​​​​​​Upcoming Learning and Action Network (LAN) Event

I Want To, I Just Don't Know How: A Practical Guide for Advancing Health Equity 
Tuesday, February 28, 2023, from 1-1:30 p.m. ET
This session will highlight best practices and examples for successfully implementing health equity strategies within hospital settings. Rosa Abraha, MPH, Alliant HQIC’s health equity lead, will address frequently asked questions from hospitals and engage in a discussion with participants. Learning objectives include:

• Discuss a model for embedding a health equity champion to meet the current regulatory requirements.
• Describe how to expand on the collection of Race, Ethnicity and Language (REaL) data and begin to analyze health-related social needs, e.g., health literacy, transportation needs, food insecurity etc.
• Discuss a framework for community and hospital partnership to advance health equity needs and improve patient outcomes.​​​​​​

Register | View Agenda
 

Connecting Your Hospital Culture of Safety to Patient Harm Reduction
Recorded on January 17
This session focused on patient safety culture and included discussions on preventing ADE Opioids, sepsis, pressure injuries and antibiotic stewardship.
View the Presentation

HQIC Quality Leader Summit
Recorded January 17
This event featured an update on performance measures, patient and family advisor councils (PFACs), educational events and resources. 
View the Presentation and Recording

View All Upcoming Events Here

Alliant HQIC Online Portal 
Access the Alliant HQIC portal to view your assessments and measurement data, and chat with other HQIC-enrolled hospitals to share best practices, barriers and solutions. Download Portal Instructions to Get Started 

The Value and Impact of HQIC 
In November 2023, Alliant interviewed 14 HQIC-enrolled hospitals to identify the HQIC activities that provide the most value to participating hospitals and opportunities to improve program delivery in contract Year 3. Our key findings were published in an executive summary and shared with CMS. Read the Executive Summary

​​​​​Behavioral Health/Opioid Stewardship

Analysis: Total Cost of Care Associated With Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
The opioid epidemic in the United States disproportionately affects Medicaid beneficiaries more than other groups. This results in a significant financial burden on state Medicaid programs. In an analysis published by ScienceDirect, researchers investigated the association of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment initiation and linkage to ongoing care on overall healthcare costs of Medicaid Fee-for-Service patients. Read the Study | Download Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Playbook

Drug Enforcement Administration Announces an Important Change 
Is your facility planning to implement a medication for opioid use disorder program? On December 29, 2022, with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (the Act), Congress eliminated the DATA-Waiver Program. As a result of this change: 

• A DATA-Waiver registration is no longer required to treat patients with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.
• Going forward, all prescriptions for buprenorphine only require a standard DEA registration number. 
• There are no longer any limits or patient caps on the number of patients a prescriber may treat for opioid use disorder with buprenorphine.
• The Act does not impact applicable state laws or regulations.

Learn More

Adverse Drug Events 

A Failure in the Medication Delivery System: How Disclosure and Systems Investigation Improve Patient Safety 
A recent medication error at Vanderbilt University Medical Center contributed to the death of a patient. The ensuing criminal indictment of the administering nurse has shaken the medical community. It led to clinical staff questioning whether they could disclose patient safety incidents without fear of criminal prosecution. However, because of the publicity of this case, hospitals can benefit from the lessons learned and mitigate the risk of this and similar events at their facilities. Read Article

Study: Association Between Concurrent Use of Amiodarone and DOACs and Risk of Bleeding in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation 
Amiodarone is a commonly used pharmacotherapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), with potential drug-drug interactions with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). A study published by PubMed aimed to assess the bleeding risk after co-prescribing amiodarone and DOACs among adults with AF. The population-based, nested case-control study was conducted in Ontario, Canada. Ready Study

Shared Decision-Making for Drug-Drug Interactions: Formative Evaluation of an Anticoagulant Drug Interaction
Warnings about drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within electronic health records indicate potential harm but fail to account for contextual factors and preferences. A new tool called DDInteract enhances and supports shared decision-making between patients and physicians when warfarin and NSAIDs are used concurrently. DDInteract was designed to be integrated into electronic health records using interoperability standards. Read More

