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June 2009 |
INFECTION PREVENTION
APIC supports automated surveillance technologies in HAI prevention
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology , Inc., (APIC) announced in June its support for the use of automated surveillance technologies as a part of infection prevention and control activities.
APIC published a position paper, “The Importance of Surveillance Technologies in the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)” as an overview to its recommendations. Surveillance technologies are classified as computerized systems built to collect infection data, effectively giving infection preventionists the ability to identify and investigate potential HAIs in real-time. Healthcare facilities have generally used manual surveillance techniques.
Read APIC’s position paper (PDF Link, right click and save link if it does not open in your browser).
UNIVERSAL PROTOCOL
The Joint Commission seeks feedback on National Patient Safety Goals and Universal Protocol
The Joint Commission is seeking comment on its revisions to the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) and the 2009 Universal Protocol through June 23. Find the updated language through The Joint Commission’s Web site.
Proposed revisions for 2010 can be found by program. The Joint Commission provides details as to how one can determine proposed changes within each document.
NURSES
Nurses in running for '100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare'
Modern Healthcare has opened up the voting process for its 8th annual list of the “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare.” Included on the list are a number of nurses, including Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, president of the American Nurses Association.
The final ballot includes 300 candidates narrowed from an initial list of more than 25,700 nominees who were named between April 6 and May 8. The window to vote in this year’s “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” is open through June 26. The final list will be published in the Aug. 24 issue of Modern Healthcare.
Voters can choose 10 nominees here.
GRANTS
Apply for NPSF grants toward research in patient safety
The National Patient Safety Foundation’s (NPSF) Research Grants Program is seeking proposals for projects directed toward enhancing patient safety in the United States.
Those seeking a NPSF grant for 2010 must submit a letter of intent by July 24 summarizing research and development that is broadly related to identifying the causes of preventable injuries and errors and/or developing prevention strategies and methods to implement them. The NPSF will select projects from a subset of these letters for final proposals, which will be due by Dec. 11. The number of grants awarded will depend on the nature and quality of applications received.
Download the full NPSF RFP.
NURSE SHORTAGE
California reports ongoing nursing shortage
Though the number of registered nurses in California grew by more than 9,500 last year, the Sacramento Bee reports an ongoing shortage in that state.
The number of RNs per 100,000 patients grew to 647 from 589 last year, a number that remains behind the national average of 825 RNs per 100,000 patients. California has made progress in its registered nurse shortage since establishing the California Nurse Education Initiative in 2005, a five-year, $90 million program. The state now has more RN programs in schools, more students, and more nurses entering the workforce each year.
The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency released its annual report on the California Nurse Education Initiative on June 2.
SPENDING
Ambulatory care could have saved $31 billion in inpatient hospital admissions
Four million potentially preventable hospital inpatient admissions cost hospitals nearly $31 billion in 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from AHRQ. The inpatient hospital admissions could possibly have been prevented with timely and effective ambulatory care. Hospital inpatient care is the most expensive type of health care.
According to AHRQ's review of the $31 billion spent on potentially preventable hospitalizations:
- Congestive heart failure and bacterial pneumonia accounted for about half of the expenses, at $8.4 and $7.2 billion, respectively.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma accounted for roughly 16 percent, $4.9 billion.
- Diabetes, including complications, accounted for 13 percent, $4.1 billion.
- A large portion of the potentially preventable hospitalizations involved the elderly.
- One in 5 admissions of Medicare patients was potentially preventable, and overall Medicare patients accounted for roughly two-thirds of the $31 billion spent for these hospitalizations.
This AHRQ News and Numbers is based on data in "Nationwide Frequency and Costs of Potentially Preventable and Costs of Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations, 2006."
INFECTION CONTROL
C. difficile infections rising among U.S. healthcare inpatients
The life-threatening bacterium, Clostridium difficile is sickening many more patients than previously estimated, according to a survey published in May in the American Journal of Infection Control. The survey is based on data released in November 2008 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Based on survey results, 13 out of every 1,000 inpatients were either infected or colonized with C. difficile. The rate is 6.5 to 20 times greater than previous incidence estimates, according to the survey, "The National Point Prevalence of Clostridium difficile in U.S. Healthcare Facility Inpatients, 2008." The APIC survey is the most comprehensive of its kind to present a one-day snapshot in time of the prevalence of C. difficile infection in America's hospitals.
To reduce the risk of transmission, APIC has published a "Guide to the Elimination of Clostridium difficile in Healthcare Settings." Learn more by visiting www.apic.org.
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