Maureen Larkin, Senior Editor-Quality

Sixteen percent of infection control practitioners say they don't have the support they need from clinical and administrative leaders to introduce additional MRSA prevention programs at their facilities, and 14% say they aren't given the resources to fight the hospital acquired infection. Healthcare leaders, what are you waiting for? [Read More]

June 19, 2008

Editor's Picks

Could docs face undercover patients?
Hospitals and health clinics are increasingly turning to "undercover patients" to evaluate the performance of doctors and their staffs, and to grade the healthcare experience being offered. As a result, the ethics council of the American Medical Association is pressing the doctors group to endorse such practices. [Read More]

Toyota's success driven by more than improvement system
Healthcare leaders talk a lot about the use of the Toyota Production System in hospitals, and how its methods can help streamline even the worst performing medical unit. But an article in this month's Harvard Business Review says the Japanese auto maker's success is due to more than a well-put-together process improvement system. [Read More]

ED waits getting longer
Remember last week how I wrote about my recent emergency department experience and the long wait I endured? Looks like I'm not alone. Last week Press Ganey released the 2008 Emergency Department Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Healthcare. It says the average visit in the ED is now four hours and five minutes, an increase from last year. [Read More]

Consumer perception study released
More and more hospitals are providing consumers with healthcare data, but that doesn't mean that consumers are using it to educate themselves about healthcare services available in their areas. According to recent telephone survey of 1,000 households conducted by PRC, more than one-third (38.6%) of consumers nationwide are unsure which hospital provides the best quality of care. [Read More]

This Week's Headlines

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Consumers Union supports expansion of CMS' 'never events'
Consumers Union - June 19, 2008

Father, son, team up to fight infection
Daily Record - June 15, 2008

Scrubs should be freshly scrubbed
Chicago Tribune - June 18, 2008

Third year of value-based purchasing demonstration shows improvement
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - June 17, 2008

Joint Commission announces 2009 National Patient Safety Goals
The Joint Commission - June 17, 2008

Infection workers battle bugs, bad habits
MSNBC - June 17, 2008

Harvard study: Mortality rates lower in Leapfrog hospitals
Leapfrog Group - June 16, 2008

Webcasts

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