling story of loss due to medical error and called on attendees to join efforts to improve public health, decrease cost, and improve quality: IHI’s Triple Aim.
The Triple Aim is a comprehensive approach to improving healthcare, which emphasizes the health of individuals and the community while decreasing cost. The Triple Aim emphasizes effective care coordination and efficient, patient-centered delivery of care, which in many cases will mean less care, less cost, and more health. It’s no coincidence that the Triple Aim dovetails nicely with healthcare reform legislation in the United States. The Triple Aim may not be well known by name, but IHI has been developing the concept and supporting programs that advance its principles for at least 5 years.
To learn more about the Triple Aim, see IHI’s website and the Commonwealth Fund’s report on three organizations that have been implementing the Triple Aim for some time. IHI’s website also offers a video clip from Bisognano’s address and other materials related to the Forum.
I began to learn principles of the Triple Aim during workshop sessions at the National Forum in 2006. In 2007, I attended an all-day “minicourse” on the Triple Aim taught by Don Berwick and IHI Senior Fellow and Board member, Tom Nolan, one of the Triple Aim’s chief architects. IHI offers the minicourse program on the day before the official beginning of the conference, and it has become my favorite part of the Forum. It’s an unmatched opportunity to spend a full day (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) participating with a room full of experienced, committed learners in an interactive program taught by top-level experts.
To read the full column please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare-http://www.psqh.com/online-articles/717-aiming-at-improvement.html
This was IHI’s 22nd National Forum and the first held without founder and original CEO and President Don Berwick, serving now in Washington, DC, as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Forum provided an interesting snapshot of IHI’s transition to the post-Berwick era. On the one hand, many IHI regulars keenly missed Berwick’s unmistakable presence, which for many embodied the organization. On the other hand, more than half of the 5,800 who attended the Forum in person (15,000 attended via webcast) were there for the first time. Not distracted by memories of Berwick, they will associate the opening keynote early on Tuesday morning—always a highly anticipated, signature Berwick moment—with Maureen Bisognano, Berwick’s successor as CEO and president, who told her family’s compelling story of loss due to medical error and called on attendees to join efforts to improve public health, decrease cost, and improve quality: IHI’s Triple Aim.
The Triple Aim is a comprehensive approach to improving healthcare, which emphasizes the health of individuals and the community while decreasing cost. The Triple Aim emphasizes effective care coordination and efficient, patient-centered delivery of care, which in many cases will mean less care, less cost, and more health. It’s no coincidence that the Triple Aim dovetails nicely with healthcare reform legislation in the United States. The Triple Aim may not be well known by name, but IHI has been developing the concept and supporting programs that advance its principles for at least 5 years.
To learn more about the Triple Aim, see IHI’s website and the Commonwealth Fund’s report on three organizations that have been implementing the Triple Aim for some time. IHI’s website also offers a video clip from Bisognano’s address and other materials related to the Forum.
I began to learn principles of the Triple Aim during workshop sessions at the National Forum in 2006. In 2007, I attended an all-day “minicourse” on the Triple Aim taught by Don Berwick and IHI Senior Fellow and Board member, Tom Nolan, one of the Triple Aim’s chief architects. IHI offers the minicourse program on the day before the official beginning of the conference, and it has become my favorite part of the Forum. It’s an unmatched opportunity to spend a full day (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) participating with a room full of experienced, committed learners in an interactive program taught by top-level experts.
To read the full column please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare-http://www.psqh.com/online-articles/717-aiming-at-improvement.html
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Nighthawk Radiology Services Provides Client Peer Review
NightHawk Radiology Services (Nasdaq: NHWK), the leading provider of radiology solutions to radiology groups across the United States, announced the availability of its Client Peer Review (CPR), part of its best-in-class Quality Assurance Program, and the only one of its kind that provides an objective measure of effective communication and reporting accuracy based on the impact on patient outcomes.While third-party peer review is an important component of radiology checks and balances and a requirement for meeting Joint Commission, pay-for-performance (P4P) and ACR standards, it is a challenging and time consuming process that is difficult for practices to manage and can lead to late, unreported and inaccurate data. "The administrative burden of maintaining a peer review program takes radiologists' valuable time away from patient care and growing their business," said Timothy Myers, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for NightHawk. "Our CPR program can help breathe new life into their practice with a convenient, reliable peer review solution."
