July / August Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue
July / August Clinical Leadership & Infection Control Issue
INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY
‘Beyond horrifying’: Cardiologists warned UNC
Children’s of heart program issues Cardiologists at UNC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill expressed erious concerns about the safety and quality of the hospital’s pediatric heart surgery program in 2016, after noticing an uptick in surgical complications and deaths, according to a 7,000-word investigative report from The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Healthcare professionals tune out messages to wash their hands
Pictures of eye images and messages encouraging compliance with social norms failed to improve adherence to hand hygiene protocols among healthcare professionals in a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. CLICK TO CONTINUE
6 insights into endoscope reprocessing and how to ensure guideline adherence
Endoscope reprocessing is still an issue of utmost importance, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Training lapses may have led to rise in C. diff infections at VA hospital
Failure to adequately train housekeeping staff may have contributed to growing rates of potentially deadly infections at Loma Linda, Calif.-based Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital, according to a report released June 18 from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. CLICK TO CONTINUE
How 1 health system saved $515K with antiseptic bathing
Bathing every patient in chlorhexidine gluconate decreases the infection rate and cost of numerous healthcare-associated infections, according to a study presented June 12 at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Conference in Philadelphia. CLICK TO CONTINUE
MD Anderson patient died after contaminated blood transfusion, CMS says
A 23-year-old leukemia patient died after receiving a contaminated blood transfusion at MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a CMS report made public June 24 and cited by the Houston Chronicle. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Nurse understaffing linked to higher HAI risk
Nurse understaffing increases the risk of healthcare-associated infections in hospital units, a study published in the Journal of Nursing Administration found. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Over 60 patients allege sterilization negligence at Porter Adventist Hospital
Sixty-seven patients and 22 spouses filed a lawsuit June 15 against Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver, claiming the hospital caused infections and death due to improper equipment sterilization, according to The Denver Post. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Why zero harm is a realistic goal for every hospital
The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare has a single, important mission: help health systems reach zero harm. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Pennsylvania hospital cited over 2 patient care incidents
State health officials cited Lancaster (Pa.) Behavioral Health Hospital over two patient safety incidents that occurred in spring 2019, reported WPMT FOX43. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Nurses raise patient safety concerns at U of Chicago Medical Center
Nurses at University of Chicago Medical Center claim the hospital is violating several laws linked to staffing and overtime, which poses a threat to patient safety. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Viewpoint: Hospitals must lift veil of secrecy around superbug outbreaks
Hospitals must work to eliminate the “climate of secrecy” that surrounds superbug outbreaks without creating misplaced fear in patients, Matt McCarthy, MD, an infectious disease physician Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Patient dies from fecal transplant, FDA warns
The FDA alerted healthcare providers June 13 that at least one patient has died after receiving a fecal transplant containing drug-resistant bacteria. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Ohio hospital confirms hot water system source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak
Mount Carmel Grove City (Ohio) hospital confirmed bacteria in its hot water system caused a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak resulting in 16 confirmed cases and one death. CLICK TO CONTINUE
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Deadly fungal infection can spread through skin shedding, study finds
Patients heavily colonized with Candida auris can contaminate their surroundings by shedding the deadly fungus from their skin, research found. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Viewpoint: Patients have the right to not know their prognosis
It is important that terminally ill patients be able to choose whether they are informed of their prognosis, BJ Miller, MD, a hospice and palliative care specialist at the University of California San Francisco, and Shoshana Berger, an editorial director at Ideo, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Hospitals with fewer services receive more 5-starpatient experience ratings
Patients are more likely to give five-star ratings for patient experience to hospitals that offer fewer services, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Viewpoint: 4 vaccine misconceptions physicians should address with patients
Physicians have a responsibility to provide patients with a solid foundation of information on vaccines, Amitha Kalaichandran, MD, a resident physician of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, wrote in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Familial support best way to engage patients in their health, survey shows
When it comes to engaging patients in their health goals, support from friends and family outranks support from clinicians or financial rewards, according to an NEJM Catalyst patient engagement survey. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Viewpoint: Patients’ lies to providers must be addressed
It is imperative that physicians form more collaborative, trusting relationships with their patients to encourage more honest conversations about their health, Angela Fagerlin, PhD, department chair of population health sciences at Salt Lake City-based University of Utah School of Medicine, argues in an op-ed for AAMC News. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Teamwork is main driver of patient loyalty, Press Ganey finds
The main driver of patient loyalty in hospitals and medical practices is teamwork between clinicians, according to a report from Press Ganey. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Viewpoint: Why hospitals should think twice about disrupting patients’ sleep
Hospitals should limit unnecessary sleep disruptions for patients, as poor sleep can hinder the healing process, a physician wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Hospitals are glamorizing the mammogram
Hospitals are stepping up the game at their imaging centers to woo women to undergo mammogram screenings regularly, The New York Times reported. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Why this surgeon emails patients’ family members before surgery
Benjamin Schwartz, MD, a gynecological surgeon at Northwell Health’s Southside Hospital in Bayshore, N.Y., implemented an additional step to standard preoperative protocols: He emails patients’ loved ones to learn more about them before surgery. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Scripps CXO: How to make patient experience part of employees’ daily routines
