Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 13, issued a new “Quick Safety Issue 60: Understanding the needs of diverse populations in your community.” To address the health and well-being of diverse populations in US communities, hospitals and medical centers can use the following safety actions and strategies: Requiring leadership…

Read More

Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on July 12 announced their new cross-specialty ACS Quality Verification Program (ACS QVP) at the 2021 ACS Quality and Safety Conference. The program provides the tools for hospitals to have a standardized approach to surgical care for all surgical patients. It is…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the Cleveland Clinic finds that patient satisfaction with virtual healthcare visits is comparable to traditional in-person visits. Researchers surveyed 426 adult patients who had virtual visits from June 21 to July 12, 2017. Among the findings: 92.9% believed their virtual visit clinician was interested in…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF), on June 9, announced the recipients of the 2020 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The awards recognize and honor initiatives in three categories: Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality at the National Level—Veterans Health Administration Rapid Naloxone…

Read More