YSN Library

Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses

2008-05-30T06:33:00.001-04:00

A new resource for nurses that shares evidence-based practices for providing safe, high - quality care is now available from AHRQ. The new 3-volume book, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses has been created in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and examines the issues involved in providing high - quality and safe care across a variety of health care settings, from hospitals to clinics to nursing homes. AHRQ nurse researcher Ronda Hughes served as editor of the book.

Nurses have a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient care. The book offers proven strategies and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. There are six main sections in the book:

patient safety and quality
evidence-based practice
and patient-centered care
work environment for nurses
patient safety and quality improvement
tools for quality improvement and patient safety that nurses can readily use in practice

Each chapter includes a background section and an analysis of the literature. At the end of each chapter, nurses will find two critical components: The first, Practice Implications, shows how the evidence can be used to make practice changes and Research Implications outlines key research gaps that nurse researchers can target. It is useful for clinicians as a guide when making health care decisions and improving care delivery. Also, faculty and graduate students will also find questions and issues that can be used to develop dissertation topics. Also, researchers might be interested in the research implications sections because they really highlight areas we need to study further to improve care.

The book should also be used by other clinicians and researchers. The majority of the information presented in this book does not appear anywhere else. For instance, the chapters on medication reconciliation, error reporting and disclosure and quality improvement methods offer the first systematic reviews in these areas. Also, with the growing demand to improve care quality, for example the new never events that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be putting in place October 1, such as health care associated infections and patient falls with injury and also addressed in this book.

Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, is available online at ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/. You can also order the handbook as a searchable CD-ROM or in a three-volume printed set. To order, contact the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295 or via e-mail at AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

"3T's Road Map to Transform Health Care

2008-05-29T10:17:00.000-04:00

"A recent JAMA commentary examines struggles in the U.S. health system to deliver high-quality care and improved health outcomes due to the systematic failure of discoveries to reach patients in a timely fashion. This commentary written by AHRQ authors, Denise Dougherty, Ph.D., and Patrick H. Conway, M.D., propose a new model, The 3T’s Road Map, to transform the U.S. health care system to accelerate the pace at which innovations are implemented in clinical settings by addressing the “how” of health care delivery. This road map is essentialto outline the activities, participants, investments, and fundamentalshifts required to create and sustain an information-rich andpatient-focused health care system that reliably delivers high-qualitycare." [from AHRQ Electronic Newsletter]

To view the full commentary:
Dougherty, D., & Conway, P. H. (2008). The "3T's" road map to transform US health care: The "how" of high-quality care. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 299(19), 2319-2321. doi:10.1001/jama.299.19.2319

The nursing shortage: A look at the Nurse Funders Collaborative

2008-05-13T06:26:00.000-04:00

"Despite consistent public and private investments in nursingover several decades, nurse shortages persist, appearing moreacute today than ever before. The Nurse Funders Collaborative,a group of foundations, government agencies, and corporationsconvened by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has been meetingsince 2003, seeking opportunities to address issues facing nursingand health care more strategically. This paper reports on astudy conducted under the collaborative’s auspices, whichhighlights the categorical and regional funding patterns offunders of nursing over five years. This information providesnursing funders with ways to craft new solutions to the nurseshortage." [Abstract from article]

To see the full article:
Davis, D. A. and Napier, M. D. (2008). Strategically Addressing The Nurse Shortage: A Closer Look At The Nurse Funders Collaborative. Health Affairs 27: 876-881

Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses

2008-05-08T19:40:00.000-04:00

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient care—not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes.

To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality—Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses." [From http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/]

Experts in the field reviewed the literature, and their contributions are grouped into these sections:

Each section contains a number of subsections, each accessible as an online PDF file that can be printed out. The see the list of topics within the Handbook visit Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043).

Outcomes of Maternal Weight Gain

2008-05-07T20:05:00.000-04:00

A new AHRQ evidence report, Outcomes of Maternal Weight Gain, finds that women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child. However, researchers concluded that the existing body of research is inadequate to permit objective assessments of the range of harms and benefits that would arise from providing all women—irrespective of age, race or ethnicity, or their body mass index before they became pregnant—with the same recommendations for weight gain in pregnancy. Select to review an abstract of the report.

