A desire to improve patient safety by ensuring accurate patient identification was an important underlying goal for Community Medical Centers (CMC) when they made the decision to invest in RightPatient. Staff at CMC knew that RightPatient was an important part of their overall strategy to prevent medical record mix-ups and protect patients from error.
The staff at CMC assembled a video overview of their RightPatient deployment providing insight into the enrollment process and factors that led to their implementation decision:
As explained in the video, RightPatient is an image-based patient identification solution – a non-invasive, hygienic (non-contact), and easy-to-use technology that instantly links a patient’s photo to their unique medical record. In the case of CMC and many other RightPatient customers, the software becomes a seamless module of the Epic EHR workflows through a low-level integration.
Backed by 15 years of experience in biometric technology, RightPatient remains the industry’s most versatile and scalable biometric patient safety system, leveraging a powerful cloud-based intelligence engine to recognize patients by simply capturing their photo.
Our thanks to the staff at CMC for creating this patient identification deployment overview video!
If you want more information or would like to see a demo of RightPatient, please contact us.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2-300x169.jpg169300John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2017-06-02 06:00:432020-07-02 17:28:20Patient Identification Deployment Video: Community Medical Centers
The following is a guest post on how infection control impacts patient safety in healthcare.
While most patients undergoing surgery do not experience infection, surgical site infections still present a consistent challenge for surgeons and their patients. Surgical wound infections are one of the more common types of surgical site infection and postoperative complications. Detected approximately one week following surgery, surgical wound infections are often attributed to poor surgical technique and contamination of the operative field.
Strong infection control policies are an important factor in maintaining patient safety in healthcare.
The primary symptoms of surgical site infections are redness and pain at the surgical site, cloudy fluid draining from the wound and fever. Surgical wound infections will become red and inflamed if infection occurs.
When surgical site infections do occur they can raise treatment costs substantially. This is due to the fact that they necessitate prolonged hospitalization, antibiotic treatment, diagnostic care, and in rare cases, additional surgery.
Unfortunately, eliminating bacterial exposure of patients entirely pre-, during, and post-surgery is not possible. This is why broad-spectrum antibiotic use has become de rigeur for nearly all surgeries conducted with an anesthetic. However, even this preventive method does not prevent all infections, and additional steps should be taken. Contrary to popular belief, pre-surgery preparations can be just as important as precautions taken during and after surgery.
Before Surgery
Surgeons often fixate on sterilization practices that pertain to them, sometimes at the expense of site sterilization of the patient. While washing the hands and arms up the elbows with antiseptic soap and wearing a mask, gloves, and gown are certainly important, the cleansing of the surgical site and attention to the patient is just as important.
The skin at and around the surgical site should be washed with a bar of antibacterial soap, prior to the patient’s arrival in the operating room. The patient should also be sure to wear a fresh, clean hospital gown to the surgery. Even though the surgical site will be dressed post-procedure, this will reduce any additional exposure is critical to reducing infection rates as much as possible.
The patient should also be advised to not shave the area in the 48 hours leading up to surgery since razors can irritate the skin, making the area more prone to infection. If hair removal needs to occur in order to increase the visibility of the site, it should be clipped rather than shaved.
In many instances, it is also advisable to administer preoperative antibiotics. Awareness of any other health indicators, such as a history of diabetes or smoking, can also help determine the patient’s likelihood of infection.
During Surgery
During surgery, the anesthesiologist may be of more use in preventing infection than the surgeon. There is evidence that maintaining normothermia and supplementing with oxygen can help to reduce the risk of surgical infection. Consulting with the anesthesiologist prior to surgery in order to develop an ideal procedure can be useful.
While concern for maintaining sterile surgical tools and a sterile field is certainly important, it is also imperative to consider that most contamination comes from the patient’s own microbiology. Bacteria, yeast, and viral strains living on the patient’s skin are the primary sources of contamination.
