Patient Safety & Quality
Perspectives on the Use of Clinical Pathways in Oncology Care
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:29h | UTCPerspectives on the Use of Clinical Pathways in Oncology Care – 2017 ASCO Educational Book (free)
Pain and Opioids in Cancer Care: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:24h | UTCPain and Opioids in Cancer Care: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives – 2017 ASCO Educational Book (free)
Hand hygiene: facilitators and barriers
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:07h | UTCHand hygiene: facilitators and barriers – ACP Internist Blog (free)
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists – Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question
16 Jun, 2017 | 00:59h | UTCNew Choosing Wisely List: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists – Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question (free)
See more on the Choosing Wisely initiative in our April 5 issue, see #6.
“Great choosing wisely list from @ASHPOfficial. Great doctoring tips for physicians & trainees” (RT @AnilMakam see Tweet)
Non–Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Dosing in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Renal Dysfunction
15 Jun, 2017 | 00:50h | UTCNon–Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Dosing in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Renal Dysfunction – Journal of The American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: NOAC Doses: Just Stick to the Label – MedPage Today (free registration required)
“Among the 1,473 patients with a renal indication for dose reduction, 43.0% were potentially overdosed, which was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding”
Association of Adverse Events With Antibiotic Use in Hospitalized Patients
14 Jun, 2017 | 00:41h | UTCAssociation of Adverse Events With Antibiotic Use in Hospitalized Patients – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Antibiotic-Associated Adverse Events Common – Medscape (free registration required)
“20% of hospitalized patients receiving antibiotics had adverse drug event. Of those, 20% of regimens inappropriate” (RT @PeterPronovost see Tweet)
It’s time to get serious about the safety of medical devices
13 Jun, 2017 | 20:04h | UTCIt’s time to get serious about the safety of medical devices – STAT News (free)
Leading Quality in Changing Times
11 Jun, 2017 | 19:36h | UTCLeading Quality in Changing Times – NEJM Catalyst (free)
“4 principles for quality leaders in brave new world of population health” (RT @nejmcatalyst see Tweet)
Practice Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting
9 Jun, 2017 | 16:03h | UTCPractice Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting and the Use of Pharmacologic Agents to Reduce the Risk of Pulmonary Aspiration – Anesthesiology, via Medscape (free registration required)
Things the Health Care Sector Must Do to Improve Cybersecurity
8 Jun, 2017 | 15:53h | UTCPerspective: Cyberattack on Britain’s National Health Service: A Wake-up Call for Modern Medicine – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Related: 11 Things the Health Care Sector Must Do to Improve Cybersecurity – Harvard Business Review (a few articles per month are free) AND Eric D Perakslis: Cyber security modeled as infection prevention and control in the healthcare delivery setting – The BMJ Opinion (free) AND Healthcare Seen Highly Vulnerable to Cyberattack – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Handshake-free zones to prevent infections?
8 Jun, 2017 | 15:51h | UTCHandshake-free zone in a neonatal intensive care unit: Initial feasibility study – American Journal of Infectious Control (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Hospitals Could One Day Be Handshake-Free Zones To Prevent The Spread Of Disease – WBGH News (free) AND Handshake-Free Zone: Stopping the Spread of Germs in the Hospital – Medscape (free registration required) AND Handshake-Free Zones Target Spread Of Germs In The Hospital – NPR Health News (free)
Management of polypharmacy
8 Jun, 2017 | 15:52h | UTCCurrent and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy – BMC Family Practice (free) (RT @Azeem_Majeed see Tweet)
#ASCO2017 – Survival in a Trial Assessing Patient-Reported Outcomes for Symptom Monitoring During Cancer Treatment
5 Jun, 2017 | 14:52h | UTC#ASCO2017 – Overall Survival Results of a Trial Assessing Patient-Reported Outcomes for Symptom Monitoring During Routine Cancer Treatment – JAMA (free)
