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Single IRB NIH guidance may leave more questions than answers

In December 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released draft guidance detailing its support and expectations for the use of a single IRB for multisite NIH-funded studies. But for many in the IRB community, the guidance raised more questions than answers.

Study relates slowing cost boost to quality site

While there is debate about whether publicly reporting quality data has an impact on how the public purchases healthcare or even on patient outcomes — despite showing improving metrics — there is now evidence that it is having an impact on the cost of at least two procedures.

Breaking bad habits, forming good ones

It is been a dozen years since Rekha Murthy, MD, FRCP(C), FACP, FIDSA, FSHEA, medical director for the epidemiology department at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, really started working hard to make good hand hygiene a habit for everyone at the hospital. In the intervening years, the hospital has gone from having hand-washing rates in the 70s to consistently over 95%.

Why are your surgical patients coming back?

A study out in the February 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients who are readmitted to the hospital after surgery are almost always coming back due to post-discharge complications rather than something that happened during their care in the hospital.

10 tech issues to consider, according to ECRI

When the Ebola outbreak hit the news last summer, the experts at ECRI Institute, a Pennsylvania-based patient safety organization and recently re-designated Evidence Based Practice Center, were already thinking about how to protect patients from infection.

It is time to start walking the talk of transparency, experts say

The first reports of hospitals talking to patients about mistakes brought gasps and headshakes through the healthcare world.

Just how wrong are you?

No one would argue that physicians and other providers always get it right. But there can be a variety of reasons for getting a patient diagnosis wrong.

Only 1 HCW confirmed as occupationally infected with HIV in last 15 years, with 12 ‘possible’ cases

In the 1990s, tragic cases of healthcare workers who acquired AIDS and hepatitis on the job helped propel the movement for sharps safety. The evidence now shows the success of safer devices, standard precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis: In the past 15 years, only one health care worker developed HIV in a confirmed occupational exposure, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.¹

Nurses report bullying, disrespectful behavior by other nurses similar to ‘hazing’

A common perception is that a lot of the bullying and disrespect that can create a toxic work culture in healthcare settings is directed by physicians toward nurses. Surprisingly, nurses appear to observe a hierarchy within their own ranks that may be just as mean-spirited, says Elaine Larson, PhD, RN, FAAN, CIC, associate dean for research at the Columbia School of Nursing in New York.