May 2017 Issue of Becker's Infection Control and Clinical Quality

On the Cover

PATIENT SAFETY

Key to Safe, Patient-Centered Care? Employee Engagement, Press Ganey Says
Hospitals with lower infection and readmission rates and shorter lengths of stay tend to have higher HCAHPS scores, according to a Press Ganey special report released March 29. Click here to continue >>

Study: SC Hospitals See 22% Drop in Post-Surgical Deaths With Use of Checklist-Based Quality Program
South Carolina hospitals that implemented a voluntary checklist-based surgical quality improvement program experienced a 22 percent reduction in post-operative deaths, according to a study in the Annals of Surgery. Click here to continue >>

CMS Wants to Make Accrediting Organization Surveys Public
CMS may require national accrediting organizations to make provider and supplier survey reports and plans of corrections available online. Click here to continue >>

Hospital Patient Mortality Drops During Joint Commission Surveys, Study Finds
Patients admitted to the hospital during an unannounced Joint Commission survey have lower 30-day mortality rates than those patients admitted three weeks before or after the unannounced survey, according to a study published March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Click here to continue >>

Joint Commission: 10 Most Common Sentinel Events of 2016
The 10 most common sentinel events reviewed by the Joint Commission did not change much from 2015 to 2016 — only dialysis-related events and perinatal death/injury fell off the list completely, and medication errors and criminal events took their places. Click here to continue >>

Study: What Are the Risk Factors for SSIs Among Colon Cancer Patients?
A study, published in JAMA Surgery, examined risk factors for surgical site infections among colon cancer patients. Click here to continue >>

Leapfrog Releases Calculator to Measure Lives, Money Lost to Medical Errors
The Leapfrog Group — a national nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality and safety of healthcare — released a new Lives and Dollars Lost to Medical Errors Calculator to shed light on the significant impact medical errors have on the hospital’s bottom line and patient population. Click here to continue >>

To Shorten Hospital Stays and Save Money, Train Patients Before Surgery
Researchers with Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor have developed a pre-surgical training program for patients, which may concurrently reduce the length of hospital stays and costs associated with inpatient admission. Click here to continue >>

Rebooting Patient Safety: 7 Questions With the Leaders of IHI and NPSF
The National Patient Safety Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement announced in March plans to merge, effective May 1. Click here to continue >>

Inappropriate Syringe Reuse Led to Hep C Transmission in Texas Hospital, CDC Says
A nurse in a Texas hospital mistakenly believed saline flush prefilled syringes could be reused in separate patients’ intravenous lines, which led to a hepatitis C transmission in 2015, according to a  CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report  released in March 2017. Click here to continue >>

New Intervention Benefits Suicidal ED Patients, Lowers Suicide Attempts
A multifaceted intervention helped reduce the number of suicides among suicidal emergency department patients, a new clinical trial shows. Click here to continue >>

Leapfrog: Hospitals Aren’t Using Medication Safety Technology Effectively
While the majority of hospitals have bar code medication administration technology and computer physician order entry systems to help safely administer medication to patients, few hospitals use the technology in the most effective way possible, according to a report from the Leapfrog Group published in April. Click here to continue >>

HAND HYGIENE

Which Boosts Hand Hygiene Long-Term: Peer Pressure or Cash Incentives?
When it comes to improving and sustaining hand hygiene compliance rates, peer pressure may be more effective than the promise of a cash bonus, according to a study in a California hospital described in a March Harvard Business Review article. Click here to continue >>

Study: Liquid and Foam Soap Not Created Equal
Increasingly, healthcare facilities have opted for foam over liquid soap, but that move could put patients and healthcare workers at increased risk of infection, a small study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found. Click here to continue >>

A Simple Text Message Could Up Hand Hygiene Compliance, Study Finds
Text messaging via smartphones can help increase hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, a  study  published in the American Journal of Infection Control found. Click here to continue >>

Patient, Physician CoWashing May Boost Hand Hygiene Compliance
Physician compliance with hand hygiene protocols prior to patient examination may improve when physicians are asked to offer hand sanitizer to patients before washing their hands with the sanitizer themselves, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Click here to continue >>

Does Music Impact Time Spent on Hand Hygiene?
A study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, examined the effect of a music-based intervention on hand disinfection duration. Click here to continue >>

INFECTION CONTROL

Redesigned Olympus Scopes Linked to Superbug Outbreak: 7 Things to Know
A superbug outbreak at a foreign health facility has been linked to Olympus-made duodenoscopes that were recently redesigned to prevent such infections, according to the Los Angeles Times. Click here to continue >>

Senator Asks Olympus for More Information on Outbreak Linked to Redesigned Scopes
Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate health committee, sent a letter April 3 to the president and CFO of Olympus demanding more information into a superbug outbreak at a foreign health facility linked to duodenoscopes recently redesigned to prevent infections. Click here to continue >>

CDC Director Calls C. auris Fungus a ‘Catastrophic Threat’
In a recent interview with STAT, Anne Schuchat, MD, acting director of the CDC, pointed to the deadly fungus Candida auris as a “catastrophic threat” to society. Click here to continue >>

