By docadmin
June 23, 2017 6:29 am
Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) can lead to excess length of hospital stay and increased risk of mortality. Ever since they became a reportable Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outcome measure though, there has been a 46 percent reduction in CLABSIs in hospitals across the country. However, nearly 30,000 CLABSIs still occur in hospitals each year. 1 Peripherally inserted catheters (PIV) can also be a source of bloodstream infections and are starting to receive some notice. Because central line associated bloodstream infections are only currently part of the CMS value based purchasing metrics, the true impact of PIV related bloodstream infections are not known. Most infection prevention programs do not include this type of surveillance. In 2014,...read more
By docadmin
June 17, 2017 2:30 pm
Medical Improv is an emerging field that holds much promise for us in healthcare. There are scores of experiential activities that can be adapted from theater education and improvisational comedy to build emotional intelligence and improve communication, teamwork, and leadership. All of which contribute to a foundation from which we can provide safe, quality, and compassionate care as well as well as sustain long-term and rewarding careers. Almost any Medical Improv activity can help participants develop self-awareness, self-expression, the ability to identify emotional cues in others, while building positive relationships and decreasing stress. All of these will help nurses hold conversations that may be emotionally charged and painful such as those around death and dying. Here are five ways Medical...read more
By docadmin
June 9, 2017 4:57 am
Summary: The Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force’s report contains valuable recommendations to help improve cybersecurity. Health records possess a wealth of critical information, and the ability of healthcare professionals to quickly access them can be vital to ensuring positive patient outcomes. However, these records also contain information that is valuable to cyber criminals. Data gathered by the healthcare industry for the good of their patients also are targeted by nefarious people for fraud, intentional disruption, data ransoming, corporate espionage, and financial crimes. All of these cyber threats are capable of triggering emergencies with the potential to impact patient care and public health as we saw with the recent ransomware incident that struck hospitals, clinics, and other systems across the...read more
