Improving Team Performance and Patient Safety on the Job Through Team Training and Performance Support Tools: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Efforts to improve teamwork in health care have received considerable attention. The current systematic review was conducted to identify recent studies that implemented practices to improve teamwork and were associated with positive improvements on the job.

Methods: Electronic searches of 2 databases (i.

Chlorhexidine Bathing Strategies for Multidrug-Resistant Organisms: A Summary of Recent Evidence.

Objective: The aim of the study was to summarize the latest evidence for patient bathing with a 2% to 4% chlorhexidine gluconate solution to reduce multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) transmission and infection.

Methods: We searched 3 databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Cochrane) for a combination of the key words "chlorhexidine bathing" and MeSH terms "cross-infection prevention," "drug resistance, multiple, bacterial," and "drug resistance, microbial." Articles from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018, were included, as well as any key articles published after December 31.

The Use of Patient Monitoring Systems to Improve Sepsis Recognition and Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the impact of automated patient monitoring systems (PMSs) on sepsis recognition and outcomes.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Cochrane, for articles published from 2008 through 2018. English-language, peer-reviewed articles that reported the impact of PMS on sepsis care were included.

The Use of Rapid Response Teams to Reduce Failure to Rescue Events: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence on the impact of rapid response teams (RRTs) on failure to rescue events.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and Cochrane, for articles published from 2008 to 2018. English-language, peer-reviewed articles reporting the impact of RRTs on failure to rescue events, including hospital mortality and in-hospital cardiac arrest events, were included.

Length of stay in EDs: variation across classifications of clinical condition and patient discharge disposition.

Study Objective: Duration of a stay in an emergency department (ED) is considered a measure of quality, but current measures average lengths of stay across all conditions. Previous research on ED length of stay has been limited to a single condition or a few hospitals. We use a census of one state's data to measure length of ED stays by patients' conditions and dispositions and explore differences between means and medians as quality metrics.

Variation in infection prevention practices in dialysis facilities: results from the national opportunity to improve infection control in ESRD (End-Stage Renal Disease) project.

OBJECTIVE To observe patient care across hemodialysis facilities enrolled in the National Opportunity to Improve Infection Control in ESRD (end-stage renal disease) (NOTICE) project in order to evaluate adherence to evidence-based practices aimed at prevention of infection. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Thirty-four hemodialysis facilities were randomly selected from among 772 facilities in 4 end-stage renal disease participating networks. Facility selection was stratified on dialysis organization affiliation, size, socioeconomic status, and urban/rural status.

Using antibiograms to improve antibiotic prescribing in skilled nursing facilities.

Background: Antibiograms have effectively improved antibiotic prescribing in acute-care settings; however, their effectiveness in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is currently unknown.

Objective: To develop SNF-specific antibiograms and identify opportunities to improve antibiotic prescribing.

Design And Setting: Cross-sectional and pretest-posttest study among residents of 3 Maryland SNFs.

Proactive Risk Assessment of Surgical Site Infections in Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

Background: The Socio-Technical Probabilistic Risk Assessment, a proactive risk assessment tool imported from high-risk industries, was used to identify risks for surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with the ambulatory surgery center setting and to guide improvement efforts.

Objectives: This study had 2 primary objectives: (1) to identify the critical risk factors associated with SSIs resulting from procedures performed at ambulatory surgery centers and (2) to design an intervention to mitigate the probability of SSI for the highest risk factors identified.

Methods: Inputs included quantitative and qualitative data sources from the evidence-based literature and from health care providers.

Universal glove and gown use and acquisition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the ICU: a randomized trial.

Importance: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are associated with increased patient morbidity and mortality. It is unknown whether wearing gloves and gowns for all patient contact in the intensive care unit (ICU) decreases acquisition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Objective: To assess whether wearing gloves and gowns for all patient contact in the ICU decreases acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) compared with usual care.

Incidence and types of non-ideal care events in an emergency department.

Aim: To identify and characterise hazardous conditions in an Emergency Department (ED) using active surveillance.

Methods: This study was conducted in an urban, academic, tertiary care medical centre ED with over 45,000 annual adult visits. Trained research assistants interviewed care givers at the discharge of a systematically sampled group of patient visits across all shifts and days of the week.