PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Medicare penalty appears to drive hospital infection prevention efforts

Monitoring for unintended consequences of policies is essential, say study authors

2012-05-02
(Press-News.org) Washington, April 30, 2012 -- The 2008 decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to cease additional reimbursement to hospitals for certain healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) has led to enhanced focus on infection prevention and changes in practice by front-line staff, according to a national survey of infection preventionists published in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

A team of researchers and public health policymakers led by Grace M. Lee, MD, MPH, from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, surveyed head infection preventionists (IPs) at 317 acute care hospitals that were directly impacted by the policy change, which was enacted to motivate hospitals to eliminate preventable infections. According to the survey results, 81 percent of IPs reported increased focus on those HAIs targeted by the policy, namely catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs).

A majority of IPs reported an increase in surveillance, education, and prevention efforts for HAIs targeted by the CMS policy, particularly for CAUTIs. IPs felt that front-line staff removed urinary (71 percent) and central venous catheters (50 percent) more quickly than before, and increased use of antiseptic-containing dressings for central venous catheters (56 percent) for CLABSI prevention.

Although the policy did not appear to have a major impact on funding to support infection prevention departments (77 percent), a closer working relationship between infection prevention and quality improvement departments (57 percent) and greater collaboration by interdisciplinary teams to prevent HAIs (65 percent) was noted in response to the CMS policy.

While most of the findings were positive, the survey did identify some unintended consequences of the policy. One-third of respondents said their hospitals needed to shift resources away from non-targeted infections in order to focus on targeted infections. IPs also expressed concern that hospitals focused greater effort on improving physician documentation and coding practices to avoid negative financial penalties, rather than enhancing infection prevention efforts to improve patient outcomes. Finally, a quarter of respondents reported that their hospitals performed unnecessary diagnostic testing upon admission to avoid potential financial penalties.

"The CMS policy of eliminating additional payment for certain HAIs appears to have had a positive impact on hospital infection prevention efforts, yet careful consideration of the potential for unintended consequences is warranted," say the study authors. "As CMS expands the list of complications for which it will adjust payment and continues to modify its requirements for reporting, it is critical to ensure that policy changes lead to measureable improvements in patient outcomes while minimizing potential unintended consequences."

This study is one of the first to assess perceived impact of the CMS payment policy on hospital infection prevention efforts as reported by infection preventionists. Infection preventionists were chosen for the study because of their organizational knowledge of infection prevention surveillance, practices, and documentation.

INFORMATION:

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Rhinoplasty Has High Patient Satisfaction Rate

Rhinoplasty Has High Patient Satisfaction Rate
2012-05-02
Dr. Michael Menachof of The Center for Aesthetic Facial Surgery says the relatively high Worth It Rating for nose surgery on RealSelf.com, a popular online cosmetic surgery forum, does not surprise him considering the high level of satisfaction his Denver rhinoplasty patients experience. "Rhinoplasty is an extremely effective procedure that is tailored to the personal needs of each patient," Dr. Menachof says. "The almost 80% Worth It Rating on RealSelf reflects how successful this procedure is for creating the desirable results." Dr. Menachof, ...

Geneticist develops tool to identify genes important in disease, tailoring individual treatment

Geneticist develops tool to identify genes important in disease, tailoring individual treatment
2012-05-02
AMHERST, Mass. – Though the human genome has been sequenced, scientists are still trying to figure out how the accomplishment can help people, for example, how it can be used to treat disease. As University of Massachusetts Amherst geneticist Jacob Mayfield notes, "It was easy to think of the human genome as the big prize, but what we realize now is, it's just a foot in the door." "What we're beginning to understand is that the information we're interested in knowing lies in comparisons between genomes," he adds. As society moves to personalized, genome-based medicine, ...

Vanderbilt study finds hand surgeons scarce for emergency surgery

2012-05-02
Wrist, hand and finger trauma are the most common injuries presenting to emergency departments nationwide, yet only 7 percent of Tennessee hospitals have a hand specialist on call 24/7 to treat these patients, according to a Vanderbilt study published online today in the Annals of Plastic Surgery. Patients from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama are traveling long distances to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment and follow-up care. Wesley Thayer, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Plastic Surgery, and of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, ...

DIYAutoTune Releases the MegaSquirtPNP Gen2 Engine Management System

2012-05-02
Georgia-based DIYAutoTune, manufacturer and distributor of the trademarked MegaSquirt line of engine management systems (EMS) for racing, off-road and other sport and recreational vehicles, has released the next generation of its MegaSquirtPNP Engine Management System (EMS), the MegaSquirtPNP Gen 2. The MegaSquirtPNP Gen2 takes things in a different direction from the original MegaSquirt EMS do-it-yourself (DIY) automotive tuning products, by offering a fully PNP (Plug-and-Play) line of EMS systems for several vehicle makes and models, providing full control engine management ...

Clean drinking water for everyone

2012-05-02
VIDEO: Thousands of children die every day from water-borne diseases in the developing world. Joshua Pearce of Michigan Technological University has discovered a simple and cheap method of making even the... Click here for more information. Nearly 80 percent of disease in developing countries is linked to bad water and sanitation. Now a scientist at Michigan Technological University has developed a simple, cheap way to make water safe to drink, even if it's muddy. It's easy ...