This necessitates the use of a pre-surgical scrub at the operation site. Those used most commonly are iodine- or chlorhexidine-based solutions. Alcohol-based solutions work differently than the first two by denaturing bacterial cell walls. There is some evidence that using a combination of scrub preparations yields better results.
Microbiota within the organ cavity may also play a role. The area of the body operated on is a key determinant in the prevalence of certain infections over others. For instance, cardiac, neurosurgery, and ophthalmic surgery all carry an increased risk of S aureus infection. Noncardiac thoracic surgery also increases the risk of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Abdominal and gastrointestinal surgeries carry an increased risk of infection by gram-negative bacilli.
Being mindful of the operative field and reducing the number of tissues a single instrument touches can help to reduce infection rates.
After Surgery
Hand washing is just as important following the operation as it is in the scrub room. Advice nurses and all other staff to wash their hands prior to interacting with the patient, and certainly before assisting with examinations or arranging bed clothing. The patient’s visitors should also be advised to wash their hands and discouraged from touching the wound site or dressing.
When the patient is ready to be discharged, make sure that they have received clear instructions on how to care for their wound, quizzing them and caretakers if needed. Antibiotic care should be continued as indicated. Insisting on your availability for any questions involving follow-up treatment can go a long way towards making sure that your patient takes the best care possible, preventing postoperative infection.
Mindful attention to detail in the prevention of infection from the time is admitted into the hospital to the time that they leave is the only way to reduce infection rates.
Author Bio: Andrew is a keen student studying to become a dentist. His passion for dentistry first ignited when visiting his father at the local practice he worked for. He currently writes for Twentytooth.com and hopes that after studying he can open his own dental practice and help people in need with their oral health.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Andrew-Richardson-post-052317.jpg488800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2017-05-24 06:00:462021-07-25 10:28:26Key Steps To Keeping Infections Low For Your Patients During and After Surgery
Community Medical Centers recently implemented RightPatient to improve patient safety and revenue cycle management. (Photo courtesy: The Fresno Bee)
Working to help increase patient safety in healthcare, Community Medical Centers (CMC) in Fresno, CA knew that implementing RightPatient using photo biometrics for patient identification was a step in the right direction. With a quick snap of a camera, patients can now rest assured that their medical identities are protected and clinicians will always have the most up-to-date, comprehensive medical record in their possession during treatment and care.
The benefits of RightPatient extend beyond protecting patient medical identities however. A recent article in The Fresno Bee that covered the deployment of photo biometrics for patient identification at CMC illustrates the negative effect that chart corrections were having at the facility and how this was impacting revenue cycle management. The article states:
“Charting errors usually are caught early, before any treatment begins, but having to move information into the right chart is time consuming and expensive: Community Medical Centers spends about $190,000 a year to research and correct mismatched charts, she said. And that amount doesn’t include the approximately $300,000 a year the hospital system has estimated it loses on accounts that can’t be billed to insurance companies because the patient identification is incorrect.” (Source: http://bit.ly/2qaFJtw)
RightPatient helps establish accurate patient identification to ensure proper billing at CMC with the potential to drastically reduce chart corrections and increase CMC’s revenue collections. This is often an overlooked benefit of implementing biometrics for patient ID in healthcare.
Take a look at the video covering the deployment of RightPatient at CMC here:
Are you seeking to improve patient safety, reduce the time and money spent reconciling chart corrections, and increase revenue? RightPatient may be the answer. Contact us today for a free demo and let us help direct you on the path of accurate patient ID so you can realize the benefits of other healthcare organizations using photo biometrics.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/RightPatient-ensures-patient-safety.jpg556768John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2017-05-23 06:00:042020-07-27 11:40:26Patient Safety a Focal Point for Latest RightPatient Deployment
The following guest post on patient safety in healthcare was submitted by Dixie Somers.
Patient transportation is a key component of most hospital care, and if you are in any role in the hospital that brings you into direct patient contact, you will have a part in this vital event as well. Whether you are the unit clerk inputting transport orders or the registered nurse who prepares the patient for transport, you are responsible for the safety and the comfort of the patient. Consider these five tips that will help you safely transport patients between rooms and floors.
