Hospital Peer Review articles from December 2004

Hospital Peer Review archives from December 2004

Publicly reported data on the rise: act now to work that to your advantage: unprecedented access to data: disaster in the making or golden opportunity?
December 1, 2004... A Patient is about to be admitted to your hospital but first goes on-line to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations new Quality Check web site. Upon learning that you're ranked far lower than your competitors in...

Prepare your hospital for a very unusual flu season: vaccine shortages may wreak havoc with hospital EDs, absenteeism.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... With the unprecedented shortage of influenza vaccine this flu season, hospitals are scrambling to prepare for what may be a record number of flu patients presenting to their already overcrowded emergency departments (EDs) and for staff...

Consider risks of sharing quality data with public: address your liability implications first.
December 1, 2004... If your organization is ranked as having lower mortality rates for heart attack patients than any other hospital in your community, your public relations staff probably would want to jump all over this for their next promotional campaign. ...

Anesthesia awareness alert is call to action: patients must be identified, counseled, referred.
December 1, 2004... If an obviously upset patient told a nurse that he thought he remembered his surgery taking place, would appropriate steps be taken, or would the patient's complaint be dismissed or ignored? Your organization needs effective strategies to...

Poor communication: root of most patient safety ills: change culture, improve patient satisfaction.(Patient Satisfaction Planner[TM])
December 1, 2004... A 54-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain, and the emergency physician performed an initial evaluation, including an electrocardiogram and cardiac markers, but they didn't reveal a diagnosis. As the...

Shift bidding: hospitals see boost in staff morale: lower vacancies result; substantial savings seen.(Patient Satisfaction Planner[TM])
December 1, 2004... A number of hospitals across the country have found they can drastically reduce the cost of staff salaries, while at the same time ensuring full nursing shifts, through shift bidding. This on-line vehicle also has been shown to boost staff...

Coming patient safety law will have dramatic impact: legislation a powerful tool to change culture.
December 1, 2004... If a devastating medical error occurred at your .organization, would all the involved parties feel free to discuss the circumstances candidly and openly? Too often, the answer is no, and with good reason, says Jeffrey Driver, chief risk officer...

You'll soon need to update your PPR every year: start using the tool for ongoing PI.(Periodic performance review)
December 1, 2004... As of Jan. 1, 2006, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations will require your organization to complete or update its periodic performance review (PPR) once a year, as opposed to every three years. Does this sound like...

Move from measurement to data intelligence: addressing the value of measurement.(The Quality-Co$t Connection)
December 1, 2004... The subject of health care performance measurement has to date focused on two main topics: What should be measured and how to design efficient measurement systems. The first issue is concerned with making choices about what to measure and how...

CE questions.
December 1, 2004... This concludes the CE semester. Fill out the enclosed evaluation form and return in the envelope provided. When your form has been received, a certificate will be mailed to you. 21. Which is recommended to reduce liability risks of using...