Becker's Hospital Review

73 CMO / CARE DELIVERY CDC, CMS call for rebuilding health system after patient safety measures drop By Gabrielle Masson A s patient safety declined amid the pandemic, the U.S. must rebuild a healthcare delivery system in which safety is embedded in every step of a pro- cess, with clear metrics that are aggregated, assessed and acted on, according to an anal- ysis published Feb. 12 by e New England Journal of Medicine. e article was penned by Lee Fleisher, MD, chief medical officer and director at CMS; Michelle Schreiber, MD, deputy director for quality and value at CMS; Denise Cardo, MD, director of the division of healthcare quality promotion for the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infec- tious Diseases; and Arjun Srinivasan, MD, associate director for healthcare-associat- ed infection prevention programs in the division of healthcare quality promotion at CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, met- rics tracking healthcare-associated infections and other complications of care indicate significant deterioration of multiple patient safety measures. "It is abundantly clear that the healthcare ecosystem cannot ask clinicians and staff to work harder," the authors wrote, "but must instead provide them with more tools and an environment built on a strong foundation of wellness and on instilling and rewarding a culture of safety." e authors call for renewed national goals of harm elimination throughout the healthcare system. e federal officials are committed to a renewed focus on patient safety, including the following efforts: 1. Joining healthcare leaders in reviewing safety practices and seeking better and more deeply embedded solutions that also help close health disparities. 2. Expand the collection and use of data on safety indicators in CDC and CMS programs, including data in such key areas as maternal health and mental health. Aim to work with other government and nongovernment orga- nizations to further enhance patient safety. 3. Developing safety metrics that draw on clinical data captured digitally in electronic medical records which incorporate informa- tion from all payers. Some electronic clinical quality measures are already being consid- ered for patient-safety monitoring in the CMS Quality Payment Program. 4. CMS must use oversight functions to ensure emergency-preparedness and qual- ity-improvement programs are more than just plans. "e healthcare sector owes it to both pa- tients and its own workforce to respond now to the pandemic-induced falloff in safety by redesigning our current processes and devel- oping new approaches that will permit the delivery of safe and equitable care across the healthcare continuum during both normal and extraordinary times," the four leaders conclude. "We cannot afford to wait until the pandemic ends." n 8 of the most popular TikTok physicians By Naomi Diaz H ealthcare professionals have begun to call TikTok home. From giving out health advice to battling misinformation, the platform has given physicians a place to connect with patients in a different way. Eight of TikTok's most popular physician influencers, as reported by MM+M Jan. 27: 1. Don Dizon, MD. A professor of medicine at Brown Uni- versity and a director of medical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital, — both in Providence, R.I. — Dr. Dizon has gained popularity on the platform for his videos on cancer research, cancer treatment, and how COVID-19 and cancer intersect. 2. Dr. Stella. Dr. Stella gained her popularity on TikTok by posting health information while doing popular TikTok dances. Some of her videos include COVID-19 updates and highlighting CDC guidelines. She does not disclose her full name. 3. Dr. Emeka Okorocha. Dr. Okorocha, a London-based physician, offers advice and support to his followers. Some of his videos include how to quit smoking, how to develop a healthy exercise routine and videos providing advocacy for physicians. 4. Adam Goodcoff, DO. With 2 million followers, Dr. Goodcoff posts videos about the reality of working in a hospital's emergency department, answers patients' health questions and details how to manage time on a physician's schedule. 5. Anthony Youn, MD. Dr. Youn, a plastic surgeon, posts videos about how procedures work and celebrity plastic surgery culture, and advocates for less-invasive plastic sur- gery procedures for patients. 6. Vicki Chan, MD. Dr. Chan posts a mix of COVID-19 vaccination information and content about her daily life. She aims to show how physicians can have a healthy work-life balance. 7. Shonna Gaskin, MD. Dr. Gaskin shares tips on how to get into medical school and focuses her advice on Black medical students. Her videos also address issues on racism in healthcare. 8. Tommy Martin, MD. Dr. Martin shows the real and raw picture of what it's like to be a physician. He also produces content about Lamb-Shaffer syndrome, a rare neurodevel- opmental disorder that affects his son. n

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