Last week the MHA Society for Healthcare Quality and Healthcare Providers Insurance Company hosted the Mississippi Quality Conference to talk about the latest issues impacting practice safety, risk management, and reimbursement. Inspirien’s Risk Management team attended the session to get the latest on the Joint Commission, ACOs, and Value-Based Purchasing. Here’s their news they think will matter to you.
Joint Commission Reporting that Average Number of RFIs/Hospital Nearly DOUBLED from Last Year
Yikes. The average number of Requirements for Improvement (RFIs) issued to hospitals has been trending upward for years, but the jump from 2017 to YTD 2018 is really remarkable. Last year, the average was 30.9 RFIs/hospital. This year the Joint Commission rep indicated it’s more like 50-60 per hospital.
Turns out surveyors are now being cross-trained and this has led to more findings as they’ve become more aware of different standards and risk issues. Here’s what you need to tell your Risk Managers to be ready for:
- The Top 10 most-cited standards still focus on patient safety. From fire safety (and everything that surrounds that) to risk of infections.
- The Top Ten ‘clinical’ standards where deficiencies are being found are heavily process-driven. These include: IC.02.02.01 – Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization; Several related to medication orders and storage; Infection Control; and PC02.01.11 – Resuscitation Equipment and Supplies. Have a look at the full list on the Joint Commission’s website, click here.
- There continues to be a significant focus on ligature risks and suicide assessments to prevent harm and promote safe patient care. This includes environmental safety, patient assessment/intervention, and education of staff and patient/families.
Hospitals & Clinics Can Borrow Best Practices from ACOs
The ACO model offers food-for-thought when it comes to all aspects of care delivery – everything from practice management to patient satisfaction. The team from Caravan Health spoke about care coordination from the ACO perspective, sharing some best practices. One of their easy-to-implement-yet-high-in-value tips: scheduling wellness visits along with symptom visits. Just adding 30 minutes to the symptom visit for an annual wellness exam has not only brought in extra revenue for the practice, but has helped close in on care gaps and improve patient satisfaction.
Mayo Clinic has Launched a New ‘Mental Resilience’ Training Program to Help with Burnout
Backed by clinical studies proving efficacy, Mayo Clinic has packaged up a training program to help build mental resiliency for their physicians and other healthcare professionals. A sneak-peek into the program revealed some of the ways it can help reduce stress, anxiety, and – very relevant to our healthcare workers – burnout. Have a look: click here.
The Inspirien Risk Management team works hard to stay on top of all the important safety and quality news that matter most to the hospitals and physicians we work to support. If you have a question for us, want to know exactly how a new guideline or standard will impact your facility, or if you want to proactively tackle any of the Joint Commission’s ’10 most cited standards,’ get in touch. You can call direct to 334.271.5515 or email us at riskmanagement@inspirien.net
Article contributed by Inspiren Risk Consultants Debbie Franklin, Marie Howatt and Teresa Fields.