Journal for healthcare quality : official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality
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Numerous studies demonstrate that patient satisfaction correlates with perceived timeliness of care. Turnaround time data identified Laceration patients as a subset of emergency department patients who were not receiving high-quality care. ⋯ An education module and an improved patient-care process model were implemented. Through the use of continuous quality improvement, a wound-care process model improved turnaround times for laceration care by 30 minutes.
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To prevent adverse drug events for pediatric patients, increase care provider efficiency, and reduce stress for care providers, a technology tool was developed that calculates medication dosage requirements during emergency situations. This article describes a simple low-cost technological solution for improving patient safety and care-provider assurance. Follow-up studies provide validation of the technology tool.
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The intensive care unit (ICU) waiting room is a dynamic place that influences the satisfaction of families of critically ill patients. Waiting-room comfort and amenities are important, because families often spend a great deal of nonvisiting time there. ⋯ Methods included distribution of an 18-item family survey, ethnographic observations, interviews, and assessment of the physical environment. Findings suggest that the role of the receptionist and access to food and other services were important to families and influenced their assessment of the quality of services provided by the ICU.
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This brief report determines whether patients admitted to a large teaching hospital knew the name of their caretaker (physician or nurse) and whether emphasis on patients' awareness of this name improved their recall. A survey of 100 patients on the internal medicine and neurology services at a large teaching hospital in BrookLyn, NY, was conducted. A derivative survey was also conducted on 30 different patients to see whether caretaker name recall was enhanced after the patients were advised of the importance of remembering this name. ⋯ Less than a quarter of the patients initiaLLy surveyed were able to state either their physician's or nurse's name. However, after a specific effort to have a smaller group of patients remember their physician's name, more than 75% did so. Therefore, it was concluded that simple interventions such as providing the patients with their physician's name in writing and emphasizing the importance of knowing it result in a significantly greater percentage of physician-name recall.
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This article examines the degree to which healthcare information technology (HIT) supporting the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) six care aims is utilized in the hospital setting and explores organizational factors associated with HIT use. Guided by the IOM's Crossing the quality chasm report and associated literature, 27 applications and/or capabilities are classified according to one or more of the six care aims. A structured survey of Florida hospitals identified the use of HIT. Results suggest that, on average, hospitals have not yet embraced HIT to support the IOM's care aims and that associated organizational factors vary according to care aim.