COPAN Produces CDC/Joint Commission Educational Videos

This week COPAN (a firm named after COllection and Preservation for ANalysis) launched a set of videos demonstrating proper sample collection techniques for respiratory samples. The new videos were created for the CDC and The Joint Commission. The use will be web based directed to flu diagnosis and treatment in ambulatory settings for healthcare providers. …

Joint Commission project aims to reduce wrong-surgery risks

Waking up with the wrong kidney removed is a horror story that’s played out countless times in North American hospitals. Surgeons will most likely walk into your operating room, ask you which body part and which side, and then scrawl your body with markers. Still, errors occasionally happen. The Joint Commission unveiled a Targeted Solutions …

SAFE CARE Program to Provide Patient Education at Bedside

THe information that is so readily available online to curious searchers may now be moving to the bedside in some form. Patients and their families are increasingly taking an active role in their health care by becoming informed. A unique patient safety education program will be released to provide patients and their families with instant …

Alert on Fatigue and Strategies to Mitigate

The Joint Commission issued alert that highlights the hazards of health care worker fatigue and offers strategies to mitigate it. The alert listed nine steps providers can take to lower the risk of harm, including redesigning work schedules, educating staff about the dangers of long hours and encouraging a culture of safety.

Joint Commission Releases Top Hospital List

The Joint Commission released its first list of top hospitals, using metrics meant to track quality of care. The list skewed small and rural hospitals. The metrics measure how well hospitals carry out processes of care that the group thinks should be standard for all patients with certain diagnoses. Examples include giving a person who …

Sentinel Alert on Repeated Xray Exposure

Diagnostic tools are an important component of medical care. However, over-reliance on certain tools is a cause for concern. The Joint Commission issued a sentinel event alert on diagnostic radiation in medical imaging, urging doctors to pay greater attention to the long-term hazards of repeated X-ray exposures. In the alert, the Oak Park, Ill.-based health …