January/February 2020 Issue of Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
ON THE COVER
7 leaders on the patient safety issue they'd fix overnight
Throughout 2019, Becker's asked numerous clinical leaders the following question: "If you could fix one patient safety issue overnight, what would it be and why?"
Why storytelling is a key part of Sutter Health's safety work
William Isenberg, MD, PhD, vice president of patient safety at Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, credits some of the system's success with its safety work to what some might see as an unconventional workplace practice: storytelling.
The 3 superbugs most associated with HAIs
Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella are the antibiotic-resistant pathogens most commonly associated with healthcare-associated infections, according to a study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
From appetizer to main course: How HonorHealth is taking HAI reduction to a new level
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth has a lot to be proud of on the quality improvement front, achieving a nearly 40 percent drop in patient harm events in just four years.
How Jefferson Health is promoting nurse safety with a new alert system
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health has partnered with the healthcare technology start-up Strongline to develop an easier way for nurses and other hospital staff to call for help during potentially dangerous situations. The Strongline Staff Safety System features Bluetooth-enabled ID badges with built-in alert buttons clinicians can discreetly press during emergencies.
Hospital acquisitions hurt patient experience, study suggests
Hospital acquisitions are linked to worse patient experience and do not improve care quality, suggest the findings of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
8 clinical leaders share tips for improving the patient experience
Improving patient experience remains a key priority at hospitals and health systems, as it affects every aspect of the organization. Becker's Hospital Review asked clinical leaders to share action steps team members can take daily to improve the patient experience. Read their responses below, presented alphabetically.
Northwell pilots black boxes in ORs
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health is piloting the use of black-box technology in its operating rooms to collect more information during surgical procedures and improve care quality. Laparoscopic urologic and colon surgical teams are currently using the OR Black Box technology in two ORs at Northwell's Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York City.
Mount Sinai's ED is a 'war zone,' nurse says
Current and former Mount Sinai Hospital employees said staffing shortages and high patient volumes are creating serious patient safety issues in its emergency department, which one nurse called "a war zone," reports the New York Post.
1st death from a fecal transplant was at Massachusetts General Hospital
The first death from a fecal transplant occurred during a clinical trial run by Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital, according to new details published Oct. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
13 questions physicians want patients to ask
"Nobody has healthcare figured out." It's a line spoken often in the Becker's Healthcare newsroom and encouragement for our reporters to ask the next question, talk to more people, find a new perspective and explore the bigger picture.
Customer satisfaction in hospitals drops 5%: report
Though U.S. consumers grew more satisfied with the health insurance industry in 2019, according to a new report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, satisfaction in hospitals saw a major drop, making it one of the worst sectors measured.
What millennials' lunch breaks reveal about their expectations for medical appointments
The ultra-efficient workday lunch break is nothing new, but millennials have taken this efficiency to ever more "joyless, ruthless" levels, CityLab reports, highlighting the generation's tendency toward total optimization at the expense of human interaction.
CDC: 35,000 people die from drug-resistant infections annually
More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur annually in the U.S., according to the CDC's 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats report published Nov. 13.
Leapfrog names 2019 Top Hospitals
The Leapfrog Group recognized 120 hospitals nationwide with its 2019 Top Hospitals award Dec. 17. To compile the list, The Leapfrog Group analyzed self-reported data from its annual hospital survey, which compares hospitals' performance on national patient safety, quality, efficiency and management standards.
INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY
Physicians go a week or more between washing their white coats, survey finds
About one-third of attending physicians and residents in a New York hospital said they wore their white coats for a week or more before washing them, a new survey found.
Nurses sleep 83 minutes less before shifts, study finds
Nurses get significantly less sleep before a shift than on their days off, which could pose a threat to patient safety, according to a study published in Sleep Health.
Nurse sues Pennsylvania hospital, says it fired her for refusing flu shot
A nurse filed a lawsuit against Penn Medicine Lancaster (Pa.) General Health Dec. 5, alleging religious discrimination after she was fired for not getting a flu shot, CBS 21 reports.
