Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/273133
13 Patient Safety B oston Medical Center has reduced au- dible alarms 89 percent after the conclu- sion of a six-week "no-tech" pilot pro- gram to combat alarm fatigue in a cardiac unit, according to an article published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. Using only data on alarm sounds and staff re- sponses, researchers identified alarms sound- ing most often before true medical emergencies on the cardiovascular unit. These alarms were changed to "crisis," requiring immediate nurs- ing action each time they sounded. Self-resetting sounds from alarms were reduced or eliminated, because researchers found they did not lead to clinically actionable situations. Through the parameter change, average weekly audible alarms fell 89 percent, from nearly 88,000 weekly audible alarms to fewer than 10,000 week- ly audible alarms, and both patient and staff satis- faction improved. No adverse events were report- ed, and code blue alerts decreased by 50 percent. Average decibel levels on the ward fell from 90 to 72 decibels during the pilot program. The program was so well-received that BMC has expanded it to many of its other wards, according to a news release. n BMC Pilot Program Achieves 89% Alarm Reduction in Alarm Rates By Ellie Rizzo 'Aggressive' Care Reduces Mortality of Hip Replacement Patients Without Affecting Cost By Akanksha Jayanthi H ip replacement patients who received "aggressive post-discharge care" from a patient-centered medical home care management model experienced reduced six-month mortality rates without increasing costs, according to a study in Patient Safety in Surgery. Researchers analyzed outcomes for patients treated for hip fractures for 18 months at two hospitals. The six-month mortality rate for patients re- ceiving PCMH care was 11 percent, compared to 26 percent for patients receiving standard care. The 12-month mortality rate also differed, 23 percent for PCMH patients and 30 percent for standard care patients, but researchers said the differ- ence is not statistically significant. Additionally, the average cost per PCMH patient per month (excluding pharmacy costs) was $1212, compared to $1452 for standard care patients. Again, researchers said this difference is not statistically significant. Researchers suggest PCMH care offers benefits in terms of reduced six- month mortality rates without negatively impacting cost. n Cardiac-Related Adverse Events Decline From 2005-2011 By Akanksha Jayanthi T he occurrence of adverse events for Medicare beneficiaries admitted for heart attack or congestive heart failure decreased between 2005 to 2011, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers analyzed data from the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring Sys- tem on adverse events for more than 61,000 patients admitted to a hospital for a heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, or conditions requir- ing surgery. Their analysis showed the adverse event rate for heart attack and congestive heart failure patients noticeably decreased in the six-year study period, but it stayed the same for patients hospitalized with pneumonia or for conditions requiring surgery. Of the 61,523 patients whose data was analyzed, 19 percent were admitted for a heart attack, 25 percent had congestive heart failure, 30 percent were hospi- talized for pneumonia and 27 percent had a condition requiring surgery. Here are six more findings the decline of adverse events associated with heart attack and congestive heart failure from 2005 to 2011. • The rate of adverse events for heart attack patients fell from 5 percent to 3.7 percent over the study period. • The proportion of heart attack patients with one or more adverse events declined from 26 percent to 19.4 percent. • The number of adverse events per 1,000 hospitalizations of heart at- tack patients fell by 34.7 percent, from 401.9 to 262.2. • The occurrence of adverse events for patients with congestive heart failure fell from 3.7 percent to 2.7 percent. • The number of patients with congestive heart failure who experienced one or more adverse events fell from 17.5 percent to 14.2 percent. • The number of adverse events per 1,000 hospitalizations of patients with congestive heart failure fell by 29 percent, from 235.2 to 166.9. n The sixth-month mortality rate for patients receiving PCMH care was 11 percent, com- pared to 26 percent for patients receiving standard care.