Peer Review from NightHawk is unique because it adheres to Quality Assurance Program standards based on how patient care is impacted, rather than the difficulty in reading a report. The ability to generate accurate and comprehensive peer review reports is also a valuable asset for demonstrating value to hospitals, executive committees, and standards-based committees like the Joint Commission. NightHawk's Peer Review Program, accessed through a secure portal, ensures that reports are always timely, and its in-depth reporting makes valuable performance data easily accessible to the practice.
Motorola Solutions Mobile Computing Solutions for Healthcare
In September, the Motorola Solutions business of Motorola, Inc. announced its newest mobile computing solution for healthcare – the MC75A0-HC Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA). The new MC75A0-HC provides healthcare organizations with a rugged and disinfectant-ready mobility solution to help improve patient care and safety, streamline and error-proof processes, and support a variety of point-of-care applications to bring healthcare quality to a new level.
The new MC75A0-HC introduces the popular EDA form factor to its growing healthcare portfolio and complements the previously announced DS6878-HC cordless 2D imager and the DS6707-HC corded 2D imager – demonstrating Motorola’s commitment to delivering an industry-leading suite of mobility solutions designed to meet specific needs within the clinical environment.
“With the introduction of the new MC75A0-HC EDA, Motorola continues to broaden its portfolio of healthcare-specific solutions to address the needs of mobile workers in rigorous healthcare environments,” said Vivian Funkhouser, principal of global healthcare solutions, Motorola Solutions. “Motorola’s MC75A0-HC addresses top healthcare mobility needs -- offering maximum processing power, rugged design, flexibility, advanced data- capture capability, connectivity options, security and manageability to extend the access of critical information to the patient’s bedside, the nurse’s station, operating room and beyond.”
Safety Huddles in a Culture of Patient Safety
Originally published in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare magazine
By Mary Lu Gerke, PhD, RN; Cheryl Uffelman, RN, MSN;
Kim Weber Chandler, RN, BSN
When the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System in 2000, the executives and health quality and patient safety staff at Gundersen Lutheran immediately started discussions around issues emphasized in the report. One of the initiatives started at that time included increasing the engagement of our frontline staff in improving patient safety. This foundational work supported the development and evolution of what we now call Safety Huddles.
Gundersen Lutheran provides high-quality emergency, specialty, and primary healthcare services to patients throughout western Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa. As one of the largest multispecialty group medical practices and a major teaching hospital, the organization comprises nearly 700 medical, dental, and associate staff, supported by a staff of more than 6,000.
Safety Huddles at the hospital officially began in July 2006. One of our first formal Safety Huddles was prompted by a tragic event that occurred in a major healthcare facility in Wisconsin. A 15-year-old first-time mom received an epidural medication intravenously, which led to a seizure and, subsequently, her death. When we heard this story in the news, many of us wondered if something similar could happen at our hospital. The quality and patient safety staff took the lead in pulling together a group of professionals and frontline staff to explore that possibility.
Members of the group included the patient safety coordinator, medication safety manager, OB and pediatric pharmacists, director of pharmacy, managers of labor and delivery, registered nurses from labor and delivery, anesthesiologists, and risk management staff. This meeting was called a Safety Huddle because the group “huddled” to find out what issues led to the patient’s death, what could be done to fix them, and assure itself that a similar incident would not happen here.
Prior to the Safety Huddle, the patient safety coordinator read the details of the incident and put together a list of system failures at that hospital that might have led to the event. The coordinator also interviewed bedside RNs from Gundersen Lutheran’s labor and delivery to determine and list potential failures. That list was provided to the group at the beginning of the Safety Huddle.
To read the rest of the article please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
By Mary Lu Gerke, PhD, RN; Cheryl Uffelman, RN, MSN;
Kim Weber Chandler, RN, BSN
When the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System in 2000, the executives and health quality and patient safety staff at Gundersen Lutheran immediately started discussions around issues emphasized in the report. One of the initiatives started at that time included increasing the engagement of our frontline staff in improving patient safety. This foundational work supported the development and evolution of what we now call Safety Huddles.
Gundersen Lutheran provides high-quality emergency, specialty, and primary healthcare services to patients throughout western Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa. As one of the largest multispecialty group medical practices and a major teaching hospital, the organization comprises nearly 700 medical, dental, and associate staff, supported by a staff of more than 6,000.
