HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement articles from April 2004

HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement archives from April 2004

Effective patient grievance policy can be vital tool for improvement; every facility is different; make sure policy fits your organization.(hospital staff-patient relations, complaints)
April 1, 2004... Key Points * Even if it were not required, quality managers would implement patient grievance policy. * Hurt, frightened patients may be more likely to complain. * Know the difference between a complaint and a grievance. They...

Second time's the charm for open-visiting effort: proactive communications make the difference.(patient care-management)
April 1, 2004... Key Points * First attempt at instituting open visiting lacked adequate planning and defined processes. * Including, not excluding, family from the intensive care unit is a growing trend. * The two-month pilot ultimately led to...

National model begun at regional level; IHI's model improves care of diabetes patients.(Institute for Healthcare Improvement)(influence of self care)
April 1, 2004... Key Points * Improvements were seen both in self-care efforts and clinical numbers. * The model has been copied by other states and quality improvement organizations. * The program is based on evidence of how adults learn best....

Collaborative starts 2nd phase of connectivity push; incremental road map part of continuing efforts.(information technology in healthcare industry-management)
April 1, 2004... Key Points * The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gives financial boost to next phase of work. * Incremental road map needed to prioritize actions and foster innovation. * Demonstration project is planned to test products in...

Quality gap found between award winners and others; facilities compared across 26 procedures, diagnoses.
April 1, 2004... A substantial difference in clinical quality was found between the winners of the Health Grades Inc./J.D. Power & Associates Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence winners and all other hospitals, Health Grades Inc. reports. ...

Beaumont makes patients partners in safety efforts; facility defined patients' role in safety.(William Beaumont Hospitals)
April 1, 2004... In its recent initiative to minimize medical errors, William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, has made its patients "Partners in Safety." That's the name of the new program, which was launched in 2002. "We knew it was the right thing to...

OSHA delays enforcement of TB standard to July.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(tuberculosis)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will delay until July 1, 2004, enforcement of the general industry respiratory standard for health care providers and other employers required to protect workers from potential exposure...