Infection prevention promotion program based on the PRECEDE model: improving hand hygiene behaviors among healthcare personnel.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) result in significant morbidity and mortality. Hand hygiene remains a cornerstone intervention for preventing HAIs. Unfortunately, adherence to hand hygiene guidelines among healthcare personnel is poor.

Blood wastage reduction using Lean Sigma methodology.

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) product wastage in hospitals is reported to range from 0.1% to 6.7%.

Applying Lean Sigma solutions to mistake-proof the chemotherapy preparation process.

Background: Errors related to high-alert medications, such as chemotherapeutic agents, have resulted in serious adverse events. A fast-paced application of Lean Sigma methodology was used to safeguard the chemotherapy preparation process against errors and increase compliance with United States Pharmacopeia 797 (USP 797) regulations.

Workshop Structure And Process: On Days 1 and 2 of a Lean Sigma workshop, frontline staff studied the chemotherapy preparation process.

Patient flow variability and unplanned readmissions to an intensive care unit.

Objective: To determine whether high patient inflow volumes to an intensive care unit are associated with unplanned readmissions to the unit.

Design: Retrospective comparative analysis.

Setting: The setting is a large urban tertiary care academic medical center.

No time to waste: decreasing patient wait times for chemotherapy administration using automated prioritization in an oncology pharmacy system.

Objectives: To implement an automated pharmacy dispensing prioritization system and to evaluate its effect on the timing of dispensing and administration of chemotherapy.

Study Design: An electronic chemotherapy dispensing system that prioritized orders for pharmacy processing based on anticipated patient arrival at the oncology outpatient unit was implemented, followed by an educational intervention for pharmacy staff.

Methods: A time-controlled study evaluating the effect of the electronic chemotherapy dispensing system on late, early, and "within target" dispensing and administration of chemotherapy was conducted.

Patient safety in emergency situations: A web-based pediatric arrest medication calculator.

To prevent adverse drug events for pediatric patients, increase care provider efficiency, and reduce stress for care providers, a technology tool was developed that calculates medication dosage requirements during emergency situations. This article describes a simple low-cost technological solution for improving patient safety and care-provider assurance. Follow-up studies provide validation of the technology tool.