Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1475102
31 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT Inaccurate pulse ox readings may have delayed, prevented care among minority COVID-19 patients By Erica Carbajal P ulse oximeter measurements are less accurate among Black, Hispanic and Asian COVID-19 patients compared to white patients. ese inaccuracies may have led to minority patients receiving delayed or no treatment, according to a study published May 31 in JAMA Internal Medicine. e retrospective study involved pulse oximeter readings from 7,126 COVID-19 patients who received care across five hospitals at Balti- more-based Johns Hopkins Health System between March 2020 and November 2020. Of those, 1,216 patients also had arterial blood gas measurements taken, which provide more accurate readings. Researchers found discrepancies between the arterial blood gas tests and pulse oximeter readings among patients of all races, though they were more pronounced for patients of color. Relative to white patients, pulse oximeter measurements overestimated oxygen levels by 1.2 percentage points among Black patients; 1.1 percentage points among Hispanic patients; and 1.7 percent among Asian patients. While small, the inaccuraccies can have a significant effect on a patient's treatment options, experts told e Wall Street Journal. Across Johns Hopkins Health System, for example, COVID-19 patients with pulse oximeter readings below 94 percent were considered to be severe. "An inaccurately high oxygen saturation … would disqualify a patient for more aggressive COVID-19 therapies," Tianshi David Wu, MD, study author and assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told the Journal. Researchers also used statistical models to estimate the number of patients who may have had oxygen levels indicating severe COVID-19 that weren't recognized as eligible for treatment due to higher pulse oximetry readings. ey estimated Black patients were nearly 30 per- cent less likely than white patients to be recognized for treatment. at figure was 20 percent for Hispanic patients; no significant difference was found for Asian patients. n Nurse workload linked to sepsis death risk By Mackenzie Bean F reeing up nurses to spend more time on patient care may reduce sepsis deaths among the Medicare population, a study published May 27 in JAMA Health Forum suggests. A team led by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta analyzed data on Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and up who were admitted to 1,958 hospitals for sepsis in 2018. Researchers used hours of care per inpatient day, or HPPD, to measure registered nurse's workload. Patient exposure to each additional hour of care per inpa- tient day was associated with a 3 percent decrease in the odds of sepsis mortality, researchers found. "The study findings suggest that nurse workload is an over- looked and underused aspect of the treatment bundle for patients with a diagnosis of sepsis," researchers said. n Chicago health systems join project using innovation to boost health equity By Giles Bruce U niversity of Chicago Medicine and Sinai Chicago have joined a Chicago-based initiative focused on using innovation to increase health equity. The Chicago ARC will connect startups with healthcare partners to reduce health disparities in such areas as mater- nal and child health, aging in place, behavioral and mental health, chronic diseases, cancer and rural healthcare. "We're creating an innovation community in Chicago cen- tered on the healthcare providers and communities they serve," Chicago ARC Executive Director Kate Merton said in a June 30 news release from the organization. Previously, Ms. Merton launched the digital health incuba- tor for Anthem and ran a regional science and accelerator lab for Johnson & Johnson's innovation arm. Chicago ARC — which is modeled after the Accelerate, Re- design and Collaborate program at Israel's Sheba Medical Center — will link innovators from across the world with Midwest health systems "in new ways to invite more global investment and innovation," stated Dr. Eyal Zimlichman, MD, Sheba's chief digital transformation officer and chief innovation officer. The project will be the centerpiece of the city's $3.8 billion Bronzeville lakefront development of the 100-plus-acre former campus of Michael Reese Hospital. "As the largest private safety-net health system in Illinois, the communities Sinai Chicago serves face some of the city's most severe systemic barriers and suffer the greatest health inequities," stated Dr. Ngozi Ezike, MD, president and CEO of Sinai Chicago. "Working with the Chicago ARC will support Sinai in scaling our existing programs and resources to further serve our patients equitably and effectively." n