Study: Food Supply Possible Source of C. diff Infections
The hospital-acquired infection Clostridium difficile, which causes inflammation of the colon and can be deadly among elderly patients, may be spread outside the hospital setting via food, according to a study presented during the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases held in Vienna from April 22 to April 25. Click here to continue >>

US Sees Growing Number of C. auris Cases: 3 Things to Know
Since the CDC first warned clinicians in June 2016 about Candida auris — a deadly, drug-resistant yeast spreading around the world — dozens of infections have been reported among U.S. residents, according to The Washington Post. Click here to continue >>

Recurrent C. diff Infections Linked to Higher Death Rates, Research Shows
Clostridium difficile infection recurrence may increase the risk of death in patients, according to a presentation at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, held from April 22 to April 25, in Vienna, Austria. Click here to continue >>

Hospital Floors Could Transmit Germs More Easily Than Previously Thought
Germs on hospital room floors can move rapidly to high-touch surfaces and then healthcare worker hands, thus making dirty hospital floors more of an infection risk than previously thought, according to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control. Click here to continue >>

Chlorhexidine Gluconate Baths Can Help Reduce MRSA by up to 55%, Study Shows
Bathing daily with chlorhexidine gluconate can reduce incidence of some hospital-acquired infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Click here to continue >>

C. diff Carriers Who Show No Symptoms Can Up Infection Risk in Other Hospitalized Patients
Asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in hospitals increase the risk of infection for other patients, according to a study published in Gastroenterology. Click here to continue >>

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Undergoes Deep Clean After 6 Bacterial Infections
Richmond, Va.-based Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital underwent a deep clean in one unit after six patients were infected with extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing Klebsiella. Click here to continue >>

CDC Issues New SSI Prevention Guidelines: 5 Things to Know
The CDC published its long-awaited update on recommendations for the prevention of surgical site infections May 3 in JAMA Surgery. Click here to continue >>

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP

Maple Syrup Extract Increases Antibiotic Potency
Researchers created a maple syrup extract that enhances the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics, according to a new study presented at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco in April. Click here to continue >>

New Antibiotic Compound Proves Effective Against 2 WHO Priority Pathogens
Canadian researchers created a new drug that targets the energy mechanisms of two of the 12 bacterial pathogens the World Health Organization identifies as capable of posing the greatest risk to human health, according to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. Click here to continue >>

Children’s Hospital Colorado’s New ‘Handshake Stewardship’ Program Led to 10.9% Decline in Antibiotic Use
Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora implemented a unique antimicrobial stewardship program, known as “handshake stewardship.” Click here to continue >>

7 Things to Know About Inpatient, Outpatient Antibiotic Use
A “significant portion” of antibiotic prescriptions written in the U.S. is inappropriate, and the nation lacks a lot of the data needed to make a dent in the fight against antibiotic resistance, according to a report from Pew issued in March. Click here to continue >>

Komodo Dragon Blood Produces New Antibiotic Compound
Researchers used a molecule with antimicrobial properties detected in the blood of Komodo dragons to create a synthetic compound that expedites the healing process of infected wounds in mice, according to a study published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. Click here to continue >>

Childhood Antibiotic Use Linked to Adult Inflammatory Gut Diseases in New Study
A new study on mice shows antibiotic use early in life could contribute to development of inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory diseases like asthma later in life. Click here to continue >>

Common Antibiotic Ear Drops Up Risk of Perforated Eardrums
A type of antibiotic ear drop commonly prescribed after ear tube surgery may increase the risk of perforated eardrums, according to a study from Gainesville-based University of Florida Health, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Click here to continue >>

Antibiotics Linked to Increased Risk of Bowel Cancer
The link between lengthy antibiotic prescriptions — which can alter the gut microbiome — and colorectal cancer has been strengthened by new findings published in the journal Gut. Click here to continue >>

Appropriate Antimicrobial Prescribing Improves When Physician Autonomy is Preserved, Study Shows
A behavioral approach focused on preserving physician autonomy and participation helps enhance the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.  Click here to continue >>

Several Classes of Antibiotics May Up Miscarriage Risk, Study Shows
Numerous classes of antibiotics were associated with an uptick in risk of miscarriages, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Click here to continue >>

Patients More Likely to Receive Antibiotics From Mid- or Late-Career Physicians, Study Shows
A study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examines the factors associated with antibiotic prescribing for acute upper respiratory tract infections. Click here to continue >>

PATIENT EXPERIENCE

7 Findings on Leadership in Patient Experience — Top Priorities, Challenges and More
Now more than ever, hospital leaders are focusing on patient experience as a main priority, according to a recently released report titled, “Experience Beyond Boundaries: The Next-Generation CXO.” Click here to continue >>

How Geisinger Uses ‘Nursing Bundles’ to Improve Patient Satisfaction: 4 Takeaways
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System implemented a “nursing bundle” in an effort to streamline the patient experience and improve satisfaction, according to a case study published on NEJM Catalyst. Click here to continue >>