Antibiotic Stewardship

Quality of Antibiotic Prescribing in a Large Direct-to-Patient Telehealth Program: An Observational Study 
Telehealth use, which has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to grow, yet limited information exists on the quality of telehealth services compared to other forms of care, particularly since physical exams and point-of-care testing are necessarily limited in telehealth. To date, findings on the quality of direct-to-patient telemedicine, a specific type of telehealth, have been mixed. Rates of antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infection are higher for televisits than outpatient practice or urgent care center visits, while follow-up visit rates, possibly indicating treatment failure, are comparable across televisits, physicians’ offices, and emergency departments. Read More

Patient Safety

Report: ‘Disturbing’ Rate of Adverse Events During Hospital Stays
All Cause Harm appears to be an increased focus for CMS, particularly as part of our HQIC work. In a recent report published by CMS, a new study shows that nearly one in four people admitted to the hospital have an adverse event during their stay, and the events were less likely to happen at smaller hospitals compared to larger ones. Read Report

Implementing Peer Messengers To Promote Professionalism in Nursing
A new study in the January 2023 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety evaluated the feasibility of implementing the Co-Worker Observation System (CORS), a tool and process to address disrespectful behavior through feedback from trained peer messengers for staff nurses. CORS has decreased instances of unprofessional behavior among physicians and advanced practice providers. Read More

Improving Communication From Hospital to Skilled Nursing Facility Through Standardized Handoff
Transitions from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities remain a patient safety challenge. Using a structured handoff tool will decrease the wait time for receipt of controlled medications and intravenous antibiotics and the time for medication administration. 
The Alliant HQIC created a free, downloadable interfacility transfer form. Use this tool to ensure receiving facilities are aware of current and historical infectious disease diagnoses or current signs and symptoms, antibiotic use, vaccination status, and the presence of indwelling medical devices. Download Interfacility Transfer Form 

NHSN

NHSN Annual Training Coming in March 2023
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) annual training will be held March 21-23, 2023. The training will be virtual, and registration will be available soon.

​​​​​Readmissions/Care Transitions 

Fiscal Year 2023 Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) 
The CMS.gov website provides valuable Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) information, including FAQs, fact sheets, dates and more. Visit Website

Payment Reduction Methodology
The CMS calculates the HRRP payment reduction, which is a weighted average of hospital performance across the readmission measures during the HRRP performance period. CMS applies the payment reduction to all Medicare fee-for-service base operating diagnosis-related group payments during the fiscal year. Read More

Readmissions and Health Equity: Indigenous Determinates of Health 
What is the readmission rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in your facility? How do you partner with your tribal communities? Consider these recommendations from the National Indian Health Board, 2022:  

• Embrace strengths - success is collective  
• Adopt a holistic approach and focus on overall well-being, not just health care services 
• ​​​​Honor indigenous knowledge and lived experiences 
• Involve tribal elders, counsels, community 
• Embrace “promising practices” alongside evidence-based practices  
• Support culturally specific training  

Learn more: 
Indigenous Determinates of Health | Indigenous Knowledge Guidance for Federal Agencies | National Indian Health Board, Health Equity

​​​​​​Health Equity

I Want To, I Just Don't Know How: A Practical Guide for Advancing Health Equity 
Tuesday, February 28, 2023, from 1-1:30 p.m. ET
This session will highlight best practices and examples for successfully implementing health equity strategies within hospital settings. Rosa Abraha, MPH, Alliant HQIC’s health equity lead, will address frequently asked questions from hospitals and engage in a discussion with participants. Learning objectives include:

• Discuss a model for embedding a health equity champion to meet the current regulatory requirements.
• Describe how to expand on the collection of Race, Ethnicity and Language (REaL) data and begin to analyze health-related social needs, e.g., health literacy, transportation needs, food insecurity etc.
• Discuss a framework for community and hospital partnership to advance health equity needs and improve patient outcomes.

Register and View Agenda Here

Upson Regional Medical Center Partners With MedPro EMS 
Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, Georgia, has partnered with MedPro EMS to provide routine and emergent patient transports. Read Article