8 Lessons from a Covid-19 Surge Hot Spot

Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI)

This resource discusses surge preparedness and 8 key takeaways or lessons learned by a major healthcare system who was at the epicenter of the US Covid crisis. Even the most sophisticated trend analysis can only estimate how health care systems need to prepare for taking care of higher numbers of patients with COVID-19. Many across the globe are drawing on the best information available to date to guide preparations for an expected surge of patients in need of hospital-level care.

Guidance for Planning Vaccination Clinics Held at Satellite, Temporary, or Off-Site Locations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The purpose of this resource is to provide guidance to assist with jurisdictional planning and implementation of satellite, temporary, or off-site vaccination clinics by public and private vaccination organizations. Other users may include public health preparedness professionals. The guidance primarily focuses on clinical considerations for planning a vaccination clinic, including vaccine storage, handling, administration, and documentation. 

Hospital Operations Toolkit for COVID-19

U.S Department of Health and Human Services

This toolkit was designed as a single source of information for hospital emergency managers and planners preparing to manage large numbers of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some information may be applicable to other hospital personnel and non-hospital settings. The toolkit is comprised of four primary sections and covers considerations from before patients arrive at a hospital to after they are discharged and is designed for users to easily navigate to desired information.

HPH Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit 1.0

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit is an objective, data-driven all-hazards risk assessment that can be used by public and private organizations within the HPH Sector to inform emergency preparedness planning, risk management activities, and resource investments. The RISC Toolkit provides owners/operators in the HPH Sector with nationally recognized standards-based evaluation criteria in an easy-to-follow, guided format.

Person and Family Engagement and Health Equity

Developed by American Institute of Research (AIR) in partnership with IPRO HQIC

Person and family engagement (PFE) is recognized by the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a promising way to
address health and health care disparities and achieve equity in
quality and safety
. Applying PFE equitably means including
patients and families from all backgrounds as equal and active
partners in their health care. Doing so can help ensure that all
patients reap the benefits of engagement in their healthcare.

Health Disparities Road Map

Developed by American Institute of Research (AIR) in partnership with IPRO HQIC

This resource discussed how Person and Family Engagement can help hospitals achieve health Equity in Health Care Quality and Safety.

The American Institutes for Research (AIR)—a partner in the IPRO HQIC program—identified six overarching strategies to guide hospitals in meaningfully engaging patients and families in health care. This document describes how to apply these strategies in ways that can help hospitals achieve equity in care quality and safety and address barriers to uniform engagement.

Person and Family Engagement Implementation Guides for Hospitals

Developed by the American Institute of Research (AIR) in partnership with IPRO HQIC

This resource provides hospital leaders and staff with practical, step-by-step guidance to successfully implement the 5 PFE Best Practices in the CMS-funded Hospital Quality Improvement Contract (HQIC) program. Each guide walks the user through the definition of the PFE Practice, the intent of the Practice, the benefits of partnering with patients and families to increase safety in the hospital setting, concrete examples from the field, and a list of resources to support implementation. These guides are meant to be a supplement to the Hospital Roadmap for Person and Family Engagement.

Guide Practice 1 Preadmission Planning Checklist

Guide Practice 2 Discharge Planning Checklist

Guide Practice 3 Shift Change Huddles and Bedside reporting

Guide Practice 4 Designated PFE Leader

Guide Practice 5 PFAC or Representatives on Hospital Committee

All-Cause Harm Resource

This resource explains what All-Cause Harm is, why it is important and then dives into each of the processes it takes to prevent All-Cause Harm. Eight priority focus areas for the Hospital Quality Improvement Contract (HQIC) are illuminated and strategies to monitor compliance are provided.

All-Cause Harm Resource, Recording and Slides from the IPRO HQIC All-Cause Harm “launch” on March 29th, 2021.

The Michigan Opioid Safety Score (MOSS): A Patient Safety and Nurse Empowerment Tool

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing

The Michigan Opioid Safety Score (MOSS) was developed to incorporate patient risk, respiratory rate, and sedation into one bedside score that could be used to improve patient safety during inpatient opioid therapy. Scoring is based on a summation of risk data with objective bedside measures of over-sedation trumping a patient’s subjective reports of pain.

The Importance of a PFAC at a Critical Access Hospital

American Institutes for Research

To motivate senior leaders at rural and critical access hospitals to create and engage Patient- and Family-Engagement Councils (or PFECs), the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences (AIR) created a video testimonial with comments from the CEO, COO, PFEC staffer and patient representative at a critical access hospital in Truckee, CA on the benefits of a PFEC This 3.5 minute video was created as part of AIR’s Patient- and Family-Engagement efforts with the Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks (HIINs) in collaboration with the Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) HIIN.

Still Going Strong: Age without Injury

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

CDC’s Still Going Strong campaign speaks directly to older adults, age 65 and older, and their caregivers. We want to raise awareness about preventable injuries among older adults. This campaign has two goals:

  1. Educate about common risk factors for falls and motor vehicle crashes, as well as traumatic brain injuries that happen from falls and motor vehicle crashes.
  2. Empower older adults and their caregivers to take simple steps that will help them maintain their independence and age without injury.

Resources, videos, ads and social media:

  • Older Adults: Information for adults age 65 and older on how to age without injury.
  • Caregivers: Information for caregivers to help your loved ones age without injury
  • Healthcare Providers: Information for healthcare providers to help your older patients age without injury.

A CDC report has found that unintentional falls are the cause of more than 90% of emergency department visits in adults aged 65 years or more.

National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event (ADE) Prevention; Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP)

The ADE Action Plan addresses a defined group of ADEs that are considered to be common, clinically significant, preventable, and measurable; resulting from high-priority drug classes; and occurring largely in high-risk populations. Three key drug classes identified as initial targets for the ADE Action Plan include; Anticoagulants (primary ADE of concern: bleeding), Diabetes agents (primary ADE of concern: hypoglycemia), and Opioids (primary ADE of concern: accidental overdoses, oversedation, respiratory depression).