Learn more about 5 practical tips to increase patient safety during transportation.
Use a “Ticket to Ride”
A “ticket to ride” is a piece of paper that goes with the patient as he or she is transported to a different area of the hospital. It keeps your patient safe by providing transport personnel as well as personnel in the unit to which the patient is going with pertinent patient information. Information that should be included would be patient name, allergies, procedure to be performed, safety risks and information about mobility.
Correctly Identify the Patient
Before a patient is transported, he or she should be correctly identified to the transport personnel using at least two pieces of pertinent data, such as name and birth date. Not knowing their medical history is dangerous for unidentified patients, so it’s important to use a technology like biometrics to verify their identity if they are unconscious. Fortunately, RightPatient can help with patient identification – it has been correctly identifying patients for years.
Bring Appropriate Equipment
Depending on the patient, certain equipment may be needed for safe transportation. For example, you may need to gather a wheelchair or a stretcher. You may also need to ensure that an IV pole, oxygen tank or heart monitor accompanies the patient. Keep the patient safe at all times by locking devices when they are in a stopped position and by keeping side rails up on stretchers.
Nitrile Gloves
For many years latex had been the chosen material for hand gloves used for medical and surgical procedures as well as for various industrial use. Also known as examination gloves that are disposable type, these gloves protect the hand, especially during surgery and other medical examination. With the rise in HIV across the world, the demand for hand gloves increased exponentially as these became necessary for daily applications. Latex gloves proved quite costly, and there came a time when nitrile gloves proved to be more affordable and as effective as latex gloves and soon became the primary choice. While latex is pure rubber, nitrile is a synthetically derived product from latex that goes by the name NBR or acrylonitrile butadiene rubber. It has high chemical resistant property, highly durable, and does not tear easily.
Using Transfer Boards or Rollers for Bed-Ridden Patients
A transfer board or roller will take a great deal of the weight out of the patient when you are moving them from one bed to a stretcher for transportation. Be sure to maintain the patient’s dignity at all times by using gowns and blankets and by closing the door or curtain to the patient’s room. Always have at least two people to help a mobile patient get out of bed and at least four people to help move an immobile patient from one bed to a stretcher. If you do not have adequate staff for transport and you injure your back, meet with a personal injury attorney who can help you recoup your financial losses for physical and emotional trauma.
Incorporate Gait Belts for Mobile Patients
Patients who are able to walk should still be secured using a gait belt placed comfortably yet snugly below the armpits. The gait belt will ensure that the patient does not fall while walking down a hallway. It is important to use the belt even if the patient is holding onto a walker because hospital hallways can be slippery.
With the incidence of patient identification errors on the rise today, you must be sure that you are transporting the correct patient and that you are doing so safely. In fact, up to 10% of patients are misidentified in hospital records and around 6% of these individuals experience negative health consequences. Be sure that you are part of the cure for your patients by using these tips to keep them comfortable and secure during hospital transportation.
Dixie Somers is a freelance writer and blogger from Phoenix, Arizona, who loves most to write for health, technology, and business niches. Dixie is the proud mother of three beautiful girls and wife to a wonderful husband.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/5-Tools-and-Tips-for-Safely-Transporting-Patients-Dixie-Somers-post-051817.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2017-05-20 06:00:292021-07-25 11:14:205 Tools and Tips for Safely Transporting Patients
The following guest post on patient safety in dentistry was submitted by Chris Hinchly.
Patient safety efforts are meant to prevent unintentional harm to patients due to healthcare. When providing surgical and medical treatment, medical experts have found it quite difficult to keep accidents from occurring. The inability of healthcare professionals to prevent these accidents was the main reason why patient safety was introduced as a discipline in healthcare. For a long time, healthcare providers have been interested in the safety of their patients. For them, it is a legal and ethical duty to ensure that their patients are safe.