Safety Huddles at the hospital officially began in July 2006. One of our first formal Safety Huddles was prompted by a tragic event that occurred in a major healthcare facility in Wisconsin. A 15-year-old first-time mom received an epidural medication intravenously, which led to a seizure and, subsequently, her death. When we heard this story in the news, many of us wondered if something similar could happen at our hospital. The quality and patient safety staff took the lead in pulling together a group of professionals and frontline staff to explore that possibility.
Members of the group included the patient safety coordinator, medication safety manager, OB and pediatric pharmacists, director of pharmacy, managers of labor and delivery, registered nurses from labor and delivery, anesthesiologists, and risk management staff. This meeting was called a Safety Huddle because the group “huddled” to find out what issues led to the patient’s death, what could be done to fix them, and assure itself that a similar incident would not happen here.
Prior to the Safety Huddle, the patient safety coordinator read the details of the incident and put together a list of system failures at that hospital that might have led to the event. The coordinator also interviewed bedside RNs from Gundersen Lutheran’s labor and delivery to determine and list potential failures. That list was provided to the group at the beginning of the Safety Huddle.
To read the rest of the article please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
Medicine Reconciliation Impacts Patient Safety
In any given week, 4 out of every 5 U.S. adults will use prescription medicines, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, or dietary supplements (Aspden et al., 2006). Poor communication of a patient’s medication-use history between community practitioners and emergency department personnel contributes to many adverse drug events (ADEs) and can be a potential source of harm to patients (Pippins et al., 2008). For 2004 and 2005, it is estimated that more than 700,000 patients each year were treated in U.S. emergency departments for ADEs (Budnitz et al., 2006).
One out of every 6 of these patients required further care (e.g., hospital admission, transfer to another facility, and emergency department observation admission). During an 11-month period from September 2004 through July 2005, more than 2,000 medication error reports involving a reconciliation issue were submitted to MEDMARX (USP, Rockville, MD) (Santell, 2006). Approximately 22% of these reconciliation-related errors occurred during the hospital admission process. Cornish et al. (2005) found that roughly 54% (81 of 151) patients had at least one unintended medication discrepancy at the time of hospital admission. In another study, discrepancies among documented regimens from different sites of care were found to be highly prevalent, with up to 67% of inpatients in the study having at least one error in their medication history at the time of hospital admission (Pippins et al., 2008). Other studies support that at least 50% of all patients have had at least one unintentional medication discrepancy (Gleason et al., 2004; Lau et al., 2000).
Medication reconciliation is a process that aims to improve patient safety and reduce the risk of medical error by ensuring that healthcare providers have an up-to-date list of the medications a patient is taking. A recent study of hospitalists involved in design and implementation of medication reconciliation processes felt that medication reconciliation would likely have a positive impact on patient safety (Clay et al, 2008). This information, which can reduce therapeutic duplication and adverse drug interactions, must include the drug name, dose, and frequency. ADEs are frequent and often preventable patient safety incidents. Patients are most at risk for ADEs during transitions in care (hand-offs) across settings, services, providers, or levels of care, including community pharmacy services. The goal of “medication reconciliation” is to prevent these ADEs.
The medication reconciliation process has been demonstrated to be a powerful method for reducing ADEs and medication errors (Provonost et al., 2003; Rozich et al., 2004). However, one important aspect of medication reconciliation’s success depends on emergency department (ED) and other hospital personnel accessing the patient’s most up-to-date medication history from the outpatient setting. To do this, effective communication between community pharmacies and EDs is critical.
to read rest of article please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
Family and Patients Contribute to Patient Safety
Originally published in July/August issue of Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
Engaging patients and families as integral members of the healthcare team is an essential step in delivering high-quality, safe patient care. One approach for empowering patients and families being implemented in hospitals nationwide is to invite them to activate rapid response teams (RRTs) if patients show signs of physical deterioration or something doesn’t appear “quite right” with the patient.
The growth in RRTs came as a result of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) 100,000 and 5 Million Lives Campaigns, which include RRTs as one strategy for enhancing health quality and patient safety. Generally, the RRT consists of intensive care unit (ICU) personnel who can be summoned to assess and treat any patient outside the ICU who shows signs of deterioration and who may be at risk for cardiac arrest or death. Team make-up varies by hospital, but often includes one or more ICU nurses, a respiratory therapist, and a physician who can be called upon when needed.
