Patient Safety Act Discussion 1 Read The Patient Safety And
Patient Safety Act DISCUSSION 1 Read the Patient Safety and Quality Impro
Read the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. Then, review the information on the Core Measure Sets from The Joint Commission. Pick one of the core measures from the list and discuss how a hospital would typically implement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with your selected core measure. Use at least two scholarly sources that contain research on how your policy or procedure would be implemented in a hospital setting. Your response should be at least 250 words.
Paper For Above instruction
The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 established a nationwide initiative to improve patient safety by encouraging healthcare providers to report and analyze adverse events without fear of legal repercussions. One key component of this initiative involves adherence to specific core measures established by accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission. For this discussion, I have selected the "Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs)" core measure, which aims to reduce infections that patients acquire during hospital stays, including catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and surgical site infections (SSIs).
Hospitals typically implement policies and procedures to align with the HAI core measure through a comprehensive infection control program. First, they establish evidence-based protocols for infection prevention, such as strict hand hygiene practices, proper sterilization procedures, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). According to the CDC (2019), adherence to hand hygiene reduces the transmission of infections, and hospitals often employ staff training programs, continuous education, and reminders to reinforce compliance.
Second, hospitals adopt surveillance and monitoring systems to track infection rates in real-time. The use of electronic health records (EHR) systems facilitates data collection and analysis, allowing healthcare personnel to identify outbreaks swiftly and respond appropriately (Allegranzi et al., 2014). Implementation of standardized checklists and bundles, such as sterile insertion techniques for urinary catheters, further reduces infection risk (Silbert et al., 2011).
To ensure staff compliance, hospitals may implement audit and feedback mechanisms. According to Pronovost et al. (2010), regular audits, combined with direct feedback, significantly improve adherence to infection prevention protocols. Leadership commitment is also vital; hospital administrators should foster a safety culture that prioritizes infection control as part of overall patient safety initiatives. Boards of directors and executive teams must allocate resources and support ongoing staff training to sustain these efforts.
Furthermore, hospitals need to ensure compliance with regulatory standards through ongoing quality improvement initiatives, root cause analyses of infections, and reporting to national databases. These steps not only ensure adherence to the core measure but also promote continuous improvement in patient safety outcomes (Kizer, 2006). In conclusion, hospital policies intended to reduce HAIs involve multidisciplinary approaches focused on evidence-based practices, staff engagement, surveillance, and leadership commitment rooted in scholarly research and best practices.
References
- Allegranzi, B., et al. (2014). "Healthcare-associated infection prevention: core components for effective infection control programs." World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/infection-prevention/publications/9789241599539/en/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). "Guidelines for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel." CDC, Atlanta.
- Kizer, K. W. (2006). "Reducing Health Care-Associated Infections." JAMA, 295(24), 2832-2834.
- Silbert, J. E., et al. (2011). "Strategies to reduce urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients with indwelling urinary catheters." American Journal of Infection Control, 39(1), S21-S30.
- Pronovost, P., et al. (2010). "An intervention to decrease catheter-related bloodstream infections in the ICU." New England Journal of Medicine, 355(26), 2725-2732.