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August 2008 |
QUALITY
AHRQ: Surgical errors cost about $1.5 billion annually
Employers are spending nearly $1.5 billion a year on potentially preventable surgical errors, according to a July 28 report published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Published in the journal, Health Services Research the study was based on a sample of more than 161,000 U.S. patients between the age of 18 and 64, who both participated in employer-based health plans and had surgery in 2001 or 2002.
The authors, William E. Encinosa, PhD, and Fred J. Hellinger, PD, both of AHRQ, found insurers paid 52% ($28,218) more for patients who experienced acute respiratory failure. For patients with postoperative infections, healthcare providers paid an additional 48% ($19,480). Other significant increases in healthcare costs were seen in nursing care, including pressure ulcers and hip fractures, metabolic problems, including kidney failure or uncontrolled blood sugar, blood cots or other vascular or pulmonary problems, and wound opening.
According to Encinosa and Hellinger's findings, one in 10 patient deaths with in 90 days of surgery were a result of preventable errors.
CREDENTIALING
ANA endorses standards for APRN regulation
The American Nurses Association board of directors in late June endorsed documentation that, when implemented, will standardize the regulatory process for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
A Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education, could increase mobility and establish independent practice as the norm rather than the exception, Rebecca M Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, president of the ANA, said in a press release.
The document is aimed at the credentialing and regulation of nurses within the APRN community, whose scope includes certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), certified clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and certified nurse practitioner (CNP). The ANA stated its goal for full implementation of A Consensus Model for APRN Regulation is 2015.
The ANA worked with several national organizations to establish the new regulation.
ANA
Patton reelected ANA president
Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, was elected to her second two-year term as American Nurses Association president in late-June, during the organization's biennial House of Delegates assembly.
Patton was among 30 ANA members contending for a number of leadership roles within the organization this year. Prior to her role as ANA president, Patton served as treasurer, a member of the board of directors and a delegate to the ANA House of Delegates. She is currently on leave from her role as director of Perioperative Services for EMH Regional Healthcare System in Elyria, Ohio.
Recently Patton worked with AORN to establish an ANA associate membership agreement for all AORN members.
View an ANA press release on the organization's recent election results.
AONE
AONE chief named chair of National Patient Safety Foundation board
Pamela A. Thompson, MS, RN, FAAN, chief executive officer of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), in July was named chair of the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) board of directors.
Thompson's selection marks the first time a registered nurse (RN) has stepped into the chairman role for the NPSF. She has been a member of the NPSF board since 2002.
The NPSF is an independent nonprofit organization with a mission to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors through research, education and dissemination of programs. AONE is a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Top healthcare IT initiatives
Healthcare IT News reported that the following healthcare IT initiatives that have received increased interest, are being implemented or are in the planning process within the nation's hospitals and healthcare groups:
- Electronic Health/Medical Records
- Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity
- Medical Archiving Systems
- Storage Consolidation and Virtualization
- Backup (disk-based and online storage)
- Business Intelligence
- Picture Archiving and Communication System
- Infrastructure for Health Information Systems
- Compliance
- Securing Electronic Health Information
An example of a healthcare IT initiative underway is the Standardized Perioperative Record and Data Repository System AORN announced at its 2008 Congress in Anaheim, Calif. Find more information on that project and read a news story on the project in the May issue of AORN Management Connections.
Improved data management, easier data access and patient information available through electronic medical records are the focus of many organizations, according to the article in Healthcare IT News.
Read more news in AORN Connections and AORN Management Connections.