HollywoodSportsbook.eu Announces Unique Kentucky Derby Promotion

2012-05-02
Hollywoodsportsbook (www.hollywoodsportsbook.eu, formerly www.hollywoodsportsbook.com) a leading online entertainment gaming site since 1997, today announced that they are launching a new promotion to coincide with The famed Kentucky Derby. Robert Evans, Hollywood's Director of Operations says "The Kentucky Derby is America's original, extravagant springtime sports party. While a horse race is at the heart of the spectacle, there are many intriguing aspects of the Derby Experience such as the special promo we are offering our clients." Hollywood is allowing ...

Everyday fish oil capsule may provide kidney-related benefits

2012-05-02
LONDON, ON – Over the past decade, there has been a steady stream of information promoting the health benefits of fish oil capsules. According to Dr. Louise Moist, a Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute, fish oil may also improve outcomes for kidney patients undergoing hemodialysis. Hemodialysis can be delivered through arteriovenous (AV) grafts, artificial vessels created to join an artery to a vein. Unfortunately, AV grafts are prone to congestion and clotting, causing disruptions to treatment and a need for surgical correction. Research suggests fish oil ...

Risks of mixing drugs and herbal supplements: What doctors and patients need to know

Risks of mixing drugs and herbal supplements: What doctors and patients need to know
2012-05-02
New Rochelle, NY, May 1, 2012—Herbal, dietary, and energy or nutritional supplements may offer specific health benefits, but they can also have harmful and even life-threatening effects when combined with commonly used medications. Clinicians need to be aware of and educate their patients about the potential risks of mixing supplements and therapeutic agents, since their interaction can diminish or increase drug levels. This timely topic is explored in a provocative article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available ...

Simple Pastimes Relocates to Accommodate Sales Increase, Doubles Capacity

2012-05-02
Simple Pastimes, one of the country's largest online distributors of online jigsaw puzzles, has relocated from Washington state to a warehouse doubled in size in Central California in order to accommodate a soaring rise in sales. Simple Pastimes, founded in 2004, has completed its relocation from Port Townsend, Washington to San Luis Obispo, CA and now occupies a 5,000 square foot warehouse, double the size of its former location of 7 years. The move, says co-founder Mary O'Brien, will accommodate the company's plans for expected continued inventory growth that she ...

NavTones Introduces World's Least-Confident GPS Voice, Nervous Nancy

2012-05-02
The world's leading independent publisher of celebrity and branded GPS voices, NavTones, announces today the release of the world's least-confident navigation voice, Nervous Nancy. From the company that brought you the celebrity GPS voices of Mr. T, Gary Busey, and Flavor Flav, comes this hilarious and familiar character with a universal story. Be it a mother, grandmother, great aunt, sister, girlfriend, or wife, just about everyone has a Nervous Nancy in their life, and now drivers all over the world can bring her with them wherever they go. Like all NavTones GPS voices, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Prevalence, determinants, and time trends of cardiovascular health in the WHO African region

New study finds that, after a heart attack, women have worse prognosis when treated with beta-blockers

CNIC-led REBOOT clinical trial challenges 40-year-old standard of care for heart attack patients

Systolic blood pressure and microaxial flow pump–associated survival in infarct-related cardiogenic shock

Beta blockers, the standard treatment after a heart attack, may offer no benefit for heart attack patients and women can have worse outcomes

High Mountain Asia’s shrinking glaciers linked to monsoon changes

All DRII-ed up: How do plants recover after drought?

Research on stigma says to just ‘shake it off’

Scientists track lightning “pollution” in real time using NASA satellite

Millions of women rely on contraceptives, but new Rice study shows they may do more than just prevent pregnancy

Hot days make for icy weather, Philippine study finds

Roxana Mehran, MD, receives the most prestigious award given by the European Society of Cardiology

World's first clinical trial showing lubiprostone aids kidney function

Capturing language change through the genes

Public trust in elections increases with clear facts

Thawing permafrost raised carbon dioxide levels after the last ice age

New DNA test reveals plants’ hidden climate role

Retinitis pigmentosa mouse models reflect pathobiology of human RP59

Cell’s ‘antenna’ could be key to curing diseases

Tiny ocean partnership between algae and bacteria reveals secrets of evolution

Scientists uncover cellular “toolkit” to reprogram immune cells for cancer therapy

Blocking protein control pathway slows rhabdomyosarcoma growth in mice

2026 Hertz Fellowship Application Now Open

The gut immune system is altered in mouse model of Alzheimer’s, providing a new target for therapeutics

ADHD drugs are being prescribed too quickly to preschoolers

UCLA scientists develop off-the-shelf immunotherapy for metastatic kidney cancer

Extreme heat linked to spike in domestic violence calls in New Orleans, study finds

Mount Sinai-Duke University study identifies DNA variants that increase testosterone production in PCOS patients

Physiology-guided complete revascularization in older patients with myocardial infarction

Metals and sulfate in air pollution mixture may contribute most to asthma hospitalizations

[Press-News.org] Medicare penalty appears to drive hospital infection prevention efforts
Monitoring for unintended consequences of policies is essential, say study authors