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• OIG Report Evaluates Adverse Event Reporting Methods in Hospitals [PDF, 1136 KB]
  A report by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) finds that reviewing medical records made by nurses and physicians may be the most effective way to monitor the occurrence of adverse events in hospitals.
  
  The report, titled Adverse Events in Hospitals: Methods for Identifying Events, implemented five screening methods to a random sample of 278 Medicare beneficiary hospitals over a 2-week period in 2008. The case study was performed in accordance with the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, which requires OIG to publish regular reports on efforts to better identify adverse medical events.
  
  The five methods employed in the case study were:
  • Nurse reviews of medical records;
  • Interviews of Medicare beneficiaries;
  • Two types of billing data analysis; and
  • Reviews of internal hospital incident reports.
  Each flagged event identified using one of the above methods was later reviewed by physicians. OIG determined that the most effective screening method was the nurse review, which identified the most adverse events.
  
  OIG has recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) continue to research methods for identifying adverse events in the review of medical records.
  
  To read the full report, click here:
  
  http://www.oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-08-00221.pdf
• Mechanical Ventilators in US Acute Care Hospitals (a study funded by HHS)
  As a part of the response to 2009 H1N1 flu this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations partnered with the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the total number and types of mechanical ventilators in every U.S. hospital. That survey has been completed and summarized in an article Mechanical Ventilators in the US Acute Care Hospitals. The results may be of interest to your facility. The link to the study summary is listed here for your convenience:
  
  http://www/hhs/gov/disasters/discussion/planners/mechanicalvent.html
  Be aware that the study may take some time to load on your computer.
• 20 Companies to Know (Hospital Review Magazine) [PDF, 71 KB]
• You Have a Choice in Accreditation Organizations [PDF, 287 KB]
  Why would a hospital use HFAP instead of the alternatives? What we hear over and over from leaders of hospitals accredited by HFAP is that the survey process is "user friendly and non-punitive." Standards are realistic, understandable, measurable, beneficial and achievable.
• The Big Three: A Side by Side Matrix Comparing Hospital Accrediting Agencies [PDF, 122 KB]