HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement articles from February 2005

HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement archives from February 2005

JCAHO issues roadmap on P4Ps, citing 'few well-articulated goals': agency calls currently operating programs relatively untested.(pay-for-performance programs)
February 1, 2005... Key Points * Well-defined programs can help avoid unintended consequences, according to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. * Principles stress aligning reimbursement with high quality and patient...

VA gets high marks for preventive, chronic care: integrated medical record needed but not sufficient.(Department of Veterans Affairs health system)
February 1, 2005... A study published in the Dec. 21, 2004, Annals of Internal Medicine showed that patients enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs health system (VHA) were more likely than a national sample of similar patients in the general population to...

Hospitalists, pharmacists partner to cut errors: shorter lengths of stay, lower med costs result.
February 1, 2005... Key Points * Pharmacy residents accompany hospitalists on rounds on a rotating basis. * The study is a logical extension of ongoing physician/pharmacist collaboration. * Payback extends beyond the program to physicians throughout...

Kiosks win patient kudos and speed registration: $140 million effort enhances patient-centered care.(Galvanon Inc.'s MediKiosks allow patient self-check in)
February 1, 2005... Key Points * Program is part of systemwide clinical transformation initiative. * Self-service technology is one way to make patient experience faster, safer, better. * Incremental revenue from more frequent appointments helps...

Simulation center uses real-world training: findings inform hospital quality program.(Jackson Memorial Hospital Center for Patient Safety )
February 1, 2005... Key Points * Students, hospital staff, and faculty all participate in training sessions. * Facility provides ability to train and learn without harm to patients. * Scenarios can be created with specific learning in mind. A...

New Jersey hospital wins Baldrige award.(SSM Healthcare )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Until St. Louis's SSM Healthcare broke the barrier in 2002, no health care system had won the coveted Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Now there are four. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, NJ, is the most recent...

Massachusetts launches E-health initiative.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The state of Massachusetts is pursuing a new framework for achieving universal adoption of computerized physician order-entry (CPOE) systems by the state's hospitals within a few years. A report from the Massachusetts Technology...

AHRQ releases new diabetes care guide.(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in partnership with the Council of State Governments, has released Diabetes Care Quality Improvement: A Resource Guide for State Action and a companion workbook, both of which are designed...

Prepare your facility for an unusual flu season: vaccine shortages may wreak havoc with EDs.(emergency departments )
February 1, 2005... 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...