Q: On what topics does The Joint Commission require hospitals to conduct risk assessments? ...

Fatigue has recently been recognized in the medical literature to increase the incidence of adverse events. Fatigue is a widely recognized patient safety issue. Nurses who worked over 12 hours per day...

Despite sustained attention from hospital leaders, wait times in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) ED were considerably longer than desired. Knowing that longer wait times means poor ...

Recently in this space, we talked about CMS’ ­changing stance on the so-called ”30-minute rule.” To follow up, we thought it was time to take a look at the Institute for Safe Med...

Q: The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has recently issued for CMS to implement to improve event reporting structures. How can I make sure I comply with the recommendations that will eventually t...

True or False: Hospitals are permitted to substitute medications in the event of a shortage. ...

Q: Surveyors continue to scrutinize anesthesia and the back table. How do I get anesthesia to make sure they label syringes? ...

After reading this article, you will be able to: Discuss the role of tracers in recent Joint Commission surveys Identify items discussed during the survey that were not covered in the survey ...

After reading this article, you will be able to: Identify the documentation and research by the OIG ­discussing adverse events in hospitals Discuss Conditions of Participation that look ...

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has released an updated list of its Serious Reportable Events (SRE) in a new report, Serious Reportable Events In Healthcare-2011 Update: A Consensus. ...