Establishing patient safety in dentistry is equally as important as patient safety in clinical environments.
Nowadays, many healthcare providers measure and record damage inflicted unintentionally on patients and seek ways in which it can be avoided in future. Dentistry has been doing poorly in terms of keeping patients safety.
One effective way of prevent damage to patients in dentistry is reporting the adverse events so they can be investigated. Organizations such as the World Dental Federation (WDF) and the General Board of Dentistry and Stomatology (OESPO) in Spain have come up with initiatives to prevent risks in dentistry. The following are five basic procedures that will ensure dental patient safety.
1. Healthcare Systems to Prioritize Patient Safety
Patient safety in any branch of medicine has to start with the healthcare system as a whole. Medical practitioners should make the safety of patients a goal as they go about their business. They need to be keen on medical procedures so as to prevent any injuries. Members of a dental team should also make it their responsibility to report errors and accidents and discuss it amongst themselves when they hold staff meetings.
2. Dentists to Focus on Clinical Records
The importance of clinical records cannot be overemphasized. According to OESPO, a dentist ought to check the patient’s medical history before treatment. It is also important that clinical records showing allergies, pathologies and medication be updated regularly. All these measures aim at helping the dentist to treat the patient without making any unnecessary errors. Dentists can use touchless patient identification solutions like RightPatient to ensure that they are using the correct medical records – enhancing patient safety.
3. Avoid Reuse of Tools and Packaging Material Meant for Treatment Only
One of the main causes of errors in dentistry is the reuse of containers to package other materials. It brings about a lot of confusion as the dental care providers may end up giving the wrong treatment. If a particular material is to be disposed after use, dentists should ensure that it is done. If reused, these disposable materials may spread infections among patients. Containers should not be reused because they have fewer preservatives and could infect the areas where they kept.
4. Be Cautious When Prescribing Medication
Giving the wrong prescription in dentistry is something that occurs often. Medical experts in this field, however, can take measures to ensure cases like this are eliminated. One way is letting the patient know about the prescription. Give the details: when to take, number of injections, duration and tell the patient the importance of following the doctor’s advice.
The dentist should also look at the patient’s medical history before making any prescriptions. Keenness on the doses given is also crucial. Talking to their patients and recording their reaction to medication is also equally vital.
5. Readiness for Emergencies
Emergency cases in dentistry are few but when they happen when the dental team is not prepared. It can be a painful experience for the patient. The goal here is for members of the dental team to be ready with treatment, and know their roles once they are informed that they need to attend to an emergency situation. During this situation, dentists should keep close to the patients and accompany them in the event that they are transferred to another medical facility.
Many of the adverse events happening in dental care are as a result of a few mistakes. These basic procedures will help significantly reduce their occurrence.
Chris is an SEO technician with a love for creativity and copywriting. Born and raised in the audio-visual trade, Chris is a huge enthusiast of all things Technological and loves writing about it, especially Digital Gadgets and Internet Marketing. Chris also has numerous experience copywriting in the medical and dental industry.
The following guest post on how health IT technology has increased patient safety in healthcare was submitted by Hannah Whittenly.
With healthcare demand growing in an aging population, medicine has become a competitive field. It’s increasingly difficult for administrators and staff to manage facilities and costs while still maintaining quality and safety in patient care. Thankfully, new technologies over the past decade are helping to keep patients protected. Here are just a few of them:
Advances in health IT have increased patient safety in healthcare.
Image Archives Picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) are cross-platform, online repositories for medical imaging records like x-rays and MRIs. PACS enables file sharing so that medical consultants and specialists from anywhere in the world can review diagnostic imaging in moments. Even within the same facility, all physicians and nurses are looking at one common, complete set of medical images.
Patients can accumulate quite a lot of these images over a lifetime of medical care. New PACS systems can automatically archive older images that are no longer relevant and organize new ones. Shared, updated information leads to faster diagnoses and more effective treatments.
