Hospital Peer Review – August 1, 2009
August 1, 2009
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Hand hygiene compliance: Why hospitals aren't getting it right
If clean hands can save lives, why aren't more health care workers complying with hand hygiene guidelines? The answer isn't singular in nature and neither are the methods suggested for improvement, but one thing is certain: Compliance is lacking. In response, The Joint Commission recently published a 262-page monograph, "Measuring hand hygiene adherence: Overcoming the challenges," to identify best practices for measuring adherence. -
Boosting hand washing with monitors, feedback
In the photograph, a young boy in a hospital bed looks unflinchingly at you, one hand on his chest. And in big type it reads, "You could kill me with your bare hands." Novant Health's message to its staff in 2005 was clear. Hand hygiene compliance is a matter of life and death. -
Consultant: Scoring, PPR requirements still unclear
Do you understand the new Joint Commission scoring methodology? According to Susan Mellott, PhD, RN, CPHQ, FNAHQ, CEO/health care consultant, Mellott & Associates in Houston, the changes and their impact are still unclear to many quality professionals, and there is a lot of information still to be gleaned to prepare your facility. -
For ED bottlenecks, look at your OR scheduling
"Nobody really looks at the operating room when they're talking about ED overcrowding. But that elective schedule is what drives the peaks and valleys on the inpatient side," says Susan Madden, MS, Press Ganey's VP for analytics. -
Skeptic learns true value of QI HAI prevention
Manoj Jain, MD MPH, an infectious disease physician and writer, in Memphis, TN, admits he was skeptical when his hospital embarked on a quality improvement initiative to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and he admitted it openly in a column in the Washington Post. -
NQF safe practice: More pharmacist involvement
In issuing its 2009 safe practices, the National Quality Forum (NFQ) recommends more pharmacist involvement. Safe Practice 18: Pharmacist Leadership Structures and Systems reads: Pharmacy leaders should have an active role on the administrative leadership team that reflects their authority and accountability for medication management systems performance across the organization. -
CMS Hospital Compare hits front page news
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just added new information to its Hospital Compare site death rates and readmission rates relating to heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia.