ACS launches new breast cancer skills program
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on July 9 announced a new breast cancer skills program for breast cancer patients. Patients have access to evidence-based knowledge, checklists, and skills training to support them from preoperative preparation through postoperative recovery. Given in advance of surgery, the ACS Surgical Skills…
Hospitals not adequately prepared for future pandemics
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, finds that US hospitals may not be adequately prepared for future pandemics. The 10-year analysis found only marginal improvements in a measurement to assess preparedness—Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI)—during the years leading up…
The Joint Commission releases Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports for 2Q
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on July 7 that second quarter Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports are available for accredited organizations. The reports reflect the most recent data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Compare website and electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data reported under The Joint Commission's ORYX…
Study: Hospital nurse staffing standards save lives, lower costs
Editor's Note This study led by Linda H. Aiken, PhD, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that establishing safe nurse staffing standards in hospitals in Chile could save lives, prevent readmissions, shorten hospital stays, and reduce costs. The researchers collected data from 1,652 nurses practicing in…
Use of Pandemic Escape Room to increase learner engagement in infection prevention education
Editor's Note Escape Rooms, which were conceived as a social activity, yielded themselves as a low-cost, high-impact and effective tool for healthcare education during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study from the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System finds. The Pandemic Escape Room ran every half hour for 4 days, providing 48…
ECRI chosen for data repository of promising medicines
Editor's Note ECRI announced June 30 that it had been chosen by the Belgium-based International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI) to develop the first large-scale database of new and promising pharmaceutical products. ECRI will curate and maintain a database of pharmaceuticals expected to enter the European market within the next 2…
The Joint Commission to implement new, revised Performance Improvement, Leadership accreditation standards
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 23 that it will implement new and revised Performance Improvement and Leadership accreditation standards for all of its accreditation programs, beginning January 1, 2022. The revisions factor in two common themes found in organizations with successful improvement programs: adoption of established improvement…
Researchers raise the alarm on splashing during reprocessing--Part 1
Does it really matter if surgical instruments are submerged in cleaning solution when technologists or nurses scrub them after a case? Is there a reason for the 3-foot separation between dirty and clean areas? Do germs stop at the red line? During the COVID-19 pandemic, much attention has been focused…
Applications for Bernard J. Tyson National Award open until July 8
Editor's Note The Joint Commission posted a reminder on June 16 that applications for the new Bernard J. Tyson National Award program from The Joint Commission and Kaiser Permanente are open until July 8. The award recognizes healthcare organizations and their partners that achieved a measurable, sustained reduction in one…
ISMP introduces perioperative Medication Safety Self Assessment
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 16 that the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has launched a new Medication Safety Self Assessment for perioperative settings to gauge how well organizations are doing in protecting surgical patients from medication errors. The new tool, which is for hospitals, ambulatory…
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- Hospital financial report predicts stability, high cybersecurity costs for 2025
- IV fluid shortage drives innovation in hospital hydration practices
- FDA Class 1 recalls target anesthesia workstations, ambulatory infusion pumps, ventilators
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