IPRO HQIC SERIES – Sepsis: Lessons Learned

Prepared by IPRO

Sepsis mortality continues to be a challenge with sepsis and septic shock as leading causes of death worldwide. Adherence to clinical and operational best practices can profoundly reduce mortality rates and the costs associated with this disease.

The HQIC Sepsis Gap Assessment has shown several areas of improvement needed in the clinical and operational tasks of sepsis care and the CMS SEP-1 bundle. Join us to hear how organizations are innovating and improving sepsis care through:

  • Application of goals to implement the one-hour bundle,
  • Coordination,
  • Education,
  • Peer to peer feedback, and
  • Patient/family engagement.

Part one will provide a “current state” overview and highlight clinical teamwork focused on reducing barriers to timely antibiotic administration and fluid resuscitation. Part two will host a panel discussion of subject matter experts taking questions on both clinical and operational opportunities across the hospital space.

The sessions will be followed by our podcast series “Speaking of Sepsis”, IPRO HQIC’s unique spin on partnership with hospitals across the country to improve the care of sepsis patients and reduce mortality. “Speaking of Sepsis” highlights stories of hospitals and healthcare workers innovating and improving sepsis care through clinical and operational implementation of best practices and multi-professional collaboration.

Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) Training, Templates & More: A Guide for Developing Your EPP

Compiled by IPRO NQIIC

According to the CMS Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers, all 17 provider/supplier types must have an Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) as part of their Conditions of Participation.

Additionally, many states require other groups, such as community-based organizations, to have their own plans or adopt the county-level plan.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of all organizations having a plan that addresses the four core elements of an Emergency Preparedness Program:

  1. Risk Assessment and Planning
  2. Communication Plan
  3. Policies and Procedures
  4. Training and Testing

We encourage organizations to align their EPP with their community (or county) plan, to assist with regional preparedness. This guide includes links to key guidance, training, and sample templates to help build and/or refine a comprehensive EPP.

Updated: 10/19/23.

SERIES: IPRO HQIC Health-Related Social Needs

Prepared by IPRO NQIIC

Addressing health-related social needs (or social drivers of health) can improve health outcomes. Health-related social needs include food insecurity, housing instability, transportation needs, utility difficulties, and interpersonal safety.

Join IPRO QIN-QIO for the Health-Related Social Needs Series to learn, collaborate, share best practices and lessons learned on how best to screen for, capture information about, and address social needs.

  • Engage in interactive sessions where participants learn about health-related social needs and specific issues when screening, collecting, and addressing this information.
  • Participate in a collaborative forum to share best practices, challenges, and lessons learned, including ways to streamline reporting to CMS.
  • Share tools, resources, and other material with your peers.

This series is comprised of six sessions from 12 to 12:45 pm ET on:

  • September 13
  • October 11
  • November 8
  • December 13
  • January 10
  • February 14

April 18, 2023 LAN Event – Using TAP Strategy for HAI Reduction: CAUTI, CLABSI, C. diff, MRSA

Prepared by IPRO HQIC

Join us for a webinar featuring subject matter experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn about a comprehensive strategy to reduce hospital acquired infections (HAI). The Targeted Assessment for Prevention (TAP) Strategy is a CDC-developed framework for quality improvement that uses data to drive interventions that will prevent healthcare-associated infections. The TAP strategy targets healthcare facilities and specific units within facilities that have a disproportionate burden of HAIs so that prevention efforts can be prioritized and implemented where they will have the greatest impact. Our speakers will discuss the latest updates in the strategy and tools, including adaptation for smaller facilities.

Your Worst Day: Emergency Preparedness and Response Educational Series

Prepared by IPRO QIN-QIO

This Emergency Preparedness and Response Webinar series features real life experiences told through the lens of those who have experienced emergencies and will help you prepare and train for emergencies and anticipate potential hazards when an emergency occurs.

For healthcare workers, it is not of question of if, but when an emergency will strike. Emergencies can take many forms and are among the most disruptive experiences that healthcare workers might encounter. Being prepared can save lives, prevent financial/property loss, and ensure the safety and well-being of entire communities. Having a plan helps staff, patients, families, and residents know what to do, where to go, and how to keep themselves safe during an emergency, and ensures access to essential information and equipment.

Session 1: When Things Get Real! (4/20/2023)

Session 2: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know (4/27/2023)

Session 3: The Impact of Trauma (5/4/2023)

Session 4: The Media at Your Door (5/11/2023)

How to Rebuild, Reengage and Reenergize Your Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC)

Prepared by IPRO HQIC

In recent months, hospitals have begun to reengage their Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) after the adverse impact that the COIVD-19 pandemic had on their healthcare systems, including the ability to have in-person PFAC meetings. As a result, some hospital PFACs are even better and stronger than ever before. Wills Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital (CAH) located in Washington, GA will present on the rebuilding and reenergizing of their PFAC, identifying and prioritizing several key areas of concern, and implementing projects based on greatest need.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Explain the five Patient and Family Engagement metrics and other key measures of the Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor (HQIC) program.
  • Discuss the PFAC infrastructure and the importance of listening to the patient’s voice to improve patient care.
  • Illustrate how one hospital implemented training for the patient care team based on PFAC discussions and how the training has improved quality outcomes.

