Urban
In 2008, Albany Medical Center was one of 18 regional referral neonatal intensive care units to adopt central line insertion and maintenance bundles, and in 2009 agreed to use checklists to monitor maintenance-bundle adherence. Its NICU's central line-associated blood stream infection rate…
Flash sterilization the rapid sterilization of items using steam occurs in many operating rooms in the event that surgical instrumentation requiring immediate use becomes contaminated. However, the process is over-utilized, increasing the risk of infection in surgical patients. In the interest of…
Effective teamwork and communication techniques can improve quality and safety, decrease patient harm and promote cross professional collaboration. The TeamSTEPPS program developed by the (AHRQ) and the U.S. Department of Defense is an evidence based and comprehensive teamwork and communication…
The advent of computerized tomography (CT) has revolutionized diagnostic radiology. The use of CT for diagnostic studies throughout the nation increased more than 300 percent from 1993 to 2007, and at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center the increase was 40% from 2005 to 2010. By its nature, CT…
Missed or delayed cancer diagnoses are a frequent cause of patient harm and malpractice lawsuits in the ambulatory setting. Several domains have been identified that contribute to preventable delays in diagnosis, ranging from system factors (such as delays in obtaining appointments) to physician…
Timely notification of critical laboratory values ensures prompt clinical intervention for potential life-threatening conditions and is a requirement of regulatory and accreditation agencies including The Joint Commission and the College of American Pathologists.
The Jacobi Medical Center Department of Radiology analyzed the 15.3 percent rise in annual computerized tomography (CT) requests from 2007 to 2009 to identify opportunities to prevent overutilization and resulting patient harm from radiation exposure. The interdepartmental nature and…
Ellis Medicine started this project in April 2010 to reduce readmissions, as readmissions are clinically undesirable, changes in reimbursement methodologies are making them financially undesirable, and low readmission rates may serve as a measure of quality. After reviewing successful programs in…
Appropriate treatment for pressure ulcers requires accurate initial evaluation and the ability to track ulcer status. Adhering to the philosophy of transparency and promotion of patient well-being, the nursing staff at Coney Island Hospital incorporated information technology and digital imaging…
Since The Joint Commission implemented the National Patient Safety Goal, 'Reduction of the Likelihood of Patient Harm Associated with the Use of Anticoagulant Therapy' in 2008,Lutheran Medical Center has used a multidisciplinary approach to manage its anticoagulation program. The facility addressed…