Bar Codes and RFID
Bar codes and RFID chips are a way to instantly provide information. While they’ve been around for a while, mobile apps and better optical and radio frequency scanners are making them incredibly convenient. Bar codes or chips can be affixed to equipment, bottles of medication, patient beds, entry and exit points, and even patient and employee badges. Strategically placed scanners can record and track movements so that nothing is misplaced and workflows can be analyzed for better efficiency. Monitoring also helps to provide better physical security for staff and patients. In emergencies, wandering patients or needed staff members or equipment can be almost instantly located.
Health Information Technology
Modern HIT systems are becoming praised as the solution to streamlining hospital practices. Efficient digital record keeping and reporting is helping to eliminate medical errors that were once a source of concern for patients, administrators, and insurers. Mistakes sometimes led to a patient being forced to undergo needless surgeries or treatment, or given the wrong medication. Unique patient IDs associated with electronic records have helped to overcome this problem. Sinus and allergy tests and treatments, like those that Premier Surgical Associates does, improve the quality of life for patients of all ages, and now become permanent records for future reference. Every detail in any treatment is electronically documented to keep records updated and provide opportunities for analysis and improvement.
Biometric Patient Identifiers
There are a few areas of the human body that are unique to individuals: fingerprints and iris patterns for example. Because those areas are completely unique, they can actually be used to identify a person. This is important in the case of death, hospital emergencies, and in the case of a missing person situation. Although technology has been being used to track fingerprints for a while now, iris cameras are becoming more available and are being used as biometric patient identifiers.
Due to the fact that such devices require that a patient willingly interacts with the technology, acceptance is a key part of any biometric patient identification deployment. It is critical that healthcare organizations that deploy biometrics for patient identification offer a clear and transparent explanation to patients that the technology is in place to protect their identities and help prevent medical errors.
Though technology continues to evolve, once proven and put in place it provides advantages and consistent results. Today’s medical technology is developing into a reliable system for improving care and patient safety.
Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/The-Last-10-Years-How-Technology-Has-Increased-Patient-Safety-Hanna-Whittenly-blog-post-051017.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2017-05-12 06:00:412021-07-25 09:35:48The Last 10 Years: How Technology Has Increased Patient Safety
The following guest post on improving revenue cycle management in healthcare was submitted by Yeshwanth HV.
Amid the ever-changing regulatory environment, Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) has become one of the most important concerns for healthcare leaders in the US. Effectively managing it ensures that there will be lesser accounts receivable, fewer complications and speedy recovery of patient payment, all of which will make a healthcare practice more efficient and responsive in terms of operational changes and growth. However, effective management of the revenue cycle has proven elusive to the providers in the current healthcare landscape. The good news is there are specific ways in which you can achieve this elusive feat. Here are seven tips that will help you to effectively manage your revenue cycle:
Follow these 7 practical tips to improve revenue cycle management at your healthcare facility.
Set Benchmarks and Measure Them
Lord Kelvin, a famous British mathematician and engineer, once said: “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” This is very true with regards to healthcare, especially if you are thinking on the lines of improving the efficiency and productivity of your RCM practices. Hence start by identifying a set of benchmarks that are most important for the success of the organization such as average time taken to submit a claim, average reimbursement rate, and so on. If necessary opt to use comparative data from your competitors to keep you on the right path. Next measure the performance of your practice using the benchmarks that you have zeroed in on and see to it that you slowly improve your performance over time.
Get the Money You Are Owed
While evaluating the performance of metrics as suggested above, make it a point that you also keep a close watch on the collection rate. Tracking these metrics helps you to make sure that you don’t leave a significant amount of accounts in collections on the table, which can impact the financial stability of your practice.
An ideal RCM practice should be able to recover around 96% percent of accounts in collection. Take appropriate measures to bring your rate up to this mark or at least ensure that your collection rate is above 85 percent so that percentage of patients with outstanding bad debt will not get out of hand.
