In 2023, hospital leaders and infection preventionists expressed great interest in learning more about the pivotal role technology can play in ensuring safety, efficiency, and improved patient outcomes. Dive into our most popular blog posts of 2023 for valuable insights into navigating the evolving landscape of healthcare technology and safety.
#5. Want to Ace Your Leapfrog Hospital Survey? Make Sure Your Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring System Has These 3 Tech Features
Hospitals understand the power of a top Leapfrog Safety Grade. And with Leapfrog continuing to express a strong preference for electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems (vs. direct observation), it’s no wonder that hospital leaders are seeking out information that will help them choose an effective system.
To get the most bang for your buck, look for an electronic hand hygiene system that includes:
- A Real-Time Voice Reminder
Research has proven that people respond more quickly to human voices than to flashing lights or audible alarms. - Real-Time Data
Months-old data can help you understand typical hand hygiene rates and provide some motivation to improve hand hygiene. However, real-time data allows clinical staff to make in-the-moment adjustments that significantly impact hygiene and patient safety. - Open Bay Monitoring Capabilities
Leapfrog requires hospitals to collect hand hygiene compliance data for all patient care units, including open bay areas such as pre- and post-operative units and emergency departments. Only a few advanced electronic hand hygiene systems, including the SwipeSense system, have open bay monitoring capabilities.
#4. A Solution for Inefficient Asset Utilization in Hospitals
As the American Hospital Association noted earlier this year, hospitals are navigating “sustained and significant increases in the costs required to care for patients and communities putting their financial stability at risk.” Budgets are tight; efficiency is imperative.
Yet hospitals are missing an estimated savings of as much as 12-16% on medical equipment lifecycle costs. On average, hospitals also have about 25% more devices than they can use at any given time.
An electronic asset tracking system allows hospital staff to pinpoint necessary equipment in seconds, decreasing wasted staff time and improving asset utilization.
#3. 4 Misconceptions About Glove Use & Hand Hygiene
“Ensure appropriate glove use to reduce hand and environmental contamination” is one of the new essential practices included in the SHEA/IDSA/APIC Practice Recommendation: Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene: 2022 Update.
While appropriate glove use may seem like it should be a given, we’ve noticed that these common misconceptions frequently contribute to inappropriate use:
- Hand hygiene isn’t necessary before donning gloves.
- One pair of gloves can be worn through a patient encounter.
- Glove removal procedure is a matter of personal preference.
- There’s no need to clean hands after glove removal.
Educating your staff and correcting these misconceptions can improve hand hygiene
performance and decrease healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).
#2. Leapfrog Update: Are You Ready to Report RN Hours Per Patient Day?
Amid a national nursing shortage, many hospital leaders were less-than-thrilled when the Leapfrog Group announced that the fall 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Survey would ask hospitals to report Total Nursing Care Hours per Patient Day and RN Hours Per day.
In fact, during the public comment session, three commentors asked that these measures “not be added to the Hospital Safety Grade since a national consensus and best measures regarding staffing standards have yet to be reached.”
Hospital leaders also wondered about the logistics required to obtain and report this data. The SwipeSense Nursing Insights application automatically captures data and can accurately measure clinician time at the bedside.
#1. How Bedside Shift Reporting Can Decrease Medical Errors
Patient safety remains a top concern. Hospital leaders know that medical errors adversely affect patient outcomes and the fiscal health of the institution. Implementing simple, evidenced-based strategies that decrease medical errors can pay dividends.
Research has found that an estimated 80% of serious medical errors involve miscommunication between caregivers during the transfer of patients, so bedside shift reporting is a powerful tool that’s proven to decrease miscommunication and medical errors.
Automated bedside shift compliance reports (and nurse rounding reports) allow hospital leaders and staff to measure and improve bedside shift reports. Learn more about how the SwipeSense system and suite of applications – Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring, Asset Tracking, Nursing Insights, and Contact Tracing – can help your hospital address its most pressing concerns.