Nurses professional concerns: 1900-2005

2008-04-30T15:58:00.000-04:00

A study was recently published "to broaden the context for understanding nurses' professional concerns as voiced through letters to the editor of the American Journal of Nursing from 1900 to 2005. Two issues from each year were randomly selected. Line-by-line analysis was used to code, categorize, and analyze the data. The following five themes emerged: self-care versus self-sacrifice; nursing's emphasis on holistic care; educational and professional preparation; nurse-physician relationships; and the image of the nurse. The recurrent nature of these themes has important implications for nursing education, clinical practice, leadership, and research." [From PubMed abstract]

To see the full article:
Anthony MJ, Barkell NP. (2008) Nurses' professional concerns: letters to the editor for 1900-2005. J Prof Nurs. 24(2):96-104.

Magnet Recognition

2008-04-28T06:29:00.000-04:00

"Magnet status is an award given by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center (ANCC), an affiliate of the American Nurses Association, to hospitals that satisfy a set of criteria designed to measure the strength and quality of their nursing. A Magnet hospital is stated to be one where nursing delivers excellent patient outcomes, where nurses have a high level of job satisfaction, and where there is a low staff nurse turnover rate and appropriate grievance resolution. Magnet status is also said to indicate nursing involvement in data collection and decision-making in patient care delivery. The idea is that Magnet nursing leaders value staff nurses, involve them in shaping research-based nursing practice, and encourage and reward them for advancing in nursing practice. Magnet hospitals are supposed to have open communication between nurses and other members of the health care team, and an appropriate personnel mix to attain the best patient outcomes and staff work environment." [from The Center for Nursing Advocacy]

"The Magnet Recognition Program is based on quality indicators and standards of nursing practice as defined in the American Nurses Association's Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators (2004). The Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators and other “foundational documents” form the base upon which the Magnet environment is built. The Magnet designation process includes the appraisal of qualitative factors in nursing. These factors, referred to as “ Forces of Magnetism” were first identified through research done in 1983.

The full expression of the Forces embodies a professional environment guided by a strong visionary nursing leader who advocates and supports development and excellence in nursing practice. As a natural outcome of this, the program elevates the reputation and standards of the nursing profession." [from AANC]

The next generation model for the Magnet Recognition Program ® has been unveiled. "This new model is designed to provide a framework for nursing practice and research in the future, as well as serving as a road map for organizations seeking to achieve Magnet recognition. ... To provide greater clarity and direction, as well as eliminate redundancy within the Forces of Magnetism, the new model configures the 14 Forces of Magnetism into 5 Model Components. The new, simpler model reflects a greater focus on measuring outcomes and allows for more streamlined documentation, while retaining the 14 Forces as foundational to the program." [from AANC]

For a view of the model, and to read more about the model see A New Model for AANC's Magnet Recognition Program ®

YSN Library April 21 - April 25

2008-04-25T08:49:00.001-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 4/21
8:30 - 5:00

Tuesday 4/22 - Earth Day
Contact me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964
Class: 4:00 - 5:00 RSS and Blogs
11:00 - 12:00 Tech Tuesday [Bass Library] Second Life
More about Second Life, and a YouTube video talking about it's potential

Wednesday 4/23
8:30 - 5:00

Thursday 4/24
Contact me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964

Friday 4/25
8:30 - 5:00

Library classes

Concept synthesis of the art of nursing

2008-04-23T17:09:00.002-04:00

"Nurses have attempted to explicate the art of nursing since the time of Florence Nightingale. Despite these efforts, the concept remains obscure. A clearer conceptualization of nursing art is needed to help guide practice and research."

Results from an investigation published in the May issue of Journal of Advanced Nursing substantiates "existing knowledge related to the art of nursing. In addition, the findings extend that knowledge by more clearly identifying the antecedents, attributes and outcomes of nursing art. Specifically, the epistemological and ontological components are more clearly identified. Clarity of this type is important in terms of future development of discipline-specific practice and research."
[Extracted from abstract found in PubMed record]

To read the full article:
Finfgeld-Connett, Deborah. (2008). "Concept synthesis of the art of nursing." Journal of Advanced Nursing 62(3) 381-8.

Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation

2008-04-22T10:55:00.001-04:00

The Joint Commission’s Hospitals, Language, and Culture (HLC): A Snapshot of the Nation is a three year cross-sectional qualitative study funded by The California Endowment designed to explore how 60 hospitals across the country provide health care to culturally and linguistically diverse patient populations.