Commentaries: Quickly reporting cancer complications may boost survival – STAT News (free) AND If This Were a Drug, the Price Would Be $100,000 – Medscape (free registration required) AND How a simple tech tool can help cancer patients live longer – The Washington Post (free)
“For surveillance of cancer, digital tracking of patient-generated data improves survival”. “The cost of digital tracking is very low and > 5 months median survival improvement is more than cancer drugs that cost > $100,000” (RT @EricTopol see Tweets and Answers)
Engaging Patients in Patient Safety – a Canadian Guide
5 Jun, 2017 | 14:49h | UTCEngaging Patients in Patient Safety – a Canadian Guide (free) (RT @pash22)
News release: How to Effectively Engage Patients in Patient Safety: New Guide available (free)
Changing the narratives for patient safety – World Health Organization
5 Jun, 2017 | 14:50h | UTCPerspectives: Changing the narratives for patient safety – World Health Organization (free)
“No simple solutions to patient safety: why we have to change the narratives” (RT @MaryDixonWoods See Tweet)
Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Nursing Home Residents
4 Jun, 2017 | 19:01h | UTCInvited commentary: A Triumph for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Long-term Care: Moving Beyond “Round Up the Usual Suspects”
Prophylactic Acid-Suppressive Therapy in Hospitalized Adults
2 Jun, 2017 | 18:39h | UTC
Diabetes – Injection and Infusion Technique Recommendations
1 Jun, 2017 | 18:31h | UTCCommentary: New Guidance Focuses on Best Injection Practices for Diabetes – Medscape (free registration required)
Related guideline: New Insulin Delivery Recommendations – Mayo Clinic Proceedings (free)
The lap band for weight loss is a tale of medicine gone wrong
25 May, 2017 | 15:02h | UTCThe lap band for weight loss is a tale of medicine gone wrong – VOX (free)
See also a recent study showing high complication rates of laparoscopic gastric band surgeries in our May 23rd issue (see #7)
Effect of a Modified Hospital Elder Life Program on Delirium and Length of Hospital Stay in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery
25 May, 2017 | 14:50h | UTCEffect of a Modified Hospital Elder Life Program on Delirium and Length of Hospital Stay in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA Surgery (free) (RT @PreetiNMalani see Tweet)
Commentary: Anti-delirium strategy reduces after-surgery confusion in elderly – Reuters Health (free)
Multicomponent nonpharmacologic interventions, including orienting communications, oral and nutritional assistance, and early mobilization reduced postoperative delirium by 56% and length of stay by 2 days.
Factors Associated with Pediatric Mortality from Motor Vehicle Crashes
25 May, 2017 | 14:47h | UTCCommentaries: 43 Percent Of Children Who Died From Car Crashes Were Improperly Restrained – NPR Health News (free)
Reoperation and Medicare Expenditures After Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery
23 May, 2017 | 14:25h | UTCReoperation and Medicare Expenditures After Laparoscopic Gastric Band Surgery – JAMA Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Following gastric band surgery, device-related reoperation common, costly – Science Daily (free) AND Safety, Effectiveness of Gastric Banding Called Into Question – Medscape (free registration required) AND 1 In 5 Gastric Band Surgeries Require Corrective Operations – American Council on Science and Health (free)
Pressure ulcer prevention and treatment
19 May, 2017 | 17:53h | UTCPressure ulcer prevention and treatment. Is ‘best practice’ evidence-based? – Cochrane Blogs: Evidence for Everyday Nursing (free) (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
Evidence for the treatment of pressure ulcers reviewed.
Measuring the Burden of Medications in Older Adults near the End of Life
16 May, 2017 | 20:00h | UTCSee related study on the use of Medications of Questionable Benefit at the End of Life in our April 10th issue, see #8 and Deprescribing guidelines for elderly in our May 8th issue, see #4.
Source: Patient often prescribed potentially futile drugs in their final months of life – Science Daily (free)
“Nearly half of older adults in Sweden take 10 or more medications in their last months of life” (from Science Daily)
Countering cognitive biases in minimizing low value care
12 May, 2017 | 19:34h | UTCReview: Countering cognitive biases in minimizing low value care – The Medical Journal of Australia (free)
“How cognitive bias affects clinical decision making and what to do about it. Well written & useful” (RT @carissa_bon and @JulieLeask see Tweet)