On April 5, 2013, CMS released a proposed rule to the Survey, Certification and Enforcement Procedures, at 42 CFR §488 and 42 CFR §489. The proposed rule significantly strengthens the oversight by CMS...

Test staff knowledge on The Joint Commission's Infection Control standards with the following questions. Answers may be found on p. 12....

Welcome to "HIPAA demystified," the first in an ongoing series. Everyone now lives in a world of HIPAA, yet many-indeed, most of us-are not professional practitioners, but simply people who brush agai...

Medication safety as a concept seems simple. To ensure patients safely receive the right medication and dose, implement proven methods to avoid errors. To discover those methods, look at where problem...

Patient falls are often associated with elderly patients, but as one hospital experienced firsthand, postpartum women recovering in the obstetrics room can also be at risk....

Medication safety as a concept seems simple. To ensure patients safely receive the right medication and dose, implement proven methods to avoid errors. To discover those methods, look at where problem...

The Joint Commission announced in June a new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) aimed at improving the safety of clinical alarm systems. The goal is currently planned for implementation on January 1,...

In an interesting turn, the FDA has released recommendations for improving cybersecurity for medical devices and hospital networks. In this month's column, we will review those recommendations and als...

Imagine a patient is admitted to your hospital from a trauma unit. A history is taken, multiple staff members evaluate her, and she is brought up to the inpatient unit. There, staff are hands on, help...

After reading this article, you will be able to: ...