Heather Comak is a Managing Editor at HCPro, Inc. , where she is the editor of the monthly publication Briefings on Patient Safety , as well as patient safety-related books and audio conferences. She is also is the Assistant Director of the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals. Contact Heather by e-mailing hcomak@hcpro.com.
In recognition of National Influenza Vaccination Week this week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) have both offered support and resources to healthcare workers and the general public.
"This is a challenging flu season for millions of Americans and their families, and it's not over yet," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The H1N1 vaccine is safe, effective and the best way to prevent the flu. We urge all Americans to protect themselves and their families by getting the H1N1 flu vaccine."
Although the week is not aimed specifically at H1N1 flu vaccination, both groups are using the week as a reminder that H1N1 flu vaccinations are available in most areas now for the entire population, not just specific sectors.
"Given the unpredictable nature of the flu and the wide availability of the vaccines, we need to act now and encourage as many Americans as possible to get immunized," said Christine J Nutty, RN, MSN, CIC, president of APIC. "While we do not know whether there will be a future wave of the H1N1 flu, we do know that the more people who are vaccinated, the less likely it is that infection will spread."
Earlier this year, APIC, along with several other healthcare groups, signed an "Open Letter to the American People" encouraging H1N1 vaccination. HHS has said that H1N1 flu infected approximately 47 million Americans between April and mid-November 2009, and contributed to more than 200,000 hospitalizations and nearly 10,000 deaths.
HHS is hosting a series of events this week, mostly focusing on the importance of specific groups of the population to get vaccinated, such as seniors, people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, children, infants, and young adults.
APIC specifically has targeted healthcare workers, maintaining that it is imperative for them to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu and seasonal flu.
"Employees who are not vaccinated can transmit influenza to vulnerable patients in healthcare facilities," said Nutty. "All healthcare workers need to be immunized against seasonal influenza and the H1N1 virus. This is vitally important to healthcare worker and patient safety."
National Influenza Vaccination Week was started as an annual event in 2006. For more information about it, visit www.flu.gov.
The National Quality Forum (NQF) released a set of 70 measures this week that guide the standardization of electronic data for quality improvement. The measures combine data from two or more electronic sources, such as administrative claims or pharmacy systems.
The measures also cover 16 conditions, including bone and joint conditions, cardiovascular disease, asthma and respiratory illness, and diabetes.
The steering committee on clinically enriched administrative data sources at the NQF created three levels by which to rate measures concerning electronic data, where the data are from, and their complexity.
Level one includes data from one electronic administrative data source, such as claims data. This is the type of data that many quality improvement projects currently rely on.
Level two measures rely on merged data from multiple electronic administrative data sources.
Level three data will use electronic data that have been enriched with clinical data, for example a lab result.
After reviewing more than 200 measures, the steering committee selected 70. Of that number, 55 measures are considered level two, and 15 are considered level three. The committee did not select any level one measures.
The set of 70 measures synchronizes many measures that health plans are already using and the NQF anticipates that using this standard set will making improving the quality of care easier and more efficient. Although there are fewer level three measures at this point, as the use of electronic medical records become more common, the NQF hopes to add more to this category.
The National Quality Forum (NQF) announced last week that it has endorsed an updated list of Safe Practices for Better Healthcare for 2010.
The Safe Practices Steering Committee added the latest evidence from healthcare literature and content experts to the list of 34 practices. Many of the Safe Practices were updated to include a stronger emphasis on patient and family involvement in care.
"Safe care is central to high-quality healthcare. While small scale advancements have been made, healthcare is not as safe as it should be," said Janet M. Corrigan, NQF president and CEO. "Safe Practices can guide healthcare systems in providing safer, higher-quality care, and involving patients and families in their care."
The 2010 update falls in line with the NQF's switch to annual Safe Practice revisions. The group released its original group of Safe Practices in 2003 and updated those in 2006 and again in 2009. The 2009 Safe Practices were divided up into the following categories:
Creating and sustaining a culture of safety
Informed consent, life-sustaining treatment, disclosure, and care of the caregiver
Matching healthcare needs with service delivery capability
Facilitating information transfer and clear communication
Medication management
Prevention of healthcare-associated infections
Condition- and site-specific practices
The Safe Practices have also traditionally been updated in conjunction with the NQF's list of Serious Reportable Events (SRE), a collection of 28 medical errors that hospitals should seek to prevent. The 2010 SRE update is open for comment by the public through February 2.
The NQF utilizes a consensus development process to update its standards. The public had a chance to comment on the proposed revisions in fall 2009, but members of the public wishing to appeal any of the revised standards can do so during the 30-day appeal period, through January 26. To do so, e-mail appeals@qualityforum.org. To find any more information about the 2010 Safe Practices, visit www.qualityforum.org/Projects/Safe_Practices_2010.aspx.