What's New at HCUP User Support

What's New at HCUP User Support

   March 05, 2013       SNap(R) Group

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New HCUP Statistical Brief #150

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) has posted a new statistical brief on the following:  Infectious Enteritis and Foodborne Illness in the United States, 2010
 
The brief can be found at:
http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/statbriefs.jsp

The HCUP family of health care databases and related software tools and products is made possible by a Federal-State-Industry partnership sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). 

Visit the HCUP User Support Website at:  http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov

You are subscribed to What's New at HCUP User Support for Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

 

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Medicaid Prescription Drugs Section Updates

Medicaid Prescription Drugs Section Updates

   March 05, 2013       SNap(R) Group

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Drug Utilization Review (DUR) – The DUR page has been updated with the fee-for-service data results from the FFY 2011 DUR Annual State Reports, which have been compiled into 3 reports to allow interested parties to view the findings. This information may be found at http://medicaid.gov/Medicaid-CHIP-Program-Information/By-Topics/Benefits/Prescription-Drugs/Drug-Utilization-Review.html under the heading FFY 2011 Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Annual Reports.     State Utilization Data – We are aware that some of the links to the state utilization data on the Medicaid Drug Programs Data & Resources page at http://medicaid.gov/Medicaid-CHIP-Program-Information/By-Topics/Benefits/Prescription-Drugs/Medicaid-Drug-Programs-Data-and-Resources.html have been broken and we are currently working on repairing and updating this information. We thank you for your patience while we work on this and hope to complete it soon.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.

 

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New CDC Vital Signs: Lethal, Drug-resistant Bacteria Spreading in U.S. Healthcare Facilities

New CDC Vital Signs: Lethal, Drug-resistant Bacteria Spreading in U.S. Healthcare Facilities

   March 05, 2013       SNap(R) Group

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New CDC Vital Signs: Lethal, Drug-resistant Bacteria Spreading in U.S. Healthcare Facilities

Drug-resistant germs called carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, are on the rise and have become more resistant to last-resort antibiotics during the past decade, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report.  These bacteria are causing more hospitalized patients to get infections that, in some cases, are impossible to treat. 

CRE are lethal bacteria that pose a triple threat:

• Resistance: CRE are resistant to all, or nearly all, the antibiotics we have - even our most powerful drugs of last-resort.
• Death: CRE have high mortality rates – CRE germs kill 1 in 2 patients who get bloodstream infections from them.
• Spread of disease:  CRE easily transfer their antibiotic resistance to other bacteria.  For example, carbapenem-resistant klebsiella can spread its drug-destroying weapons to a normal E. coli bacteria, which makes the E.coli resistant to antibiotics also. That could create a nightmare scenario since E. coli is the most common cause of urinary tract infections in healthy people.

Read more.

 

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Patient Safety Update: New AHRQ Report Encourages Adoption of 22 Patient Safety Strategies

Patient Safety Update: New AHRQ Report Encourages Adoption of 22 Patient Safety Strategies

   March 05, 2013       SNap(R) Group

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Patient Safety Awareness Week

New AHRQ Report Encourages Adoption of 22 Patient Safety Strategies

Making Health Care Safer II, an Updated Critical Analysis of the Evidence for Patient Safety Practices encourages the adoption of 22 patient safety strategies that are proven to be effective. The new report emphasizes evidence about implementation, adoption and the context in which safety strategies have been used. This helps clinicians understand what works, how to apply it and under what circumstances it works best so it can be adapted to local needs. The report also identifies gaps where more research can propel patient safety efforts even further. To learn more about the online report, visit AHRQ at: www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/makinghcsafer.html

Free continuing medical education credits are available for select articles from the report that have been published in a special supplement to the Annals of Internal Medicine, visit Annals at: http://www.annals.org/issue.aspx?journalid=90&issueid=926462 

Join AHRQ in celebrating Patient Safety Awareness Week: follow @AHRQNews on Twitter and look for the #PSAW2013 hashtag or "like" the AHRQ Facebook page.

You are subscribed to Patient Safety for Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

 

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Patient Safety Update: New AHRQ Report Encourages Adoption of 22 Patient Safety Strategies

Patient Safety Update: New AHRQ Report Encourages Adoption of 22 Patient Safety Strategies

   March 05, 2013       SNap(R) Group

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Patient Safety Awareness Week

New AHRQ Report Encourages Adoption of 22 Patient Safety Strategies

Making Health Care Safer II, an Updated Critical Analysis of the Evidence for Patient Safety Practices encourages the adoption of 22 patient safety strategies that are proven to be effective. The new report emphasizes evidence about implementation, adoption and the context in which safety strategies have been used. This helps clinicians understand what works, how to apply it and under what circumstances it works best so it can be adapted to local needs. The report also identifies gaps where more research can propel patient safety efforts even further. To learn more about the online report, visit AHRQ at: www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/makinghcsafer.html

Free continuing medical education credits are available for select articles from the report that have been published in a special supplement to the Annals of Internal Medicine, visit Annals at: http://www.annals.org/issue.aspx?journalid=90&issueid=926462 

Join AHRQ in celebrating Patient Safety Awareness Week: follow @AHRQNews on Twitter and look for the #PSAW2013 hashtag or "like" the AHRQ Facebook page.

You are subscribed to Patient Safety for Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

 

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Press Release: Action needed now to halt spread of deadly bacteria

Press Release: Action needed now to halt spread of deadly bacteria

   March 05, 2013       SNap(R) Group

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Action needed now to halt spread of deadly bacteria

Data show more inpatients suffering infections from bacteria resistant to all or nearly all antibiotics

A family of bacteria has become increasingly resistant to last-resort antibiotics during the past decade, and more hospitalized patients are getting lethal infections that, in some cases, are impossible to cure.  The findings, published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vital Signs report, are a call to action for the entire health care community to work urgently – individually, regionally and nationally – to protect patients. During just the first half of 2012, almost 200 hospitals and long-term acute care facilities treated at least one patient infected with these bacteria.    

The bacteria, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), kill up to half of patients who get bloodstream infections from them. In addition to spreading among patients, often on the hands of health care personnel, CRE bacteria can transfer their resistance to other bacteria within their family. This type of spread can create additional life-threatening infections for patients in hospitals and potentially for otherwise healthy people. Currently, almost all CRE infections occur in people receiving significant medical care in hospitals, long-term acute care facilities, or nursing homes. Read more.

 

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