Tag: Quality

Mayo Clinic tops US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals list

Editor's Note US News & World Report on August 2 released it 27th Annual Best Hospitals list, which compares nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide in 25 specialties, procedures, or conditions. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is Number 1 this year, followed by the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and the…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
August 2, 2016
Share

Many top hospitals fail Medicare’s quality star ratings

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) on July 27 released its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings of 3,617 hospitals. Only 102 received the top rating of five stars, and only a few of those are considered among the nation’s best, including Memorial Hermann Hospital System in Houston…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
August 1, 2016
Share

Mortality rates similar for safety-net, other hospitals

Editor's Note In a new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), safety-net hospitals performed equally as well as other hospitals when evaluated according to medical-surgical mortality rates. Analyzing data from 1,891 hospitals in 31 states, researchers found that despite ongoing financial disadvantages, the quality of…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 28, 2016
Share

CMS publishes hospital star ratings

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 27 published its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, the July 27 Modern Healthcare reports. The ratings, which are a composite metric of one to five stars, grade the quality of nearly 4,000 hospitals and are posted to the…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 28, 2016
Share

Excluding high-risk cardiac patients from public reporting improves outcomes

Editor's Note Public reporting may discourage physicians from offering lifesaving treatment to patients who are at the greatest risk for mortality and poor outcomes, this study finds. Of 45,000 cardiac patients analyzed, the researchers found that physicians were 28% more likely to perform percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) on patients who…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 28, 2016
Share

Association between checklist performance and surgeon buy-in, surgical teamwork

Editor's Note Surgeon buy-in and surgical teamwork were crucial in prompting case-related conversations but not in completing surgical safety checklists, this study finds. Of 207 procedures observed by 10 South Carolina hospitals, few teams completed most or all surgical safety checklist items. All measures of teamwork and surgeon buy-in related…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 26, 2016
Share

Assessment tool reduces UTI rates across surgical, nonsurgical departments

Editor's Note A program for analyzing processes associated with catheter placement and removal for surgical patients decreased urinary tract infections (UTIs) for all hospitalized patients in this study presented at the 2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Conference in San Diego. The STOP UTI quality assessment…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 21, 2016
Share

Incidence of advanced prostate cancer skyrockets

Editor's Note The number of new cases of men with metastatic prostate cancer in the US has increased 72% in the past decade, this study finds. The largest jump was in men aged 55 to 69 years (92% increase), the age group who benefits the most from prostate cancer screening…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 21, 2016
Share

Survey reveals challenges in implementing eCQMs

Editor's Note A survey by the Joint Commission, American Hospital Association, and Federation of American Hospitals, finds that Medicare's new Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program requirements for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) are achievable, but organizations will need to address education, process, and technology hurdles to meet the deadline of…

Read More

By: Judy Mathias
July 20, 2016
Share

Process improvements raise SPD standards and quality

When audits revealed areas of deficit in the sterile processing departments (SPDs) of the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, leaders pulled together a team to help implement a quality improvement plan. By analyzing and standardizing their processes, creating auditing tools, and educating staff, they significantly increased quality scores throughout…

Read More

By: OR Manager
July 19, 2016
Share

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat