Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1242957
54 CMO / CARE DELIVERY CMS inspections to prioritize infection control amid spread of COVID-19 By Mackenzie Bean C MS on March 4 instructed state agencies and accrediting organizations to almost exclusively focus on infection control compliance during hospital and nursing home inspections to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Until further notice, these stakeholders will prioritize infection control issues and other serious safety threats — such as abuse allegations or immediate jeopardy complaints — during inspections, CMS said. As such, the agency is asking all healthcare organizations nationwide to im- mediately review their infection control procedures and ensure compliance with all federal guidelines. CMS also issued two memoranda answering frequently asked questions about COVID-19, including how to screen for the illness and how to transfer a coronavirus patient from a nursing home to the hospital. The agency deployed an infection prevention specialist to the CDC's headquar- ters in Atlanta to help develop coronavirus-related guidance in real time. n 47 practices for safer care from AHRQ By Mackenzie Bean T he Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality outlined 47 practices healthcare providers can adopt or re- fine to improve patient safety. AHRQ's "Making Healthcare Safer III" of- fers practice-based evidence and guidance for implementing these safety practices in line with national safety goals, which have evolved since the report's second installment was published in 2013. e resource breaks down the safety practic- es into 17 different harm areas, listed below: Diagnostic errors 1. Clinical decision support 2. Result notification systems 3. Education and training 4. Peer review Failure to rescue 5. Patient monitoring systems 6. Rapid response teams Sepsis recognition 7. Screening tools 8. Patient monitoring systems Clostridioides difficile infection 9. Antimicrobial stewardship 10. Hand hygiene 11. Environmental cleaning and decontami- nation 12. Surveillance 13. Testing 14. Multicomponent prevention interven- tions Infections from other multidrug-re- sistant organisms 15. Chlorhexidine bathing 16. Hand hygiene 17. Active surveillance 18. Environmental cleaning and disinfection 19. Minimize use of devices 20. Communication of MDRO status Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteri- aceae 21. Contact precautions Harms due to anticoagulants 22. Anticoagulation management service 23. Use of dosing protocols or nomograms 24. Safe transitions Harms due to diabetic agents 25. Standardized insulin protocols 26. Teach-back Reducing adverse drug events in old- er adults 27. Deprescribing 28. Use of Screening Tool of Older Person's inappropriate Prescriptions criteria Harms due to opioids 29. Opioid stewardship 30. Medication-assisted treatment Patient identification errors in the op- erating room 31. Operating room/surgery-specific prac- tices Infusion pumps 32. Structured process changes/workflow re- design 33. Staff education and training Alarm fatigue 34. Safety culture 35. Alarm risk assessment Delirium 36. Screening and assessment 37. Staff education and training 38. Nonpharmacologic interventions Care transitions 39. Transitions of care models Venous thromboembolism 40. Postsurgical prophylaxis using aspirin Cross-cutting patient safety topics/ practices 41. Patient and family engagement 42. Safety culture 43. Clinical decision support 44. Cultural competency 45. Monitoring auditing and feedback 46. Teamwork and team training 47. Education and training through simulation n