Audit Workflow
Conducting a regular audit of your typical RCM workflow – from patient scheduling to final claim submission – is a great way to streamline your operations. It helps you to discover issues and inefficiencies that may be hampering your ability to process claims in an expedient manner. But make sure that you include your frontline staff in this process by taking feedback from them about things that are holding them back. This may help you uncover crucial flaws that you may have overlooked or taken for granted.
Track Denied Claims
Tracking every claim that is denied will help you to identify trends in mistakes with regards to billing, coding and other RCM related processes. The insights gained through these discoveries can be used to train your resources and augment your RCM practices.
Look Ahead to Regulatory Changes
Rules governing healthcare are in a constant state of motion. For instance, consider the last five years. First, it was the Affordable Care Act (ACA), then ICD-10 implementation and now it is a possible repeal of ACA. In such an ever-changing environment, it is always beneficial to make it a regular practice to stay aware of new statutes, guidelines, and codes that might come your way, and be prepared with effective counters to avoid revenue cycle disruptions arising due to these changes.
Pay Attention to Self-Pay Balances
A rise in the popularity of low-premium but high-deductible plans is likely to correspond with a rise in self-pay balances. And this can pose a serious challenge to the financial stability of practice, just like in the case of accounts in collection. To mitigate the hurdles posed by this trend, you have to be proactive and find out a way to work with individuals so that their accounts do not have to go into collection.
Make Sure Your Current RCM Practice Meets Your Needs
Never take anything for granted and make it a standard practice to periodically question the value that your RCM system offers. Also make research ongoing into pricing, service offerings, and the latest software systems so that when your RCM system is lagging, you are perfectly aware of things that need to be done.
The Bottom-line
Navigating through the chores of today’s healthcare landscape is not easy. To be successful in such an environment, healthcare practices should be prepared to undertake a transformational RCM approach that focuses on improving the function as well as the flow of each moving part.
Author Bio: Yeshwanth HV is a healthcare writer at MedBillingExperts, a leading provider of healthcare business process outsourcing services such as medical billing, medical coding, and revenue cycle management services to medical practitioners and healthcare organizations worldwide. Dedicated to the healthcare industry, he has authored several blogs and articles that have received rave reviews in the industry. Prior to MedBillingExperts, Yeshwanth worked with CIO Review and has authored several bylined pieces for the quarterly editions of the magazine.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Yeshwanth-guest-post-041417.jpg521800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2017-04-21 03:00:272021-07-23 11:06:107 Tips to Improve Your Revenue Cycle Management in 2017
Early last week, a group of 25 healthcare organizations representing providers, payers, and health IT companies submitted a letter to members of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations asking for the removal of a nearly twenty-year-old provision preventing HHS from adopting or implementing a national patient identifier. (source: http://bit.ly/2oQ9PEJ). The goal is to prod Congress to include specific language in the FY18 Labor-HHS spending bill that allows HHS to assist private sector organizations in promoting patient matching initiatives. It’s an unprecedented move to bring yet more attention to the growing and complex problem of accurate patient identification and data matching that continues to plague the healthcare industry from top to bottom, affecting just about every element of care delivery as patients move in and out of the care continuum.
Will the latest letter to Congress asking for the 18 year HHS moratorium on a national patient identifier encourage them to act?
As we have written about before on this blog, we have been saying for years that healthcare simply has to solve the patient ID dilemma and adopt a more holistic approach to patient matching that effectively addresses authentication at the host of new touchpoints borne from the digital health revolution. In fact, hospitals and healthcare systems that invest in patient ID solutions that only cover identification in physical, brick and mortar environments are doing themselves a disservice and severely limiting their ability to ensure patients are kept safe no matter where or in what context they seek care. If any of these institutions plan to participate in local, regional, or national health information exchanges (HIEs) or adopt interoperability standards in the spirit of open and fluid data exchange, they will quickly realize they made the wrong investment choice.