Initially, only healthcare professionals could activate RRTs. But, with the inspiration of Sorrel King, whose 18-month-old daughter Josie died as a result of a series of medical errors, patients and families are being empowered to activate teams. Experience has shown that families are often the first ones to recognize that there is an issue or a patient is in distress and requires assistance. In fact, tragic stories like that of the death of Josie King may have been prevented if families were, or felt, free to call on a healthcare team for fresh eyes to assess a change in condition or circumstance.
Hearing Sorrel King say, “If I would have been able to call a rapid response team, I believe Josie would be here today,” led a number of hospitals to consider and implement Condition Help (Condition H). Among the most notable is the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the first hospitals in the nation to initiate Condition H. Since implementation, UPMC has been sharing its success and lessons learned with other facilities across the country. Now, Maryland hospitals are moving to adopt this important and innovative approach.
To read the rest of the article please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Patient Safety- Improving IV Catheter Care In Hospitals
Originally published in July/August issue of Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare magazine
As recently reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2010), the incidence of bloodstream infections associated with central venous catheters (central lines) has dropped 18%. The report compared data from January to June 2009 to data from 2006 to 2008. This drop is important because it suggests that a national effort to prevent the infections is having some impact. But a report earlier this year from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (2010), using a different methodology, concluded that there has been no nationwide drop in these infections, despite years of effort by clinicians, industry, and healthcare institutions.
As recently reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2010), the incidence of bloodstream infections associated with central venous catheters (central lines) has dropped 18%. The report compared data from January to June 2009 to data from 2006 to 2008. This drop is important because it suggests that a national effort to prevent the infections is having some impact. But a report earlier this year from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (2010), using a different methodology, concluded that there has been no nationwide drop in these infections, despite years of effort by clinicians, industry, and healthcare institutions.
Whatever the actual numbers, the infection-fighting task is far from complete. Many experts believe that catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) are entirely preventable. Yet an estimated 30,000 patients per year lose their lives to these infections (APIC, 2010). CR-BSI, which cost tens of thousands of dollars on average to treat, also contribute substantially to healthcare costs. Those are costs that hospitals themselves often now bear because the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), agreeing that these complications are avoidable, stopped reimbursing hospitals for CR-BSI in 2008 (Medicare Program).
The healthcare community has an obligation—and a strong financial incentive—to remain focused on the goal of completely eliminating CR-BSI until that goal is achieved. In part by focusing on antimicrobials such as dressings and on technologies such as advanced IV connectors, many institutions can achieve this goal.
Why do unacceptable rates of these infections persist? There are several reasons:
- The origins of CR-BSI are poorly understood at many institutions, so prevention efforts are often poorly targeted.
- When facilities do establish sensible, evidence-based prevention policies, compliance with them is inconsistent.
- Current prevention guidelines from prominent organizations such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) describe a consensus approach that is inherently minimalist. A more comprehensive approach drawing upon recent research findings is likely to be more effective.
- Some institutions may not be responding promptly
- to catheter occlusions (also known as clogging), which are a known risk factor for bloodstream infections.
- There is relatively little research on effective catheter technology, care, and maintenance given the prevalence of catheter placements in contemporary medicine.
- Some institutions may not be addressing problems appropriately—that is, making appropriate changes in response to a high CR-BSI rate at their facility.
Look A-Like Medication Names Effect Patient Safety
Previously published in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
Medication errors can result in significant morbidity and mortality and more costly care. Look-alike drug names that contribute to wrong drug errors are pervasive. These errors happen in various ways; for example:
Prophylactic antibiotic coverage with penicillin 500mg oral tablets four times a day was ordered for a 43-year woman in intensive care with severe mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation and an incidental jaw fracture who was scheduled for a surgical valve repair. On the second day of antibiotic therapy, a nurse compared the drug she was to administer with the medication administration record and discovered the patient was receiving penicillamine instead of penicillin. Further evaluation revealed the staff member who entered the order into the pharmacy computer system typed in “PENIC” and had received a drop-down box that displayed all the formulations starting with “PENIC.” The pharmacist entering the order unintentionally selected penicillamine instead of penicillin (Flynn, 2006).
