CMS says it wants to expand COVID-19 and other infectious disease reporting requirements beyond the current public health emergency (PHE) as a way to stay prepared for the next pandemic. That proposal, along with a plan to improve maternal mortality, are part of the latest Inpatient Prospective Patient System proposed rule.

End-of-life conversations need to be a routine part of care for adults, a hospice expert says. Advance care planning and documentation provides guidance about end-of-life decisions. Advance care planning helps to make sure that a patient’s wishes on issues such a resuscitation are known by care teams and families before an end-of-life situation.

CMS continues to gradually end some emergency blanket waivers allowed under the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for some providers, but for now the 1135 waivers remain intact for acute care and critical access hospitals. The current 90-day PHE declaration was renewed and posted online April 13 and is effective through July 15.

Chris Novak, vice president and chief operating officer for Ascension Illinois’ behavioral medicine service line, says the process of gathering data to support treatment benefits not only the provider but also the patient. The health system uses a digital health platform developed by Owl to create a baseline assessment for each patient, then uses ongoing virtual questionnaires to demonstrate patient progress, giving providers the evidence they need to measure and then improve treatment.

By Steve MacArthur, Hospital Safety Consultant

Last April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195). The bill, sponsored by Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), would curb the rising rates of workplace violence (WPV) facing healthcare and social service employees such as nurses, emergency responders, medical assistants, physicians, and social workers, according to a report by Courtney’s office.

More widespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) would not only be a patient safety nightmare, but it would put healthcare workers at risk as well, including employees working in hospitals, nursing homes, and laboratories. To slow down this potential scenario, effective antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) need to be made a priority, says Amanda Beaudoin, DVM, PhD, director of the One Health Antibiotic Stewardship Collaborative at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Last week we wrote about the refugee crisis in Ukraine and what it means for our healthcare system. There are about 26 million refugees living worldwide, with a small portion living in the U.S. With more people being displaced due to climate change, authoritarian or criminal elements, and military conflicts, healthcare workers will need to prepare for addressing the plight and need of refugees and asylum seekers. Patient Safety Monitor Journal spoke with Cynthia Barginere, DNP, RN, FACHE, chief operating officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), about building trust and providing compassionate and informed care to refugee patients.

New elements of performance mean that surveyors will be taking a closer look at the fire safety n hospital surgical and hyperbaric suites.

You may think world events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine should not factor into your emergency preparedness planning. But the FBI has warned hospitals to be on alert for attacks from Russian-sponsored cyber hackers. And only three days after Russian troops initiated hostilities against Ukraine, Russian president Vladimir Putin put the country's nuclear forces on alert.