The Joint Commission invites hospitals and other accredited organizations to complete an online survey on changes implemented in January to its universal protocol for preventing wrong site, procedure, or person surgery.

The Commission seeks feedback on whether organizations were able to implement the changes to the protocol and their effect on patient care and internal processes. The survey is open through Sept. 10 and takes an estimated 10 minutes to complete.

To learn more about the protocol, click here. To download the protocol poster, click here.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report yesterday showing a 9.4 percent decrease per year in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections from 2005 to 2008. The study also found a 5.7 percent decrease per year in the incidence of health care-associated community-onset infections. Over the four year period, research shows a 28 percent decrease in all hospital-onset invasive MRSA infections and about a 17 percent decrease in all invasive health care-associated community-onset infections. To read the full JAMA report, click here.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices has issued a survey for frontline nurses on the CMS 30-minute rule. This is an opportunity to get CMS to change its interpretive guidance on the rule. CMS regulation requires medications to be administered within 30 minutes before or after scheduled times. According to ISMP, many nurses find it difficult to administer medications to all their assigned patients within the 30-minute timeframe and medication safety could be compromised. Read the full ISMP article here and take their survey here.

Information for healthcare providers to improve MRI safety in their facilities is available at www.patientsafetyauthority.org.

The Indiana State Department of Health plans to release the 2009 Indiana Medical Error report in August. IHA has created an advisory to help hospitals prepare for the public release. IHA expects the total number of reported events to be higher. In 2009, INMERS required the reporting of one additional event and changed the definition of an event related to falls. Those changes are: adding artificial insemination with the wrong donor egg or sperm as a new event and changing the falls event to include falls that result in serious disability as well as those resulting in death. In 2008, Indiana hospitals reported 105 adverse events.

Three clinical leaders from Indiana have been named Patient Safety Leadership Fellows by the American Hospital Association for 2010-2011. The three will participate in a year-long, professional education program looking to improve cultures of safety and reliability and to accelerate positive change in their organizations. The fellows are Pauline Arnold, executive director of quality and safety outcomes, La Porte Regional Health System; and Pranish Kantesaria, director of pharmacy, and Kimberly Ward, patient safety analyst, both of Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis.

Registration is now open for the Perinatal Hospital Summit set for Sept. 24 at the Hilton Indianapolis North. The summit will address the new Joint Commission measures related to perinatal care and the CDC national survey related to exclusive breastfeeding. The event will feature speakers from the CDC and the Joint Commission and will provide an opportunity to discuss the implications of these new standards with hospitals throughout the state. For more information, contact the Indiana Perinatal Network at 317-924-0825 or ipn@indianaperinatal.org. Click here to download a registration form.

A new scam is targeting diabetic Medicare beneficiaries. Fraudulent callers claim to be from Medicare or Med-care, to solicit personal information. The callers initially seem legitimate because they already know the beneficiary’s name, doctor and medical condition. The caller asks if the beneficiary has “the red, white and blue card,” then for the Medicare number on the card and the maiden name of the patient’s parent. In some instances, the caller also solicits the patient’s date of birth. Reports say each caller has a foreign accent and offers diabetic testing supplies, heating pads, back braces and free blood pressure testing supplies.

The IU School of Nursing and the IU School of Medicine have developed a series of online-learning modules as an introduction to the core concepts of patient safety. The interactive and self-paced learning courses are free and can be used as a resource for front-line staff. Courses include: Hand Washing, Understanding Error, and Communication Concepts. The courses can be accessed at: http://faculty.medicine.iu.edu/patientSafety. A link has also been posted to the Indiana Patient Safety Center website under resources.

Wishard Health Services, Indianapolis, and Ascension Health System, St. Louis, Mo., have been awarded grants from the Department of Health and Human Services to support efforts to implement and evaluate patient safety approaches and medical liability reforms. The demonstration and planning grants will help the health care organizations test models that reduce preventable injuries; foster better communication between doctors and patients; ensure that patients are compensated in a fair and timely manner for medical injuries; and reduce liability premiums.