Looking to build or expand your knowledge in IPAC best practices? Check out our courses on IPAC core competencies and reprocessing, as well as specialized knowledge for different environments, including hospitals, community health care settings and long-term care homes.Public Health Ontario has developed four new modules for the IPAC Core Competencies online course:. Personal Risk Assessment in Acute Care. Personal Risk Assessment in Long-term Care. Personal Risk Assessment in Community-Clinic.
All of the following are core elements of the unit safety program EXCEPT? Quad core is defined as the processor unit that reads and executes program.
Personal Risk Assessment in Community-HomeScroll down and select “View all course modules” or contact for more information about these modules. IPAC Core CompetenciesIPAC Core Competencies are basic skills and knowledge all Ontario health care workers need to have.This course will help learners improve their IPAC knowledge with the goal to help decrease the risk of transmission of infection in health care. This information can help protect workers, their clients/patients/residents, and co-workers from infections, regardless of their role, position, education and experience.Target audience: All health care workersCourse duration: 10-15 minutes per moduleModules: 10Certificate of completion: Yes, after completion of test at the end of each module.
Users must score 100% on each test to receive the certificate for that module.Technical requirements: Speakers or headphones required for audio component.Resources. Reprocessing in Community Health Care settingsFollowing best practices in cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of reusable medical equipment and devices helps prevent the transmission of infection to health care providers and clients and patients.
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) Case ScenariosEach scenario provides an opportunity for learners to enhance their understanding of CDI surveillance and outbreak management and apply knowledge to complex CDI situations in daily practice. This includes applying the case definition, correctly classifying cases, identifying follow up actions and reporting cases appropriately according to provincial requirements.Target audience: Infection Control Professionals and health care providers who identify and manage CDI cases and outbreaks in Ontario hospitalsCourse duration: Each scenario takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete.Scenarios: 5Certificate of completion: NoTechnical requirements: Speakers or headphones required for audio component.
What is this measure?Core measures are national standardized processes and best practices to improve patient care. These processes are designed to provide the right care at the right time for common conditions such as stroke or childhood asthma.Specific steps for each condition vary, but examples include providing preventative medication to patients at risk for developing blood clots or determining rehabilitation needs for a stroke patient.U.S. Hospitals must report their compliance with these core measures to The Joint Commission, a health care accreditation organization, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other agencies. Sample Size: A hospital’s performance on some of the core measures is based on a sample of patients and may not reflect the hospital’s overall performance on the measure across the larger patient population.Data Source: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Johns Hopkins Medicine.Benchmark Source: National and state averages are the most recent calendar year numbers publicly available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare. National and state averages for previous years are not available.
Benchmarks for flu immunization reflect the reporting period of October–March.National Goal Benchmark Source: The United States Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2020 goal. Why is it important?The core measure processes are proven standards of care that reduce complications and lead to better patient outcomes. Patients and families can use core measure performance to objectively compare hospitals locally or nationally. The higher percentage compliance means the hospital is following the best steps to care for a patient’s particular condition.The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services periodically redefine the core measures based on the latest evidence and nationwide hospital performance.
The Joint Commission tracks compliance with core measures and each year recognizes the top performing hospitals for key quality metrics. What is Johns Hopkins Medicine doing to continue to improve?In 2011 Johns Hopkins Medicine developed a plan to become a national leader in core measures with a goal of reaching 96 percent compliance. Collaborating Across HospitalsEnsuring that patients always receive the core measure recommended treatments requires a well-coordinated effort throughout hospital departments.Peers from across Johns Hopkins Medicine hospitals developed 40 core measure work groups, each focused on improving a specific set of core measures. These teams involved partnerships between quality improvement staff, nurse and physician leads, faculty members, IT staff and others to identify barriers to improvement and develop solutions.The core measure work groups allowed hospitals to share best practices and lessons learned and improve internal processes to increase core measure compliance. Johns Hopkins Medicine also established a reporting system to track core measure compliance on each unit.
As a stroke compliance specialist, Meta Phillips, R.N., advocates for a personal touch when reviewing patient charts to help improve processes and patient care.Meta Phillips, R.N.Stroke Compliance Specialist, Sibley Memorial Hospital“The core measures reflect how well our hospital follows the best practices of care for stroke patients. By closely reviewing these care processes, we have the opportunity to concentrate on areas that need improvement.In my experience, good communication is critical to meeting the core measures. Our Stroke Program team is small and communicates well. Our team shares information every day and talks about ways to address problems — both large and small.Several years ago, our hospital was not meeting a best practice recommended by the American Heart Association. The best practice included using high levels of cholesterol-lowering medications to treat stroke patients. Our team presented these findings to our medications committee, whose support was helpful in educating our doctors on how to change their practice.Reviewing these best practices requires a team effort.
By reviewing our patients’ charts, we can immediately identify what is working and where we can improve. Our team is always trying to make our hospital’s processes better to provide the safest care for our patients.” How can patients and families support safety?Patients and families should become familiar with the core measures and talk to their health care team if they have any questions or concerns. You can also ask your health care provider how you can prepare for surgery or other procedures to reduce your risk of complications.Be sure you clearly understand how to manage your health as you prepare to leave the hospital, such as any new prescription medications you may need.