Northwell pilots black boxes in ORs
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health is piloting the use of black-box technology in its operating rooms to collect more information during surgical procedures and improve care quality. Laparoscopic urologic and colon surgical teams are currently using the OR Black Box technology in two ORs at Northwell's Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York City.
FDA clears duodenoscope designed to decrease infection risks
The FDA Dec. 13 approved Boston Scientific's device, the first fully disposable duodenoscope, designed to reduce the risk of infections in patients treated with the device.
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
13 questions physicians want patients to ask
"Nobody has healthcare figured out." It's a line spoken often in the Becker's Healthcare newsroom and encouragement for our reporters to ask the next question, talk to more people, find a new perspective and explore the bigger picture.
Hospital acquisitions hurt patient experience, study suggests
Hospital acquisitions are linked to worse patient experience and do not improve care quality, suggest the findings of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Henrico Doctors' Hospital unveils autism-and sensory-friendly pediatric ER
Henrico Doctors' Hospital in Richmond, Va., has unveiled its newly designed autism- and sensory-friendly pediatric emergency room. The hospital is the first facility in central Virginia to offer an ER that caters to pediatric patients with sensory concerns.
3 reasons premed students should take an anthropology class
Premed students may benefit from taking an anthropology course to better understand the nuanced social aspects of patient care, reports U.S. News & World Report.
Christ Hospital Health Network starts concierge service for patients
Christ Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati has launched a free concierge service for patients. The service, ezCare Concierge, connects patients with a nurse patient navigator to help them with their concerns and questions. The patient navigator also can verify insurance coverage, help patients make appointments and find specialists close to where they live.
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP
Antibiotic resistance more prevalent in device-related infections, study finds
Healthcare-associated infections were more likely to be antibiotic-resistant when related to medical devices than surgical procedures, according to a report from the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network published Nov. 25 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Antibiotic prescriptions fall when physicians see peer prescribing rates
An intervention that included comparing physicians' antibiotic prescribing patterns helped reduce antibiotic prescriptions by nearly 36 percent, according to a study published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
HHS agency releases toolkit to improve antibiotic stewardship
An HHS agency has released a toolkit to guide hospitals and health systems trying to curb inappropriate antibiotic use.
5 drug-resistant bacteria, fungi an urgent threat, CDC warns
The CDC has identified five antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi that constitute an urgent threat to human health. Earlier this month, the CDC released the 2019 antibiotic resistance threats, a list of 18 drug-resistant bacteria and fungi that it considers a threat to human health. The bacteria and fungi were split into three categories based on level of threat.
Data visualization tool linked to drop in antibiotic therapy
When clinicians can use data to compare their antibiotic use with antibiotic use at comparable facilities, their antibiotic use decreases, a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases revealed.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
How UCHealth hospitals lowered death rates for alcohol withdrawal patients in the ICU
A new program to better care for intensive care unit patients experiencing alcohol withdrawal has helped three University of Colorado Health hospitals lower death rates.
Nurse-led program improves care for older patients, study finds
A nurse-led education and consultation program created at New York University improves care quality and patient safety for patients over age 65, according to a study published Nov. 4 in The Gerontologist.
Depressed physicians tied to more medical errors, study finds
Physician well-being is a crucial component of patient safety, as depressed physicians are more likely to make medical errors, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
How Jefferson Health is promoting nurse safety with a new alert system
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health has partnered with the healthcare technology start-up Strongline to develop an easier way for nurses and other hospital staff to call for help during potentially dangerous situations. The Strongline Staff Safety System features Bluetooth-enabled ID badges with built-in alert buttons clinicians can discreetly press during emergencies.
Consistent hospitalist care linked to better patient outcomes, study finds
Patients who receive continuous care from one hospitalist during a hospital stay have better outcomes than those treated by several different hospitalists due to intermittent work schedules, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.