“Only about 35% of of hospital employees consistently wash their hands each time they prepare to touch a patient.” Liz Szabo, “Patient, Protect Thyself,” USA Today, 04 February 2007.
“. . .61% of doctors [who are not typically hospital employees] wash their hands before examining a patient if they know someone is watching . . . 44% wash their hands if they think no one is watching.” Robert Langreth, “Fixing Hospitals,” Forbes, 20 June 2005. |
April 30, 2010
Handwashing Not Done
Comments Off
April 29, 2010
April 28, 2010
Hospital Infections Kill 99K/Year
“In American hospitals alone, healthcare-associated infections account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year.”“Estimates of Healthcare-Associated Infections,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/hai.html, downloaded 07 April 2010. |
Comments Off
April 27, 2010
Emphasize Handwashing
If you are in the hospital, ask everyone who approaches your bed to wash their hands — doctors, nurses, family members, etc.If you visit someone in the hospital, remember that you can spread germs; wash or sanitize your hands before approaching the patient. |
Comments Off
April 26, 2010
Are Hospital Infections Inevitable in Sickly People?
Myth or Fact: People who die of hospital infections are generally so old and frail that they are just more suceptible to infections and it’s inevitable that they will die.
Fact: “Infections acquired in hospitals, which take a heavy toll on patients, arise mainly from poor hygiene in hospital procedures, not from how sick patients were when they were admitted, according to three new studies.”Christopher Lee, “Studies: Hospitals Could Do More to Avoid Infections — Poor Hygiene, Operating Room Traffic, Antibiotic Use Are Cited,” Washington Post, 21 November 2006. |
Comments Off
Overview: Hospital Infections
People who go to the hospital because of one health problem often end up with an additional one — an infection they pick up while they are there. These infections can be very serious. They can require months of grueling treatment, and more than twice as many people die from these infections as die from breast cancer.
Comments Off
April 23, 2010
Hospital Boards Say Quality of Care Is Not a Priority
Almost half of the people running the boards of hospitals — which oversee hospital performance and tell the hospital CEO what to focus on — don’t consider providing high-quality care to be one of the top two priorities.Further, “only 44% reported that quality of care was important for evaluating the performance of the chief executive officer (CEO).” “Quality Is Not A Top Priority For Nearly Half The Nation’s Hospital Boards,” Health Affairs Sunday Health Policy Update, 08 November 2009. |
Comments Off
April 22, 2010
April 21, 2010
Hierarchy Kills
“In every hospital in America, patients die because of hierarchy.” — Dr. Peter Pronovost, Johns Hopkins, as quoted by Claudia Dreifus, “Doctor Leads Quest for Safer Ways to Care for Patients,” New York Times, 08 Mar 2010.While someone — often a nurse — typically realizes that the patient is in trouble, the attitude of many doctors, Dr. Pronovost goes on to say, is “I’m right. I’m more senior than you. Don’t tell me what to do.” |
Comments Off
April 20, 2010
Ask How a Test Will Change Your Care
When your doctor orders a test, ask what new information it will provide — and what will be different in your care or your health as a result of the test.If you don’t get an answer that makes sense to you, it may be useful to discuss with your doctor whether the test is necessary. If you get an answer like, “It is standard practice to order this test,” that’s a hint that it may not provide new information in your case. |
Comments Off