September 15, 2011, Issue #324
AHRQ News and Numbers
Hospital emergency departments treated over 20,000 injuries due to air and paintball guns in 2008. This represents a 20 percent decrease in emergency room visits for injuries caused by air and paintball guns from 2006. [Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HCUP, Statistical Brief #119: Emergency Department Visits for Injuries Caused by Air and Paintball Guns, 2008.]
Today’s Headlines:
- Updated report highlights hospitals’ progress in reducing bloodstream infections
- AHRQ releases Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2011 Comparative Database Report
- AHRQ seeks data submissions for Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture comparative database
- AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange focuses on palliative care
- AHRQ Annual Conference is September 18-21
- AHRQ director helps consumers navigate the health care system in a new advice column on the Web
- AHRQ in the professional literature
1. Updated Report Highlights Hospitals’ Progress in Reducing Bloodstream Infections
AHRQ released a second report that highlights the progress that has been achieved by hospitals taking part in a national effort to reduce the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) by implementing a Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP). Eliminating CLABSI: A National Patient Safety Imperative-Second Progress Report on the National On the CUSP: Stop BSI Project provides an update on the impact of the project and the number of State hospital associations, hospitals, and hospital teams that are implementing the clinical and safety culture changes proven to reduce CLABSI. Adult intensive care units included in this report are drawn from 32 States and territories and more than 75 hospitals. This is an increase to 10 States and 400 hospitals since November 2010. These units have reduced their CLABSI rates by an average of 33 percent. As of November 2010, CLABSI rates had decreased by an average of 35 percent, indicating rates are continuing to decrease but at a marginally slower rate. Select to access the report.
2. AHRQ Releases Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2011 Comparative Database Report
AHRQ released the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2011 Comparative Database Report, which shows that residents are well cared for and safe, according to nursing home staff’s perceptions of their organization’s overall patient safety culture. It is the first annual report that provides supplemental data that enables users of the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture, released in 2008, to assess their strengths and area for potential improvement in patient safety culture. The comparative database report represents data from 16,155 staff within 226 U.S. nursing homes and contains detailed comparative data for various nursing home characteristics (size and ownership) and respondent characteristics (job titles, work areas, direct patient contact, and shift worked). Select to access the report on the AHRQ Web site.
3. AHRQ Seeks Data Submissions for Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture Comparative Database
AHRQ’s Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture is a tool for medical offices to use to assess provider and staff opinions about the culture of patient safety in their medical offices. Medical offices that have administered the AHRQ survey can register and submit their data to the new Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture comparative database between September 15 and October 15. That database is a central repository for survey data from medical offices, health care systems, or survey vendors that have administered the AHRQ medical office survey instrument. One of the purposes of the database is to produce comparative results to help medical offices identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in their patient safety culture. Select for more information on the benefits of participation and database products, participation requirements, and registration/data submission timeline and activities.
4. AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange Focuses on Palliative Care
The latest issue of AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange features three programs that deliver palliative care in different settings. The QualityTools also highlighted provide health care professionals with resources and tools to support the development and quality improvement of palliative care programs. More innovations and tools related to palliative care are available on AHRQ’s Innovations Exchange Web site. The Spotlight features Post-discharge Care Management Integrates Medical and Psychosocial Care of Low-Income Elderly Patients from the AHRQ Innovations Exchange award-winning video series Frontline Innovators Making a Difference.
5. AHRQ Annual Conference Is September 18-21
The AHRQ Annual Conference is less than a week away! AHRQ: Leading Through Innovation & Collaboration will be held September 18-21 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Bethesda. For those who cannot attend the Conference in person, you will be able to view both plenary sessions via webcast. The plenary session on Monday, September 19, is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (EDT) and the plenary session on Tuesday, September 20, is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (EDT). Registration for the webcast. Select for more information on the plenary sessions, webcast, and the AHRQ Annual Conference.
6. AHRQ Director Helps Consumers Navigate the Health Care System in a New Advice Column on the Web
AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., offers advice to consumers in brief, easy-to-understand columns. The columns help consumers better navigate the health care system. Select to read Dr. Clancy’s advice column about research on women’s health issues to help you make more informed treatment choices.
7. AHRQ in the Professional Literature
We are providing the following hyperlinks to journal abstracts through PubMed® for your convenience. Unfortunately, some of you may not be able to access the abstracts because of firewalls or specific settings on your individual computer systems. If you are having problems, you should ask your technical support staff for possible remedies.
Epstein AJ, Polsky D, Yang F, et al. Coronary revascularization trends in the United States, 2001-2008. JAMA 2011 May 4; 305(17):1769-76. Select to access the abstract on PubMed. ®
Hoeksema LJ, Bazzy-Asaad A, Lomotan EA, et al. Accuracy of a computerized clinical decision-support system for asthma assessment and management. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2011 May 1; 18(3):243-50. Select to access the abstract on PubMed. ®
Haywood C Jr, Lanzkron S, Hughes MT, et al. A video intervention to improve clinician attitudes toward patients with sickle cell disease: the results of a randomized experiment. J Gen Intern Med 2011 May; 26(5):518-23. Select to access the abstract on PubMed. ®
Kistler CE, Kirby KA, Lee D, et al. Long-term outcomes following positive fecal occult blood test results in older adults. Arch Intern Med 2011 May 9. Select to access the abstract on PubMed. ®
Bertakis KD, Azari R. Patient-centered care is associated with decreased health care utilization. J Am Board Fam Med 2011 May-Jun; 24(3):229-39. Select to access the abstract on PubMed. ®
Grossman JM, Boukus ER, Cross DA, et al. Physician practices, e-prescribing and accessing information to improve prescribing decisions. Res Brief 2011 May;(20):1-10. Select to access the abstract on PubMed. ®
Contact Information
Please address comments and questions regarding the AHRQ Electronic Newsletter to Nancy Comfort at Nancy.Comfort@ahrq.hhs.gov or (301) 427-1866.
