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The latest news and analysis about patient safety and healthcare quality.
Trouble viewing? See it online! Wednesday, January 15, 2020
 

Featured Story
OSHA Raises Its Civil Penalties for 2020 by Nearly 2%
For a willful violation, in which an employer knowingly failed to comply with an OSHA standard or demonstrated a plain indifference for employee safety, the minimum penalty increases from $9,472 to $9,639 and the maximum penalty increases from $132,598 to $134,937;
 

News & Analysis
Target Long-Term Emergency Room Frequent Users to Curb Visits and Cut Costs
The recent research article, which was published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, identified four subgroups of ED frequent users: short-term, heart-related, long-term, and minor care. Frequent ED users were defined as making at least four emergency room visits in a year-long period.
Medicaid Expansion Linked to Fewer Opioid Deaths
Researchers NYU Grossman School of Medicine and University of California, Davis, analyzed cause-of-death data from the National Vital Statistics System from 3,109 counties nationwide between 2001 and 2017.
Study: Antibiotics Use to Blame for C. diff Infections
The study, published September 16, 2019 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, found that higher hospitalwide use of four classes of antibiotics thought to increase the risk of the dangerous intestinal illness C. diff was associated with greater prevalence of hospital-associated C. diff.
M&A Deals Do Not Improve Care Quality at Acquired Hospitals
Hospitals have been involved in a wave of M&A transactions over the past two decades, with studies documenting a surge of deals since 2010. While several other studies have shown that hospital service pricing increases after M&A transactions, there has been relatively little research on the care-quality impact of the deals.
PSQH Connect

BD Launches Fully Sterile Surgical Skin Preparation
Ninety-two percent of healthcare providers indicated they were not aware that antiseptic solutions are not sterile. BD has developed a patented sterilization process to achieve the control, precision and scale necessary to effectively sterilize CHG.
Upcoming webinar

Patient Handovers: Going Beyond Mnemonics to Improve Safety and Efficiency
In hospitals, mnemonics are often employed to standardize patient handovers. Often, the same mnemonics are used across physicians and nurses in a wide variety of care settings. This session on Tuesday, February 18 will look at the three key parts of an effective patient safety approach to designing and assessing verbal handovers.
 

Industry Events

Thursday, 2/20 - 2020 Virginia Patient Safety Summit

Tuesday, 2/25 - 2020 CMS Quality Conference

Thursday, 3/5 - 2020 World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit

Monday, 3/9 - HIMSS20 Global Health Conference & Exhibition

Thursday, 3/26 - The 6th Decennial Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections
 

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Product Spotlight

The Complete Guide to Laboratory Safety, Fifth Edition

Dan “The Lab Safety Man” Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ), has completely revamped this trusted lab safety training and compliance resource. The Complete Guide to Laboratory Safety, Fifth Edition, consolidates regulations from all relevant agencies, including OSHA, The Joint Commission, CAP, CLSI, DOT, and state health departments. This book also offers customizable policies, procedures, and checklists to avoid costly fines and enhance your compliance program.

Order now!
 
 

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