The HLC study has issued a new research report, One Size Does Not Fit All: Meeting the Health Care Needs of Diverse Populations. This report provides a framework to help organizations meet the challenges of providing safe, quality care to culturally and/or linguistically diverse patients. Though the report is based on the findings from an in-depth study of hospitals, all types of health care organizations can use this framework to take an in-depth look at their current practices and guide efforts to address the cultural and language needs of the populations they serve. (Executive Summary)

The first report released by the Hospitals, Language, and Culture study presents the challenges hospitals face when providing care and services to culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and discusses the way hospitals are addressing those challenges.

To find out more about this research visit the Hospitals, Language, and Culture (HLC) website.

(from the HLC website)

Instructional Technology Report

2008-04-18T08:12:00.000-04:00

From The Chronicle's Wired Campus Newsletter an instructional technology report out of Harvard University showing that of all the digital tools that professors use, Harvard students find most useful online course material and syllabi.

"The report said students want courses to have "a Web site that contains readings, notes and other content so they can be accessed easily during the semester," wrote Anthony A. Pino in his report. It is based on responses last December from 328 undergraduates and 120 graduate students. Students were asked to rate the usefulness of about 16 technologies, including RSS Feeds, wikis, blogs, podcasts, and videos. One of the most noticeable difference between undergraduates and graduate students was over video lectures. Undergraduates valued them but graduate students worried that undergraduates would use them as a substitute for attendance, wrote Mr. Pino"

With it's heavy use of graphs this is a very easy to read report.

For some informal insights into "digital natives" see the blog Digital Natives

YSN Library April 21 - April 25

2008-04-18T06:37:00.001-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 4/21
Contact the Medical Library for help 737-4065
Class: 4:00 - 5:00 My EndNote Web

Tuesday 4/22 - Earth Day
Contact me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964
11:00 - 12:00 Tech Tuesday [Bass Library] Digital Primary Sources in the Library

Wednesday 4/23
11:30 - 5:00

Thursday 4/24
Contact me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964
Class: 4:00 - 5:00 OVIDSP

Friday 4/25
8:30 - 5:00

Library classes

TED -Technology, Entertainment, Design

2008-02-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

TED began as a conference bringing together people from technology, entertainment adn design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). View the list of videos.

TED's ethos encompasses believing "passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world." The website has become a "clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other." And the end result is hours of entertaining videos and sound bites.

I especially enjoyed this one recently: Sir Ken Robinson talking about "Do schools kill creativity?" at the 2006 Confernece. It's entertaining, funny and very thought provoking. Al Gore also spoke on averting climate crisis.

Poke around .. you are just going to be "blown away". Enjoy

Horizon Report 2008 - emerging technologies in higher education

2008-02-11T17:22:00.001-05:00

The 2008 Horizon Report is a collaboration between The New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, An EDUCAUSE Program.

The Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education within three adoption horizons over the next one to five years. The 2008 report focuses on the following topics;

Grassroots Video
Collaboration Webs
Mobile Broadband
Data Mashups
Collective Intelligence
Social Operating Systems

"Each profiled technology is described in detail in the body of the report, including a discussion of what it is and why it is relevant to teaching, learning, and creative expression. Specific examples are listed there for each of the six topics, consistent with the level of adoption at the time the report was written (December 2007)." (page3)

Toxmap

2008-02-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

If you haven’t checked out Toxmap before take a look. It is a website from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) that uses maps of the United States to show the location and amount of certain chemicals that are released into the environment. Read the FAQ’s to learn more about it.

TOXMAP (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov) is a Geographic Information System (GIS) from the Division of Specialized Information Services (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov) of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) (http://www.nlm.nih.gov) that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Superfund Program.

TOXMAP homepage: http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp

Article: Directions for Disaster Nursing Education in the US

2008-01-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

"Because of their diverse education, experience, and practice settings, nurses are uniquely qualified to be first receivers, care givers, and leaders in any large-scale public health emergency. Many nurses, however, continue to feel inadequately prepared to function effectively in these types of situations. Great strides have been made since 2001, but much work remains to be accomplished. This article focuses on newer approaches used to teach nurses the principles of disaster preparedness. It also addresses the need to incorporate mass casualty care and disaster management skills into undergraduate curricula, continuing nurse education, and advanced degree programs for nurses in the United States." excerpt from article abstract

To read the full article:
Littleton-Kearney MT, Slepski LA.(2008). Directions for disaster nursing education in the United States. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2008 Mar;20(1):103-9.

