A proposed National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) released by The Joint Commission in February takes aim at judicious use of computed tomography (CT) imaging among pediatric patients, requiring hospitals to follow evidence-based guidelines when considering CTs for minor head trauma.
CMS recently clarified policy on acceptable control materials for lab testing. While not changing any of the standards, the agency explained some of the key points to §493.1256(c) of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Interpretive Guidelines (IG).
The Joint Commission last week published a press release and an eight minute video defending its pain management standards after critics claimed they are fueling the opioid epidemic.
Since there aren’t any standards for determining the accuracy and timeliness of quality data, how do we know if today's quality measures are accurate? According to an opinion piece published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the answer is simple. We can't.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is attempting to develop better methods of measuring and reporting data on catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) rates.
This month, CMS plans to add a new “five-star” hospital rating system to its Hospital Compare website. The plan has come under fire, however, with many saying the rating system is too simplified to show true quality and puts too much emphasis on patient satisfaction.
More than 60 medical experts and nonprofit organizations signed petitions last week, asking The Joint Commission and CMS for changes in their respective pain management policies. The two petitions, spearheaded by Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP), claim that making physicians...
Preventing the theft of controlled substances at hospitals continues to be an tremendous issue even with increased security measures. Failed drug diversion programs in hospitals have led to record fines and in the midst of heightened scrutiny over drug security, hospitals must improve their...