To improve patient experience, healthcare employees must always keep patients’ needs top of mind, Ghazala Q. Sharieff, MD, corporate vice president and chief experience officer at San Diego-based Scripps Health, wrote in an article for Harvard Business Review. CLICK TO CONTINUE
VA hospitals use storytelling to strengthen patient-provider relationships
About 40 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country are looking to use storytelling as a method for improving patients’ relationships with their healthcare providers, according to NPR. CLICK TO CONTINUE
IU Health rolls out star ratings for 450 facilities: 3 things to know
Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health is rolling out online patient star ratings for about 450 of its facilities, reported Inside Indiana Business. CLICK TO CONTINUE
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP
71% of Americans aware of antibiotic resistance, yet confusion remains: 4 report findings
Seventy-one percent of the public says they have heard of and know the meaning of antibiotic resistance, according to a data note from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Drug-resistant staph found on most nursing students’ cellphones
Contamination of medical students ‘cellphones with drug-resistant bacteria is not uncommon, according to research presented in June at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Francisco. CLICK TO CONTINUE
WHO urges adoption of antibiotic resistance tool
The World Health Organization launched a global campaign to encourage adoption of a tool designed to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance. CLICK TO CONTINUE
3 best metrics or assessing antimicrobial stewardship practices
Health experts identified new best practices that could help hospitals improve antimicrobial stewardship programs, according to an article published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Prolonged antibiotic exposure common after patient discharge, study finds
Nearly 40 percent of antibiotic exposure occurs after a patient has been discharged from the hospital, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Genome sequencing could help hospitals track superbug transmission, researchers say
Whole genome sequencing may be an effective method to track the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals, according to research presented June 23 at the American Society for Microbiology’s annual meeting in San Francisco. CLICK TO CONTINUE
5 tips for sustainable antibiotic use
The creation of new antibiotics could help solve the global antimicrobial resistance crisis, but must be paired with more disciplined, strategic use of the medications, according to a paper published in Evolutionary Applications. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Sepsis patients with higher ED triage scores get antibiotics faster, study finds
Emergency department sepsis patients with higher acuity scale scores get their antibiotics sooner than their counterparts with lower scores, giving them a greater chance at survival, researchers found. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Antibiotic guidelines ignored for most kids with community-acquired pneumonia, study finds
Even though the routine use of diagnostic testing and antibiotics is not recommended for children with community-acquired pneumonia, a study found that these patients do commonly undergo several tests, and most are given antibiotics. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Patient, physician education can cut inappropriate antibiotics by 32%
Educating physicians and patients about safe antibiotic practices could cut inappropriate prescriptions by nearly one-third, according to a study published in Academic Emergency Medicine. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Gene that makes salmonella resistant to antibiotics found in US patient
Researchers have found a gene that makes the salmonella bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics in a human patient in the U.S. CLICK TO CONTINUE
1 antibiotic course could create resistance in children, study finds
A single course of antibiotics could increase antibiotic resistance in children, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. CLICK TO CONTINUE
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
How 1 hospital saved $322K in 4 months with a new sepsis strategy
East Norriton, Pa.-based Einstein Medical Center Montgomery established a new process for treating patients with sepsis, which saved the hospital over $300,000 in four months, decreased patients’ lengths of stay and reduced patients' time spent on broad-spectrum antibialiotics, according to Heo. CLICK TO CONTINUE
American College of Surgeons’ new standards for geriatric patients: 4 things to know
The American College of Surgeons’ Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery released a set of updated care standards in July after four years of research and planning, according to The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Patients may have worse outcomes when surgeons act unprofessionally
Patients of surgeons who act unprofessionally in the operating room are more likely to experience surgical complications, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery. CLICK TO CONTINUE
‘Weekend effect’ on hospital care quality a myth, study suggests
The “weekend effect,” defined as differences in patient outcomes fort hose admitted on weekends compared to admissions on weekdays, may not be a “reliable indicator of care quality” on weekends, according to a study published in BMJ Open. CLICK TO CONTINUE
How this St. Louis hospital cut C-section rates with better communication
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis has reduced its cesarean section rate to 12 percent, in part due to improved provider communication, according to a case study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. CLICK TO CONTINUE
AHRQ aims to prevent 1M diagnostic errors annually by 2025
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality hopes to prevent 1million diagnostic errors per year by 2025, according to a blog post on the organization’s website. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Viewpoint: How whiteboards could help hospitals cut C-section rates
Improved communication may be the missing piece of the puzzle for hospitals trying to lower their cesarean-section rates, journalist Allison Yarrow wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. CLICK TO CONTINUE
Centers of excellence not linked to lower mortality, readmission rates
Hospitals designated as centers of excellence do not always achieve better patient outcomes, suggest the findings of a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. CLICK TO CONTINUE
How this Georgia hospital is addressing high maternal mortality rates
Georgia has the highest maternal mortality rate of all states at 46.2 deaths per 1,000 births, but Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Gwinnett Medical Center is working to change that, reported the Gwinnett Daily Post. CLICK TO CONTINUE
How Penn Medicine is tackling sepsis readmissions
Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine is working to reduce sepsis readmissions and improve life after sepsis for survivors with anew post-discharge care pathway. CLICK TO CONTINUE