The Joint Commission’s Laboratory Accreditation program announced earlier this month that it is developing a Patient Blood Management certification program for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. The process of patient blood management involves bringing a patient-centered approach in the...
Surgical site infections are the most frequently occurring HAI, accounting for one-third of the annual cost or about $3.3 billion. But central line-associated bloodstream infections are the most expensive, researchers report. Click the link above to read more.
During a recent survey, an interesting question was posed to the folks in Facilities, a question more than interesting enough to bring to your attention. The folks were asked to produce a policy that describes how they prioritize corrective maintenance work orders and they, in turn, asked me...
The CDC states that millions of people each year acquire infections while being treated in a healthcare facility. What is one of the most important ways you can personally help prevent the spread of infection from one patient you are caring for to another?
The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) has received its continued status as an accrediting organization for hospitals through CMS. The notification was posted in the August 28 Federal Register and goes into effect September 25, 2013. Click the link above to read more.
A strong culture of patient safety has been and continues to be a critical component in reducing healthcare medical errors. To address this, some facilities are implementing "red rules"-a short set of easy-to-remember, unbreakable flagged practices, with disciplinary consequences if not followed...
In July 2003, The Joint Commission proposed, as part of its Universal ProtocolTM procedures, a requirement for hospitals to perform a timeout immediately prior to a procedure. A year later, the requirement was in effect. Yet since then, even top-notch hospitals have dealt with...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 24, Issue 9
Hospitals have seen the publication of many important CMS memos in the past year. Many of these include interpretive guidelines that every hospital should know about. Hospitals should give one person the responsibility of checking the CMS site once a month for updates.
As part of its ongoing mission to eliminate needlestick and sharps injuries in healthcare, Safe in Common has issued the "Top 10 Golden Rules of Safety," a set of guidelines to "unify the industry around efforts to fight needlestick injuries and raise awareness about effective...
