QIO HHQI Weekly Update :: September 17, 2007   

TIP OF THE WEEK

Time to administer the flu vaccine for healthcare workers

"THE NEXT BATTLEGROUND FOR PATIENT SAFETY"

According to a recent Quality Partners of Rhode Island training session, 10 to 50 percent of healthcare workers (HCWs) get the flu each year. Half of the time, these staff members come to work because they do not know they have the flu. HCWs who have the flu are responsible for putting their patients at a 20 percent higher risk of death, an issue that epidemiologists like Dr. Richard Zimmerman of the University of Pittsburgh point to as a major patient safety issue.

Vaccinated HCWs are 70 percent less likely to get the flu, and thus 70 percent less likely to spread the flu to patients and their family members. Vaccinating employees is an ethical duty of each home health agency (HHA) in an effort to “first, do no harm.”

WHO SHOULD BE IMMUNIZED?

HHAs have other special considerations for protecting their patients from the flu and should make a concerted effort to encourage immunization of all:

• Employees
• Patients
• Patients’ household contacts

WHY IMMUNIZE?

• Reduce staff illnesses and absenteeism during the flu season
• Protect workers, patients, and families from contracting and spreading flu
• Keep the ethical code to “first, do no harm”

CDC GUIDELINES FOR IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULES

The following HCWs should be vaccinated in the fall of each year:

• Persons who attend patients at high risk for complications of flu (whether the care is provided at home or in a healthcare facility)
• Persons aged 65 years or older
• Persons with certain chronic medical conditions (e.g., persons who have chronic disorders of the cardiovascular or pulmonary systems; persons who required medical follow-up or hospitalization within the preceding year because of chronic metabolic disease [including diabetes], renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies, or immunosuppression [including HIV infection])
• Pregnant women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during flu season

(Contraindication: History of anaphylactic hypersensitivity to egg ingestion.)

October and November are the best time to get the flu shot, so plan a staff immunization clinic for next month! If you provide immunizations for patients, it’s time to place your order if you haven’t done so already.

OHIO IMMUNIZATION PARTNERS FOR HEALTHY ADULTS

Interested in joining efforts with our Ohio healthcare providers to prepare for the 2008-2009 flu season? Call Erica Stanton at 1.330. 651.3063 to get information about the next meeting in January 2008.

 

 

IN THE NEWS

NEW MEDICARE CHIEF PROMISES TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY

September 13, 2007 -- The Hill -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) acting Administrator Kerry Weems on Wednesday promised higher levels of transparency and accountability at his agency.

In a briefing with reporters Wednesday, one week after he took office, Weems vowed to make CMS’ operations and decision-making more public, to improve program management and to evaluate the agency’s relationships with health plans and other private contractors. Read more >>

BLACK U.S. RESIDENTS OFTEN RECEIVE POORER QUALITY NURSING HOME CARE THAN WHITES, STUDY FINDS

September 12, 2007 -- Kaiser Network -- Blacks in the U.S. are more likely to receive lower-quality nursing home care than whites, according to a study published in the September/October issue of the journal Health Affairs, CQ HealthBeat reports. Read more >>

CMS ANNOUNCES THE START OF PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT FOR POST ACUTE CARE PAYMENT REFORM DEMONSTRATION

August 21, 2007 -- Rural Assistance Center -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the start of participant recruitment for the Post Acute Care Payment Reform Demonstration (PAC-PRD). Participating providers include acute care hospitals and four post-acute care (PAC) settings -- Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), and Home Health Agencies (HHAs). Read more >>

ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION RELEASES DEMENTIA CARE PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR END-OF-LIFE CARE

August 31, 2007 -- Medical News Today -- The Alzheimer's Association released its third set of Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes. The Recommendations focus on improving the end of life experience for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias by offering concrete suggestions for addressing issues unique to people with dementia at the end of life. Read more >>

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Together We Make a Difference: Solutions for Senior Care 2007
October 5-7, 2007, Columbus Ohio.
The conference features plenary sessions and didactic sessions on medical direction, physician- nurse practitioner collaboration, urinary incontinence, atrial fibrillation, appropriate medication prescribing, and the latest diabetic medications (Registration ends Sept 28, 2007). Contact Catherine Austin at (216) 778-8087, Executive Assistant of OMDA, for more details.

Ohio Council for Home Care (OCHC) Fall Conference
September 18 & 19, 2007, Columbus, Ohio. OCHC will offer a breakout session on September 19, 2007 during the OCHC Annual Conference to provide an overview of this final rule. Download flyer >>

OCHC Home Health Reform PPS Workshop
A full day in-depth program is scheduled for October 24, 2007 to provide detailed instruction on how to implement the changes at your agency. Download flyer >>

OHCO: Connecting OASIS and Clinical Decisions in the post-PPS Reform Environment

October 30, 2007
Contact Karen Lowe at (614)763-0036, Ext. 206 for more information.

The Many Facets of Pain Management: An Integrated Approach

November 7, 2007, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland.
Call (216) 778-7707 for more information.