Health Disparities, Cultural Competency Resource

2008-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Processes and outcomes of patient care are well-documented across numerous populations. Therefore, collecting accurate data on patients' race, ethnicity, and primary language is critical to improve quality of care.

The Health Research and Educational Trust Disparities Toolkit team has released an updated web based Toolkit. The Toolkit provides hospitals, health systems, clinics, and health plans information and resources for systematically collecting race, ethnicity, and primary language data from patients.

HRET's Disparities Toolkit, offered for free to registered users, is a useful educational tool about the importance of data collection, how to implement a framework to collect the data, and how to use these data to improve quality of care for all populations.

To read more about the toolkit and to register go to the Health Research and Education Trust website.

Sugar-free gum may cause illness, weight loss

2008-01-17T13:48:00.000-05:00

An article in this month's BMJ highlights 2 cases in Germany where patients who chewed an excessive amount of sugar-free gum containing sorbitol—a widely used artificial sweetener with laxative properties—suffered diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Both patients underwent many tests before physicians made the connection. After the patients stopped consuming products containing the sweetener symptoms disappeared.

"According to one physician at the hospital’s Department of Gastroenterology, five to 20 grams of sorbitol can cause bloating and cramps, and more than 20 grams can cause diarrhea and rapid weight loss; an average stick of chewing gum has 1.25 grams of sorbitol." Retreived 1/17/08 www. advisory.com

To see the full article:
Bauditz, J., Norman, K., Biering, H., Lochs, H., Pirlich, M. (2008) Severe weight loss caused by chewing gum. BMJ 2008;336:96-97. doi:10.1136/bmj.39280.657350.BE

Nursing Administration Standards - Public Comment Welcome

2008-01-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

The draft Nursing Administration: Scope and Standards of Practice document is available for public comment until February 20, 2008. The workgroup is interested in your comments about clarity and completeness of content. What gaps need to be addressed? Any other recommendations for improvement?

To view and comment on this document

MRSA in schools

2007-10-20T16:41:00.000-04:00

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks, usually associated with hospital stays, have been transmitted throughout the community.

See Connecticut DPH MRSA Facts for Schools.

Grey Literature Report

2007-10-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

Grey Literature are the things that never make it into databases, and unless we are linked in by another direct source, we might never learn about the materials.

This list is put together by The Grey Literature Team" from The New York Academy Medicine.

Grey Literature Report (Vol. 9, No. 5, September 2007) is now available

Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen

2007-09-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

Video website recently bought to my attention: TED (Ideas worth Spreading) has a myriad of provoking online videos, one of these is Debunking third-world myths. See the website to see many other fascinating videos from culture, to entertainment and to global issues.

The video highlight is Hans Rosling's -- With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, he debunks myths about the so-called "developing world" using extraordinary animation software developed by his Gapminder Foundation. The Trendalyzer software (recently acquired by Google) turns complex global trends into lively animations, making decades of data pop. Asian countries, as colorful bubbles, float across the grid -- toward better national health and wealth. Animated bell curves representing national income distribution squish and flatten. In Rosling's hands, global trends -- life expectancy, child mortality, poverty rates -- become clear, intuitive and even playful."

Terms of Use

The risk profile of the American adolescent smoker has changed

2007-08-30T08:18:00.000-04:00

Today's adolescent smokers are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, risky alcohol-related behaviors, and to not use a seatbelt or bicycle helmet than adolescent smokers in the early 1990s. Dr. Jonathan Klein and colleagues at the University of Rochester School of Medicine suggest that doctors screen adolescents who smoke for other risky behaviors, and that adolescents may benefit from multifaceted prevention programs that target both smoking and other risky behaviors.

To read the full article:
Camenga, DR, Klein, JD, & Roy, J. (2006). The changing risk profile of the American adolescent smoker: implications for prevention programs and tobacco interventions. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(1), 120-10.