To frame the urgency of the situation, the letter stated:
“According to a recent study of healthcare executives, misidentification costs the average healthcare facility $17.4 million per year in denied claims and potential lost revenue,” the letter stated. “More importantly, there are patient safety implications when data is matched to the wrong patient and when essential data is lacking from a patient’s record due to identity issues.” (Source: http://bit.ly/2oQ9PEJ)
The letter even went on to point out that important initiatives like precision medicine and disease research could continue to suffer and lose significance in the absence of solving the patient ID issue not to underscore the potential negative impact on the aforementioned HIE and interoperability efforts. What’s clear is that millions and millions of research and development capital and manpower has been invested in advancing personalized medicine, data exchange, and interoperability in the absence of solving the problem of inaccurate patient identification and to be honest, we feel that many are starting to get a little nervous.
The question becomes – will this letter actually move the needle and capture the lawmaker’s attention? Considering the new administration’s failed efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare and their healthcare agenda moving forward, our guess is probably not. While we applaud the effort, past attempts to bring this issue to the forefront in the spirit of including language and funding in the HHS appropriations bill that lifts the 18 year moratorium on patient identification have generally stalled. In our opinion, there are too many more high-profile healthcare issues at play that diminish the urgency of solving patient ID in healthcare. Unfortunately, achieving accurate patient ID in healthcare doesn’t carry enough political clout to be considered something worth immediately pursuing and it’s simply not enough of a concern of lawmaker constituents for them to kick up a fuss at the fact that it remains unsolved. At least not yet, anyway.
We wonder….would this group of 25 healthcare organizations be better served to build a larger and more widespread groundswell of support among us, the patients, about achieving accurate patient ID in healthcare instead of going after the big fish (Congress)? Could an argument be made that it’s a more effective strategy to build consensus among patients who, indirectly, can then place pressure on their respective lawmakers to take action? Is it more effective to attack and leverage the power of the voter vs. swaying the whims of Congress? Perhaps, however, it should be noted that grassroots efforts take an enormous amount of time to organize and execute, and the issue of accurate patient ID in healthcare simply can’t afford to wait any longer.
So, we wait. Cautiously optimistic that when framed in the larger context of tangential initiatives failing in the absence of accurate patient ID, 2017 could indeed be the year that Congress takes a step forward in solving the issue. Heaven only knows if they will act, but a step forward is surely more powerful than 18 steps in place.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Solving-the-patient-ID-crisis-in-healthcare-with-RightPatient.jpg445800Michael Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngMichael Trader2017-04-18 03:00:222021-07-23 10:50:13Does Renewed Call for National Patient ID Signal...Anything?
The following guest post on patient safety in healthcare was submitted by Emma Sturgis.
Safety is an important element of any business that serves the general population, and dental offices are no exception. Providing a safe environment is one way that dentists can help their patients relax and have a good experience during dental appointments. Following are 4 ways that dentists can encourage patient safety in their dental clinics and offices.
Patient safety in a dental office is often interconnected with the quality of care received.
Follow OSHA Standards For Bloodborne Pathogens
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has established standards to keep both staff and patients free from exposure to bloodborne pathogens. These standards include:
– employee training – proper disposal of hazardous waste materials – personal protection gear such as gloves, masks, gowns, and eye protection – written plan on how to control hazardous waste, needles, and other “sharps”, and what to do if anyone is exposed. This plan should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. – proper documentation of the infection controls in place
All the employees should be aware of what the standards are for handling biowaste products to prevent bloodborne pathogen contamination. Knowing and following the standards keeps not only the patients safe but the staff as well.
Modern And Well-Maintained Equipment
Using modern up-to-date equipment is another way dental offices can encourage patient safety. Not only should the equipment be modern, but it must be maintained to keep it safe and identify any weaknesses that could lead to an accident.
Procedure and medical chairs are perfect examples. Each chair needs to be designed for the comfort and safety of not only the patient but the dentist and other staff members as well. The chair needs to be able to be positioned so that the dentist has easy access to the patient without strain or getting tired during long procedures.
