Hospital Peer Review articles from March 2003

Hospital Peer Review archives from March 2003

U.S. congressman calls for OIG investigation of Joint Commission; JCAHO says it doesn't fear inquiry; confident work is beyond reproach.(Pete Stark; Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General; Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations )
March 1, 2003... An influential congressman is calling for a broad investigation of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), alleging that the accrediting body is ineffective, torn by conflicts of interest, and rife with...

JCAHO issues alert on nosocomial infections; organization changes sentinel event definitions.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations )
March 1, 2003... Several important changes were announced to Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations surveyors at a recent training session in Chicago, including new definitions for some types of sentinel events. The accrediting body...

Diabetes QI program cuts complications by 60%; JCAHO honors program with Codman Award.(quality improvement)
March 1, 2003... Quality improvement projects can be especially challenging if you try to implement them on a systemwide basis across many health care institutions, but a diabetes project in Iowa shows that it can be done if you give people the tools and let...

Employee-centered focus sets this system apart; "the best health system in America!" (Patient Satisfaction Planner[TM]).
March 1, 2003... The lofty vision of Baptist Health Care Corp. of Pensacola, FL, is to be "the best health system in America." It may well be on its way. According to one authoritative source, Baptist Health may at the very least be the best health care...

EDs report success with service guarantees; free visits and movie passes pay off. (Patient Satisfaction Planner[TM]).(emergency department)
March 1, 2003... Imagine promising that every patient who walks through the door of your emergency department (ED) will be seen in 15 minutes. Does this sound like an invitation for a public relations nightmare? You may be surprised to learn that an...

Patients want quality, quantity time with PTs; research shows patients care less about waits. (Patient Satisfaction Planner[TM]).(physical therapists)
March 1, 2003... Conventional wisdom--and indeed, much literature--supports the idea that satisfied patients are impressed with short waiting times, good parking, convenient locations, and sophisticated equipment. But a new study looking at patient...

JCAHO, NCQA form human research quality group; partnership to offer new accreditation program.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the National Committee for Quality Assurance form the Partnership for Human Research Protection)
March 1, 2003... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) have announced the formation of the Partnership for Human Research Protection (PHRP) to offer a new accreditation...

Prevent communication breakdowns: errors can occur during information transfer. (The Quality-Cost Connection).
March 1, 2003... Patient safety can be jeopardized when the transitions or "handoffs" that occur during patient care are not managed effectively. Many errors come from slips that occur during the exchange of materials people, and/or supplies. Transfer of...

AHRQ: autopsies helpful in improving quality: they also can reveal diagnostic discrepancies. (The Quality-Cost Connection).(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality )
March 1, 2003... Autopsies can detect clinically important diagnostic discrepancies and help an organization improve the quality of care, according to a new report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Based on an analysis of...

Stroke care improved with use of clot busters. (The Quality-Cost Connection).
March 1, 2003... Quality of care is improved significantly when emergency department (ED) physicians are allowed to deliver clot-busting drugs to appropriate stroke patients without waiting for dedicated stroke teams, according to a new study. Current...

CE questions.(continuing education)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... 9. Under changes to sentinel event definitions, the Joint Commission now considers the unanticipated death of a full-term infant a sentinel event. A. true B. false 10. According to estimates from the CDC, how many patients per...