The September 2024 issue of the Hospital Quality Improvement Newsletter features the latest insights and resources.
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Advances in Health Equity
Thursday, September 12, 2024
HSAG HQIC will present findings from the Health Equity Organizational Assessment (HEOA), highlighting advances, tools and resources used to help hospitals improve health equity. The session will include a case study from a large urban medical center on developing an innovation program that addresses social determinants of health through Community Health Educators who assist patients during and after their hospital stay.
Register Here
Behavioral Health & Opioid Stewardship
Study: Opioid Misuse Rises After 11 Months of Chronic Use
Prescription opioids are commonly used to manage surgical and non-surgical pain, but misuse of opioids is a serious patient safety concern. In a retrospective cohort study of Veterans Health Administration patients, researchers found that opioid misuse among previously opioid-naïve patients increases significantly after 11 months of chronic use, regardless of whether the opioid was prescribed for surgical or non-surgical pain. Read Study
Antibiotic Stewardship
Study: Sepsis Alert Systems Associated With Improved Patient Outcomes
Early detection and management of sepsis is an important patient safety target. In a systematic review published in JAMA included 22 studies and examined the use of sepsis alert systems in the ED on patient outcomes. The researchers found that sepsis alert systems were associated with reduced risk of mortality and decreased length of stay and increased adherence to sepsis management guidelines, such as timely administration of antibiotics. Read Study
Adverse Drug Events
High Prevalence of Medication Errors Found in Emergency Departments
The fast-paced and complex emergency department (ED) environment can threaten patient safety. In a meta-analysis published in Springer Link, the pooled prevalence of medication errors in the ED was 22%. The researchers estimated that 36% of patients experienced a medication error in the ED, with about 43% of these errors being potentially harmful but without leading to death. Read Study
NHSN
Guide to CMS Hospital IQR Program Requirements
New to reporting NHSN data or need a refresher? Visit the NHSN Monthly Checklist for Reporting to CMS Hospital IQR Program
Infection Prevention
Infection Control Guidance: Candida auris
C. auris is an emerging fungus that can cause severe, often multidrug-resistant infections and spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities. See the CDC’s resource for information on reducing, screening, and tracking C. auris. IPC Guidance provides a summary of recommendations.
New CDC Data on Antimicrobial Resistance Threats
New CDC data underscore antimicrobial resistance (AR) remains an urgent global public health threat. The CDC used new data to analyze the United States' burden of seven antimicrobial-resistant pathogens typically found in health care settings in 2021 and 2022 and compared against 2019 data. The new data show that six bacterial antimicrobial-resistant hospital-onset infections increased by a combined 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, peaking in 2021 and remaining above pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Check out the new data and share it with others to continue the fight against AR. Read More
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This material was prepared by Alliant Health Solutions, a Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN – QIO) under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. Publication Number:12SOW-AHS-QIN-QIO TO3-HQIC--6256-09/04/24