Tag: opioid

A Decade of Excellence: Hospital Celebrates 10 “Event Free” Years of Patient Safety

By Briggs Adams (Editorial Manager, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

When the leader of St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital respiratory therapy team was initially considering using capnography to monitor patients receiving opioids after surgery, he predicted the outcome would go in one of two ways.

“Quite honestly, we thought capnography was either going to be tremendously successful or a complete disaster,” said Harold Oglesby, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Manager, The Center for Pulmonary Health, Candler Hospital, and St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System (SJ/C). Continue reading “A Decade of Excellence: Hospital Celebrates 10 “Event Free” Years of Patient Safety” →

What Does New CMS Guidance on Monitoring Post-Operative Patients Receiving Opioids Mean for Hospital Practice?

by Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

[This article first appeared in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare. To read the full article, please click here.]

In its guidance, “Requirements for Hospital Medication Administration, Particularly Intravenous (IV) Medications and Post-Operative Care of Patients Receiving IV Opioids,” CMS explains the reason behind the issue for this guidance:

Continue reading “What Does New CMS Guidance on Monitoring Post-Operative Patients Receiving Opioids Mean for Hospital Practice?” →

5 Findings From an Opioid Awareness Survey Conducted at AORN Annual Conference

by Amy Smalarz, PhD, President and Co-Founder, Strategic Market Insight
July 8, 2014

Although opioids may be used as the “standard of care” or “common practice” for postsurgical pain management, it is important to understand the impact of their use as it’s directly related to the Triple Aims. Continue reading “5 Findings From an Opioid Awareness Survey Conducted at AORN Annual Conference” →

The Good and Bad News for Patients Receiving Opioids: Physician-Patient Alliance Presents Survey Results at International Anesthesia Research Society Annual Conference

At the International Anesthesia Research Society annual conference, which took place May 17-20, 2014, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety presented results from the first national survey of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) practice. The survey results showed good news and bad news for patients receiving opioids. Continue reading “The Good and Bad News for Patients Receiving Opioids: Physician-Patient Alliance Presents Survey Results at International Anesthesia Research Society Annual Conference” →

Identifying Patients at Risk for Postsurgical Opioid-Related Adverse Events

By Laura Menditto, MPH, MBA (Independent Health Outcomes Research Consultant, Laura A Menditto LLC )

What if there existed a way for perioperative nurses to identify patients at high risk of experiencing opioid-related adverse events (ORADEs)? Could hospitals evaluate the potential benefits of targeting high-risk patients for strategies aimed at reducing ORADEs? Could nurses and doctors use the scoring model to predict—and avoid—ORADEs in future patients? Continue reading “Identifying Patients at Risk for Postsurgical Opioid-Related Adverse Events” →

PPAHS Joins Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation in Call for a “Paradigm Shift” in Opioid Safety

by Sean Power
February 19, 2014

“It’s time for a change in how we monitor postoperative patients receiving opioids,” declares Dr. Robert Stoelting, president of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF). “We need a complete paradigm shift in how we approach safer care for postoperative patients receiving opioids.” Continue reading “PPAHS Joins Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation in Call for a “Paradigm Shift” in Opioid Safety” →

5 Questions Answered about Never Events and Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pumps

by Sean Power

What are Never Events?

Never Events are 28 preventable actions or mistakes that should never happen in a health care setting, which include: Continue reading “5 Questions Answered about Never Events and Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pumps” →

Does CMS Proposed Measure for PCA Safety Go Far Enough?

by Michael Wong

(This article is reprinted with the permission of Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare (PSQH).)

This is the question that I have been asking myself ever since Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced proposed quality measures it is considering for adoption through rule making for the Medicare program. Continue reading “Does CMS Proposed Measure for PCA Safety Go Far Enough?” →

Addressing The Joint Commission Opioid Warnings: A Case Study from Wesley Medical Center on Reducing Respiratory Depression and Improving Patient Safety

By Sean Power and Michael Wong

(This article first appeared in Becker’s Clinical Quality & Infection Control.)

Respiratory depression has been associated with the use of opioid analgesics. However, a recent study by researchers at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan., suggests exhaled CO2 monitoring of patients using patient-controlled analgesia pumps could help reduce the occurrence of this adverse event. Specifically, Debra Fox, MBA, RRT-NPS, and Mark Wencel, MD, examined respiratory depression rates with the use of PCA pumps and intermittent IV opioids for pain management. Continue reading “Addressing The Joint Commission Opioid Warnings: A Case Study from Wesley Medical Center on Reducing Respiratory Depression and Improving Patient Safety” →

Patient Safety Checklist Helps Address Opioid Warnings from TJC: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety checklist supports Sentinel Event Alert on opioid hazards

By Sean Power and Michael Wong

This article is reprinted with the permission of Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare (PSQH).  Improving patient safety is one of the most urgent issues facing healthcare today. PSQH is written for and by people who are involved directly in improving patient safety and the quality of care. Continue reading “Patient Safety Checklist Helps Address Opioid Warnings from TJC: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety checklist supports Sentinel Event Alert on opioid hazards” →