A 40-year-old woman with bipolar disorder (on trazodone) received handwritten prescriptions for Zyrtec® and Atarax® to treat a new episode of urticaria. The pharmacist dispensed Zyprexa® instead of Zyrtec. It was not until a 2-week follow-up appointment that the error was identified (Cohen, 2003).
Epinephrine and ephedrine were available on override in adjacent sections of an automated dispensing cabinet drawer. When a physician requested a dose of ephedrine for a patient in labor, a nurse hurriedly drew up a dose of epinephrine and handed it to the primary nurse, who administered the dose. The patient experienced chest pain and a period of hypertension before the baby was born, however, there were no long term effects for the mother or newborn (ISMP Medication Error Reporting System, n.d.).
To read the rest of the article please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare
Patient Safety Top of Mind for Medical Center and Design Team
By Julie Stromberg RN, MS, CEN, and Linda Mahle, AIA
Originally published in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare July/August Issue
Health providers, architects, and planners collaborated to put patient safety at the heart of the relocation and expansion of a leading Northern California trauma center/emergency department. In numerous ways, facility design contributes to the prompt, safe diagnosis and treatment of approximately 50,000 patients each year at John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek. From overarching organizational concepts to individual room amenities, design decisions were based on the goal of providing the most efficient, comfortable, and safe treatment for each patient.
Project Overview
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| Photo Courtesy of Douglas A. Salin |
The first three (of four) phases of the relocation and expansion project provided a new 24,000-square-foot emergency department, which doubled the size of the previous emergency department. When the final phase of work is complete, the department will be approximately three times its original size. The number of waiting areas was also increased from the traditional single main waiting room, to a main lobby and three satellite waiting rooms to accommodate patients’ loved ones. Together, the first three phases comprised:
- 32 treatment spaces
- Four major trauma rooms, three cardiac/critical care rooms
- Dedicated CT scanner and two radiology suites
- A negative pressure room used for suspected infectious diseases
- Two full isolation treatment rooms complete with anterooms
- A mass decontamination area to treat victims of a mass chemical or bioterrorist exposure
The emergency department expansion and remodel was completed in a phased approach to allow for early relocation of the ED to accommodate the start of construction for a new five-story, 400,000-square-foot patient care tower, which is partially located in the old ED’s footprint. A future phase in the hospital expansion project will add 12 more ED treatment/observation rooms, relocate the heli-stop to the new tower’s rooftop, and connect the helipad to the ED via two dedicated, high-speed elevators.
To read rest of article please visit Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare website
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Patient Safety on the Fly Technology and Teamwork
Picture this: You are a nurse on an emergency transport helicopter en route to pick up a critical patient who is intubated at an outlying facility. Upon arrival, you learn the patient has adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), complicated by septic shock. The patient’s blood pressure is in the low 70s, and he is on two vasopressors. He has been sedated, but not enough. He is visibly agitated and physically shaking. There are nine infusion pumps on three IV poles, in addition to other equipment in the room. All in all, his condition requires 12 intravenous (IV) infusions, and it’s your job to keep him stable until the helicopter reaches the hospital.
Providing care in a helicopter presents challenges that are different from providing care in a hospital. After nearly 5 years as a flight nurse, I’ve found that in order to meet the patient safety needs for in-flight care and to ensure patient safety, medical equipment used for air transport needs to be:
* Consistently reliable in the face of limited resources;
* Designed for a small, in-motion workspace; and
* Versatile enough to provide extended care during travel delays.
Patient Safety Is Paramount
Every flight nurse quickly learns that patient safety is paramount. At Florida Hospital, our Florida Flight One medical helicopter provides an emergency room/critical care setting staffed by highly trained and qualified teams. But unlike a hospital emergency room, if something goes wrong, there is only one back-up for each medical device and no code button a nurse can hit to have hospital staff come running to help. Besides the patient, there are just three people onboard: a nurse, a pilot, and a respiratory therapist or critical care paramedic. The first safety measure for any flight occurs even before a patient is picked up —i f any of the three crew members do not feel right about the flight due to concerns about adverse weather conditions, the team does not go. If one person becomes concerned mid-flight, the helicopter turns around, and the flight is aborted. It’s an unwritten policy we call, “It takes three to go and one to say no.”
http://www.psqh.com/july-august-2010/570-patient-safety-on-the-fly-.html
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