To supplement the material and analysis provided by Becker's Clinical Quality and Infection Control, Becker's Healthcare offers an online database of free and low-cost downloadable patient safety tools and resources, putting them all in one place for user convenience. The database contains tools for patients and providers on all quality-related matters, including general and specific infection prevention and control, patient safety culture, change management, adverse event prevention and quality reporting.
Access the database here.
The following are 20 of the most recent patient safety tools on Becker's Healthcare's websites.
AHA's Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Toolkit: The American Hospital Association, along with six national partners, released a toolkit to help hospitals and health systems improve their antimicrobial stewardship programs.
AHRQ CRE Control and Prevention Toolkit: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's toolkit for organizations helps them develop interventions to control carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
Always Events Getting Started Kit: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement's toolkit includes two case studies, practical guidance for creating the fundamentals of Always Events and tools for measuring the initiative.
American Sentinel University's HAI Prevention E-Book for Nurses: The free e-book is geared toward nurses to help them minimize the occurrence of hospital-acquired infection risk factors.
AORN's National Time Out Day Poster: The Association for periOperative Registered Nurses' free downloadable poster encourages members of the surgical team to recommit to safe surgical practices.
AORN Surgical Sharps Safety Resources: The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' extensive sharps safety toolkit helps teach evidence-based practices and prevention techniques to decrease sharps injuries during surgery.
Appropriate Use of Medical Resources Discussion Guide: The American Hospital Association's resources help healthcare workers discuss the appropriate use of medical resources and reduce non-beneficial care.
Appropriateness of Antibiotics Assessment Worksheets: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's assessment sheets are designed to help facilities identify opportunities to improve antibiotic use and ask retrospective questions about clinical steps taken when antibiotics were prescribed to a patient.
ASC Quality Collaboration's Safe Injection Practices Toolkit: The ASC Quality Collaboration's free toolkit contains resources for safe injection best practices in ambulatory surgery centers.
CDC's Checklist for Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's free checklist helps hospitals ensure optimal antibiotic prescribing and limit overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
Clorox's C. diff Prevention Infographic: The visual guide is included in educational and training resources that Clorox offers, and it features information on what surfaces are likely to be contaminated with C. diff as well as six steps to C. diff prevention.
Clorox Terminal Cleaning Toolkit: Clorox Healthcare's toolkit helps infection preventionists and environmental services professionals understand the importance of terminal cleaning, or cleaning a patient care area after a patient's departure.
IHI's Guide to Improving Hand Hygiene: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, offer a how-to guide for improving hand hygiene in healthcare settings. It includes recommended evidence-based interventions, measurement support tools and tips.
Indwelling Catheter Performance Checklists: The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services' complimentary checklists help evaluate healthcare providers' performance on indwelling catheter insertion.
Medical Mattress Inspection, Repair Guide: Surface Medical's guide, an industry first, details an implementation protocol for preventative maintenance and care of healthcare mattresses and stretchers.
NCPS' Balance Assessment Handbook: The VA National Center for Patient Safety's balance assessment handbook provides rehabilitation therapists with a sample gait and balance assessment to evaluate fall risk in older adults.
NPSF's Checklist for Getting the Right Diagnosis: The National Patient Safety Foundation's free checklist encourages patients to take an active role in their healthcare, and it includes actions that patients can take to partner with their healthcare professional to find the right diagnosis.
Patient Blood Management Toolkit: The American Hospital Association and its Physician Leadership Forum, along with AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks), developed a patient safety toolkit to guide hospitals and health systems in implementing a blood management program.
PDI's Healthcare Reform Champions Tool Kit: PDI's toolkit is a digital educational tool that helps explain key components of the recent healthcare reform legislation.
WHO Hand Hygiene Observation Chart: The World Health Organization's free, downloadable observation form is for hospitals and other provider organizations to complete when monitoring hand hygiene compliance, and it includes a basic compliance calculation table.