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September 2008 |
DISASTER
New AHRQ tool for disaster readiness
In an effort to help hospitals better respond when disaster strikes, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a new Tool for Evaluating Core Elements of Hospital Disaster Drills. The tool includes evidence-based modules that address the different functional zones set up within a hospital during a disaster, including command center, decontamination, triage and treatment. A pre-drill module and a debrief module is also included. Each module comes with standardized checklists to document observations during a disaster drill. After the drill, hospitals can use these observations to identify areas for improvement and measure these changes over time.
"This tool is a critical first step in helping hospitals evaluate their disaster plans to find out what works and what doesn't," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, MD "That knowledge can help hospitals make important changes to their response plans now before a disaster strikes."
Hospitals participating in the Hospital Preparedness Program administered through the federal Department of Health and Human Services can use the tool to meet new requirements. In September these hospitals will be required to provide executive summaries of the results of disaster drills they conduct. This new AHRQ tool is an abridged version of a more comprehensive evidence report developed by AHRQ's Johns Hopkins University Evidence-based Practice Center in Baltimore. Access the tool. Single, free copies can be ordered by sending an E-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or by calling 1-800-358-9295.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Nursing etiquette book released
Tips on proper protocol for nurses interacting with colleagues, demonstrating professionalism and promoting a positive work environment can be found in
The Nurse’s Etiquette Advantage: How Professional Etiquette Can Advance Your Nursing Career, written by Karen Pagana, RN, PhD.
This new book published by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society addresses a range of issues that nurses often face, including presenting proper decorum at conferences and meetings, interviewing for a new job and dressing to mirror a professional image.
Pagana is also the author of Mosby’s Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference and Mosby’s Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. To order the book, visit www.nursingsociety.org/Publications/Books.
QUALITY
Annual list of 100 most-improved hospitals published
Of the 100 most-improved hospitals, nine are in Texas, while New York and Florida are each home to eight.
Thompson Reuters in August released its list of the most improved facilities nationwide, an annual study identifying hospitals that show “the fastest, most consistent improvement in the nation over five consecutive years.”
Of the more than 2,800 hospitals studied, those named in the Thompson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals ®: Performance Improvement Leaders, 5th Edition, met several criteria of improvement, including:
- Went from having more patient deaths and adverse safety events than expected to fewer than expected
- Increased expenses only 2.5% during the five-year study period, on average, compared with a 17.4% increase among their peer hospitals
- Increased profit margin from less than 1% to 6.9%
- Reduced average length of stay by nearly a day, despite greater severity of illness
Facilities were separated into five categories for purposes of the Thompson Reuters study: major teaching hospitals, other teaching hospitals, large community hospitals, medium-sized community hospitals and small community hospitals.
Read the full list of facilities on the Thompson Reuters.SAFETY
Challenge to encourage flu vaccination for healthcare workers
Healthcare workers are a potential source for spreading the flu, yet only 42% of surveyed healthcare workers received a flu vaccination for the 2005-2006 flu season, according to a press release from Joint Commission Resources.
Challenging hospitals to achieve higher vaccination rates among their staff, Joint Commission Resources has launched a Flu Vaccination Challenge, September 2008 through May 2009, to encourage healthcare facilities to keep their staff healthy during this flu season.
As part of the challenge, hospitals that achieve a vaccination rate of 43% or more will be recognized for their dedication to helping keep employees healthy and helping to protect patients.
To learn more about the Flu Vaccination Challenge, visit http://www.fluvaccinationchallenge.com/.
COMMUNITY
AORN on SkyRadio
Passengers flying on American Airlines will get a chance to learn about perioperative nurses and AORN when they listen to in-flight radio.
Starting in November, the airlines' SkyRadio broadcast will include an interview with AORN Executive Director Linda Groah, RN, MSN, CNOR, FAAN. In the interview Groah discusses the role of the perioperative registered nurse to support the patient and be the emotional connection between the patient and the perioperative team.
She also explains that AORN's mission is to promote safety and optimal outcomes for patients undergoing surgical and other invasive procedures and shares what resources AORN provides to help the association's members improve patient safety.
Listen to the interview 
QUALITY
National Quality Forum endorses consensus standards to promote public reporting, accountability
The National Quality Forum (NQF) in August announced its endorsement of 67 clinician-level consensus standards that could promote higher quality health care in several fields, including infectious disease and perioperative care.
The NQF-endorsed™ voluntary consensus standards are meant, through accountability and public reporting, to help improve healthcare quality through the standardization of quality measurements. The 67 clinician-level consensus standards were combined with 17 facility-level measures, along with an additional three measures addressing influenza and pneumococcal immunizations.
"A commitment to public reporting and transparency can make the real difference in improving safety, healthcare quality and patient engagement," said Janet Corrigan, MD, NQF president and CEO. "This important set of measures can help us track progress toward improved safety and coordination of care across clinicians and settings."
Visit the NQF online for a full release on its recent consensus standards.
MEDICATION SAFETY
Study finds antibiotics cause 140,000 bad reactions annually
Emergency rooms see more than 140,000 cases of bad reactions to drugs - mainly antibiotics - annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Reuters news story details the CDCs findings, saying that penicillin and related antibiotics like amoxicillin accounted for half of the emergency room visits, with the rest coming from other classes of antibiotics. Researchers used the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance Project to sample 63 hospitals from 2004 to 2006.
The study also showed that individuals between the age of 15 and 44 years comprised 41.2% of emergency room visits, while only 6.3% of all visits were infants. The story goes on to say the study could offer physicians more reason to limit prescription of antibiotics.
FINANCIAL
Health care costs could rise 10% in 2009
Insurers Aon Consulting Worldwide recently released data showing healthcare costs will rise 10% next year, the smallest such increase the group has seen in several years.
The group surveyed approximately 70 insurers nationwide. Some of the decrease in growth may be attributed to employers' wellness programs or other insurance incentives. The forecasted increase in healthcare costs has been declining since 2002, according to Aon Consulting.
To read an Associated Press story on the 2009 healthcare cost forecast, click here.
PUBLIC INFORMATION
CDC launches online video resource
CDC-TV is a new online channel featuring streaming videos that cover various health, safety and preparedness topics.
Launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC-TV is an effort to grow access to important health and safety information on the Web. The online channel launched with the series, "Health Matters," and will grow its library of other features over time.
To check out CDC-TV, visit http://www.cdc.gov/CDCtv/
Read more news in AORN Management Connections and AORN Connections.