The following is a list of 13 recent quality-related findings from the past month, starting with the most recent.
1. Though a multifaceted intervention is effective in increasing medication adherence for acute cardiac syndrome patients, a JAMA Internal Medicine Study showed improved adherence may not contribute to improved clinical outcome measures. A related Duke Medicine study showed heart failure readmissions rates are not improved by increased medication adherence.
2. A study in the American Journal of Geriatrics suggested readmission rates are lower for seniors discharged to skilled nursing facilities, because such facilities provide better medication adherence and earlier recognition of symptoms than self-care, resulting in earlier treatment.
3. A study on pediatric antibiotic use trends showed the largest group of pediatric patients who receive antibiotics are surgery patients. Four main conditions comprise 10 percent of all pediatric antibiotic use, according to the same study.
4. Medication adherence may benefit from home delivery of medication, according to a study in the American Journal of Managed Care, in which patients receiving home-delivered medications were significantly more adherent to a medication regimen than those using a traditional retail pharmacy.
5. A study surveying critical care physicians showed care prolonging patient life without any other benefits is both common and costly.
6. Lack of natural-light exposure in hospital rooms interferes with patients' circadian rhythms and prevents them from sleeping properly, according to a study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
7. A Journal for Healthcare Quality study found keeping patients in the same ward instead of moving them among wards increases patient knowledge and satisfaction and improves safety culture.
8. A study in JAMA found surgeons who were up operating the night before do not make more mistakes in the subsequent day's surgeries.
9. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-supported research demonstrated nurse practitioners, the mainstays of retail clinics, have the potential to save the U.S. healthcare system $472 million annually if allowed to practice independently.
10. The ECRI Institute released its list of top 10 health technology hazards.
11. Research published in the American Journal of Infection Control found infection preventionists feel their roles are expanding in response to demand for quality in healthcare, but support systems for their work are not growing at the same rate as their responsibilities.
12. Oral nutrition supplements are associated with decreases in length of stay and readmissions for Medicare patients aged 65 and over, according to research presented at the Society for Medical Decision Making's annual meeting.
13. The idea that hospitalists burn out more quickly than outpatient physicians was refuted in a study in The Journal of Hospital Medicine.
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Health Disparities Laid Bare in CDC Report
After Antibiotics: The Post-Antibiotic Era
Patient Safety Tool: Health Assessments in Primary Care