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Patient Stories Collection: Infectious Diseases

Compiled by IPRO HQIC

The following are websites where you can find patient stories related to infectious diseases:

1. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). IDSA Home [Internet]. Patient Stories: The Faces of Antimicrobial Resistance; [cited 2023 Aug 8]. Available from: https://www.idsociety.org/public-health/patient-stories/patient-stories/.

2. Pew Charitable Trusts. The Pew Charitable Trusts | The Pew Charitable Trusts [Internet]. True Stories of Antibiotic Resistance; 2017 Nov 13 [cited 2023 Aug 8]. Available from: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2017/11/true-stories-of-antibiotic-resistance-3-personal-perspectives.

3. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). NFID [Internet]. Real Stories, Real People – NFID; [cited 2023 Aug 8]. Available from: https://www.nfid.org/resources/real-stories-real-people/.

4. Sepsis Alliance [Internet]. Faces of Sepsis; [cited 2023 Aug 11]. Available from: https://www.sepsis.org/education/patients-family/faces-of-sepsis/.

5. Summa Health | Nonprofit Healthcare System in Akron, Ohio [Internet]. Infectious Disease Patient Stories | Summa Health; [cited 2023 Aug 11]. Available from: https://www.summahealth.org/specializedservices/infectious-diseases/patient-stories

6. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Infectious Disease Patient Stories | Cleveland Clinic; [cited 2023 Aug 11]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patient-stories/infectious-disease

7. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital [Internet]. Infectious Diseases Treatment Patient Stories; [cited 2023 Aug 11]. Available from: https://www.stjude.org/treatment/disease/infectious-diseases/patient-stories.html

8. Patient Stories and Patient Safety [Internet] CDC. Published September 13, 2023. [Cited September 18, 2023]. Available from: https://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/category/patients/

9. COVID-19 Patient Stories. [Internet] www.hopkinsmedicine.org. [Cited September 18, 2023]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/patient-stories

10. HQIC Antibiotic Stewardship Workgroup: Clostridioides difficile Module. [Internet] IPRO NQIIC. [Cited September 18, 2023]. Available from: https://qi.ipro.org/2022/04/21/hqic-antibiotic-stewardship-workgroup-clostridioides-difficile-module/

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IPRO Fall and Injury Prevention: A 6-Part Webinar Series

Prepared by IPRO NQIIC in collaboration with Dr. Pat Quigley

Falls represent a major public health problem around the world and continue to be the most common adverse event in healthcare settings. The IPRO Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor (HQIC), in collaboration with Dr. Pat Quigley, Nurse Consultant, invites you to participate in a patient safety webinar program beginning May 3, 2023.

The Fall and Injury Prevention webinar series features six monthly webinars, each followed by open forum/coaching sessions from May through October 2023.

IPRO HQIC PFE LAN: Applying PFE Best Practice 5 to Reducing Unplanned Readmissions, June 2023

Prepared by IPRO HQIC

The June PFE Learning and Action Event focuses on ways the implementation of patient and family advisory councils, or the inclusion of patient and family advisors on hospital committees, can be applied to your hospital’s efforts to reduce unplanned readmissions.

Communicating With Doctors and Nurses While in the Hospital: A Tool for Patients and Family Caregivers to Improve Patient Safety

Prepared by the IPRO HQIC Patient Safety Committee

Two-way communication between clinicians and patients plays a critical role in delivering high-quality care and ensuring a positive experience. Developed by the IPRO HQIC Patient Safety Committee*, the goal of this tool is to help patients and their care partners clearly communicate with their healthcare team. Patients can use this tool to plan for and document conversations with a doctor or nurse. The tool has three sections: (1) a set of communication tips for patients; (2) a guide to help patients plan for conversations with their healthcare team; and (3) suggestions for how patients can use their notes from conversations with their health care team. Clinicians can also use this tool to invite and encourage patients to communicate clearly with their healthcare team so that they are partners in their care.

*The IPRO HQIC Patient Safety Committee is composed of patients, family caregivers, and quality improvement specialists from states participating in the IPRO HQIC. 

Buprenorphine for Pain: A Transition Guide from Full Agonist Opioid Prescriptions

Prepared by IPRO QIN-QIO

Buprenorphine for Pain: A Transition Guide from Full Agonist Opioid Prescriptions is a tool intended to aid clinicians in switching patients off of full opioid agonists to buprenorphine, a partial mixed opioid agonist for pain management.

The information presented in this document should not be considered medical advice and is not a substitute for individualized patient or client care and treatment decisions.

HQIC Resource Library This library contains resources curated by the IPRO HQIC. The library is maintained by the IPRO HQIC, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this site do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.