Avoid Cross-Contamination By Keeping A Clean Environment
It goes without saying that every inch of the dental office or clinic needs to be clean. It’s not enough that things look clean. Surfaces need to be wiped daily because if there is dust, there is bound to be bacteria as well. Chairs need to be carefully wiped between each patient. Things like drawer handles, x-ray switches, and anything that gets touched needs to be wiped with an antibacterial disinfectant wipe. In addition, the front desk and the waiting room need to be clean and clutter-free. This will help the patient to feel comfortable that the entire dental practice is a tight operation where nothing is overlooked.
Radiation Safety Practices
Exposure to radiation happens whenever x-rays are taken of a patient. Another way to encourage patient safety is to practice radiation safety for both the patient and the dental staff. Ensure that the x-ray machine is operating at peak efficiency with periodic inspections. Make sure the lead aprons are used as required and are in good shape with no cracks or tears. Any aprons that are showing their wear should be discarded and replaced. Proper storage of the lead aprons will help prolong their life and prevent radiation leaks. Ensure that any dental personnel using the x-ray machines are trained in the proper use of the machines for both patient protection and their own.
Patient safety and overall quality of care go hand in hand. If a patient sees that safety is a top priority in dental offices and clinics, their perception will be that the overall care provided is also a top priority. Dentistry has risks and hazards just like any other medical procedure. From the high-speed drills to the chemicals used in dental procedures, to the fact that dentistry takes place so close to the airway, the risks involved with dental work can be life-threatening. Keeping the focus on patient safety will help minimize the risks. Patient safety is an important part of every dental practice.
Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston, MA. She writes most often on education and business. To see more from Emma, say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
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The following guest post on patient safety was submitted by Hannah Whittenly.
Medical professionals are expected to live up to certain standards. As expert caregivers, their patients expect them to be objective, knowledgeable, sympathetic, and detail-oriented. It isn’t easy in some situations or over the course of a long shift, but maintaining professionalism is important to productive interactions with colleagues and patients. Here are some ways it affects the quality of the treatment patients are receiving.
Respect for Patients
Patients can experience a range of emotions. They can be disrespectful or abusive to their own caregivers, particularly nursing staff. It’s important to remember that the patient needs help. Nobody likes to be the target of someone else’s stress, but a patient may be going through a difficult time whereas a professional is doing a job objectively. Professionalism means self-restraint. Empathy and respect for patient dignity are essential to good care.
Team Work
Hospital staff is part of a team, which can include everyone, 24 hours a day. The team should be focused on providing the best patient care. That’s hard to do if there’s even one team member that’s consistently rude, tardy, or demanding. Any healthcare organization is committed to making money by ensuring that efficient treatments take place. That isn’t possible if the team doesn’t work well together. Professionals accept their responsibility to each other, and that’s the best environment for the patient—it also ensures that they are in a safer atmosphere.
Appearance
Everyone recognizes that visual information forms our initial judgment of new people, particularly when it comes to healthcare. Hospitals are associated with cleanliness and dedicated highly trained staff. A clean and professional caregiver inspires immediate confidence in the patient. Looking slovenly and unkempt tells patients that this individual is unhygienic, lazy, or just doesn’t care. A patient that has no confidence in a caregiver makes it much harder for the team to do its job. Not only that, but the confidence that a patient has in you will make them calmer and more responsive to treatment
Career
Maintaining a professional attitude and sense of duty can mean a lot to patients and coworkers, but in a competitive field, it won’t necessarily earn the opportunity to provide better care in a supervisory role. Advancements in education, such as getting your online bachelor’s in nursing, will help to further a medical career. It will require greater demands on personal time, but an online nursing degree is the best chance to fit coursework into a busy schedule. Superior knowledge makes it possible to provide superior care.
Patient care and safety are always the primary concern. The ability to provide them consistently and professionally will add greater value to the organization and the community.
Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.
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