CMS Updates Hospital Compare Data — How Many Hospitals Have 5 Stars for Patient Experience?
CMS updated patient satisfaction survey data on its Hospital Compare website April 28, which included calculating new HCAHPS summary star ratings for hospitals. Click here to continue >>

Nurses Sitting at the Bedside Linked to Higher Patient Experience Scores
Patients’ perception of nurse communication factors into both Press Ganey and HCAHPS patient experience scores, and an initiative at one Texas hospital shows the simple act of sitting down with patients can improve those scores. Click here to continue >>

51 Hospitals With the Quietest Patient Rooms, as Reported by Patients
The following is a list of hospitals for which 83 percent or more of patients reported on their HCAHPS survey that the area around their room was always quiet at night. Click here to continue >>

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT

Leapfrog’s Spring Safety Grades Show Improvement: 5 Things to Know
The Leapfrog Group released its spring 2017 Hospital Safety Grades in April, assigning A through F letter grades to 2,639 hospitals based on 30 evidence-based patient safety measures. Click here to continue >>

5 Things to Know About Healthgrades’ 2017 Patient Experience and Patient Safety Awards
Healthgrades — a leading online resource for information on hospitals and physicians —  announced  the recipients of the Healthgrades 2017 Outstanding Patient Experience Award and Healthgrades 2017 Patient Safety Excellence Award in April. Click here to continue >>

Leapfrog Safety Grades Penalize Hospitals for Transparency, Study Suggests
After analyzing The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade system, researchers from Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan determined hospitals may receive higher grades if they don’t self-report certain scores to the patient safety watchdog group. Click here to continue >>

Where Are the 10 Leapfrog F Hospitals?
Leapfrog released its spring 2017 Hospital Safety Grades  in April, and 10 hospitals in four states received a failing grade. Click here to continue >>

The 64 Leapfrog Straight-A Hospitals
The Leapfrog Group has been assigning letter grades to hospitals based on their patient safety performance twice a year since spring 2012, and 64 hospitals have earned an A in every update, including the spring 2017 update released in April. Click here to continue >>

51 Quality Measures Should Be Removed From Federal Programs, MAP Says
The National Quality Forum’s Measure Applications Partnership has recommended the removal of 51 of the 240 quality measures used in seven federal programs. Click here to continue >>

Dr. Peter Pronovost: This Unnecessary Regulation Doesn’t Benefit Patients and Costs $500M Each Year
The federal government requires preoperative testing before cataract surgery, which costs the healthcare system $500 million annually — but has no positive effect on patient health, according to a blog post in The Wall Street Journal. Click here to continue >>

VA Hospitals Outperform Non-VA Hospitals on Patient Outcome Measures
Though the Veterans Affairs health system has been under fire for various reasons, a look at quality data shows VA hospitals actually outperform non-VA hospitals in outcomes, readmission and mortality measures, according to a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine. Click here to continue >>

VA Makes Quality & Patient Satisfaction Scores, Wait Times Transparent
The Department of Veterans Affairs launched its Access and Quality Tool in April that allows veterans to see patient wait time and care quality data online. Click here to continue >>

Do Higher Yelp Scores Mean Higher Quality Care?
Yelp reviews may actually help steer patients to higher-quality hospitals, according to a new research paper from the Manhattan Institute. Click here to continue >>

Readmission Reduction Program Persistently Penalizes Some Hospitals, Study Finds
The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program created under the ACA may persistently penalize hospitals with certain characteristics, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs. Click here to continue >>

CMS Readmission Penalties Don’t Correlate With Outcomes, Are Unfair to Hospitals With Sicker Patients, Study Says
The CMS Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program may unfairly level 30-day readmission penalties against hospitals that care for more severely ill patient populations, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology. Click here to continue >>

RECENT CNO, CMO AND CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER MOVES

Hospital & Health System CNO and CMO Moves

EXECUTIVE BRIEFINGS

There’s clean & then there’s Tru-D clean: The importance of a strategic plan to implement a Successful UVC Disinfection Program
Tru-D SmartUVC understands the importance of building a comprehensive communication strategy for the implementation and successful management of an enhanced UVC disinfection program. Click here to continue >>

Scratching below the surface: How taking a closer look at your sterilization packaging systems can increase patient safety
The sterile processing department used to be a little-known department in the hospital, relegated to the basement or tucked away in a not-oft-visited area of the hospital and ignored by quality improvement initiatives and accreditation organizations, according to Peg Luebbert, an infection preventionist with Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital. Click here to continue >>

A recipe for SSI reduction: Bundling evidence-based interventions to lower risk, improve patient outcomes
In December 1999, the Institute of Medicine published, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, a report which stunned the American healthcare industry with its estimate that preventable adverse events are a leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming up to 98,000 lives each year.1 Click here to continue >>

Why daily cleaning may not be enough: Every moment counts
Each year, an estimated 722,000 healthcare-associated infections occur in U.S. hospitals. Click here to continue >>