The delta and omicron coronavirus variant surges have pushed health systems and hospitals to a breaking point, a trio of healthcare provider executives said yesterday during a webcast hosted by the American Hospital Association.

The antibiotics pipeline has dried up and the companies that make the bulk of antibiotics are facing multiple challenges, a new report from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) says.

There is an ongoing struggle between antibiotic-resistant infections—superbugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—and the makers of antibiotics. The global death toll is alarming, with more than 1.2 million people dying annually, and estimated mortality expected to reach 10 million people annually by 2050.

One way or another, CMS is promising states that it will enforce its mandate for staff at hospitals and other providers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Mac's Safety Space

Another item that I see referenced in surveys with increasing frequency are those relating to organization’s not being able to clearly demonstrate that they are managing their whatevers in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFUs). While I do think there is a little bit of artifice in chasing this as an overarching pursuit (I mean really – how many IFUs could there be in any one organization – certainly more than I have fingers or toes, or cells…lots of potential for gaps), I suppose at some point, you have to start with the folks who brought the product/device/etc. into the world. But sometimes those “instructions” are less instructive than one might prefer.

Newsletter: Medical Environment Update

Do you ever think about how you think, or come to conclusions, or make decisions? It’s a Philosophy 101 question, but in the healthcare context it means examining how we make assumptions, skip steps, ignore details, and use flawed reasoning when diagnosing or treating a patient. And all those things, of course, have an impact on patient outcomes.

This isn’t a condemnation of healthcare workers—everyone subconsciously uses mental shortcuts in their daily decision making, says Bradley T. Truax, MD, principal consultant of the Truax Group. Otherwise, we’d be overloaded by thousands of daily choices, like the estimated 226.7 daily decisions we make on food alone. But when using those shortcuts, there are lower stakes in choosing between steak or salad than in making a diagnosis or coming up with a treatment plan.

Newsletter: Healthcare Life Safety Compliance 

In 2020, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) encouraged organization leaders to examine VR as a training option because it’s a “practical, safe alternative to dangerous live fire scenarios.”

According to the USFA, the leading cause of firefighter death during training is stress/overexertion (70%), with the remainder attributed to falls, vehicle collision, failure of self-contained breathing apparatus, or environmental exposure.

“VR technology is raising the bar in firefighter training while helping save lives and conserve valuable resources,” USFA officials said in 2020. “The use of VR technology allows training for incidents that cannot easily be replicated or may be very costly to recreate, not to mention eliminating the hazards involved in ‘live training.’ ”

Newsletter: Inside Accreditation & Quality

CMS has officially put out guidance to its own state survey agencies that all its on-site surveyors should be fully vaccinated, and it expects the same of accrediting organizations (AO). However, according to Quality, Safety & Oversight Group memo QSO-22-10-ALL, AOs are expected to enforce the requirement among their own surveyors. And providers are "not permitted to ask."

Newsletter: Healthcare Safety Leader

Q: Do we need to do fire extinguisher training in surgery, the kitchen, and MRI?

Newsletter: Patient Safety Monitor Journal

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, retaining healthcare staff has grown increasingly difficult. Between the high workload and burnout, many healthcare employees have either left or are thinking about leaving the field.

Healthcare organizations need to look at their safety culture to help keep staff from leaving their organizations, says Anne Marie Benedicto, vice president of the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. By listening to employees and responding to their needs, an organization can both improve safety and keep its employees satisfied.

PSMJ spoke with Benedicto about the role of the safety culture in employee retention.