AHRQ Podcasts

2007-08-29T08:07:00.000-04:00

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, features current healthcare news and information that can be accessed via Podcasts.

AHRQ’s mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. AHRQ is the lead Federal agency in the effort to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors.

This week's Healthcare 411 program features an interview about direct-to-consumer ads with AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. She advises listeners to be skeptical, ask questions, and not to make health decisions based on what they see in an advertisement.

Nursing Staffing and Quality of Patient Care

2007-05-23T11:37:00.000-04:00

According to a literature review by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, increased nurse staffing levels in hospitals are associated with decreased patient mortality, shorter LOS, and lower risk of adverse events. However, the authors note that these associations are not necessarily cause-and-effect relationships because they may stem in part from other factors such as quality improvement programs, which can have limited or extensive effects on nursing care and patient outcomes depending on the program and the facility. (from Advisory.com)

To see the full report Nursing Staffing and Quality of Patient Care

National Guideline Clearinghouse - Frequently Requested Topics

2007-05-07T13:50:00.000-04:00

The National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC) has created stored searches to assist NGC users in finding guidelines related to frequently requested topics.

The topics listed below reflect critical focus areas of the healthcare community, including priority areas of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Healthy People 2010. The primary focus areas are arranged alphabetically. You can also use NGC's Detailed Search to create your own search of the NGC database.

Topics include:

Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Chronic Back Conditions
Bioterrorism
Cancer
Diabetes
End of Life Care
Heart Disease and Stroke
HIV
Immunization and Infectious Diseases
Injury and Violence Prevention
Maternal, Infant, and Child Health
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Substance Abuse

To see a full list of the searches go to NGC Frequently Requested Searches

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)

2007-04-04T04:07:00.000-04:00

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP, pronounced "H-Cup") is a family of health care databases and related software tools and products developed through a Federal-State-Industry partnership and sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

HCUP databases bring together the data collection efforts of State data organizations, hospital associations, private data organizations, and the Federal government to create a national information resource of patient-level health care data (HCUP Partners). HCUP includes the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States, with all-payer, encounter-level information beginning in 1988. These databases enable research on a broad range of health policy issues, including cost and quality of health services, medical practice patterns, access to health care programs, and outcomes of treatments at the national, State, and local market levels. (from the HCUP website).

Databases include:

longitudinal hospital care data
access to national, regional, and State-level hospital inpatient statistics based on HCUP data

Healthcare 411 Podcasts

2007-04-03T03:58:00.000-04:00

The Podcast audio program features current news and information from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Podcast topics include:

catheter-related infections
recommendations against the use of Aspirin to prevent colorectal cancer
searching for health information on the Web
antidepressants
off-label use of anti psychotics
more

How do I listen to this program?

To listen to any individual audio title, you can simply select the “Listen” button. You will need an mp3 player, a sound card and speakers. System requirements are noted on this page.

You can also read a transcript of each program.

Dream Anatomy

2007-04-02T09:07:00.000-04:00

For centuries, artists and physicians have rendered the human body and its anatomy in a myriad of ways, and with the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the number of anatomical drawings and their like multiplied. Drawing on the collections contained within the National Library of Medicine, this revealing digital exhibit explores some of the ways in which human anatomy has been imagined and represented over the past five centuries or so. These images are divided into a number of thematic sections, including “Anatomical Dreamtime”, “Getting Real”, and Visionary & Visible”. Visitors to the site can also view the winners in a related contest which asked children to draw what they thought the body looked like “under the skin”.

2007 State of Aging and Health in America

2007-03-30T14:04:00.000-04:00

Recently, the Center for Disease Control released the 2007 State of Aging and Health in America report.

It’s a valuable document for anyone with an interest in public health, gerontology, and other allied fields. This website contains the full text of the report, along with the 2004 report as well. Visitors will also appreciate the extra features offered here, which include state-based report cards that examine fifteen key indicators of older adult health, such as obesity rates, smoking habits, flu vaccine updates, and others. Obtaining these report cards is quite simple, as users just need to click on the state they are interested in. After doing so, they can examine the statistics for these fifteen indicators, and see how different states compare. Additionally, the site contains resources for journalists who wish to use these findings in various publications, and a general section titled “Using the Report”

Donald Berwick on Patient Safety

2007-02-16T06:55:00.000-05:00

See a video of Dr. Berwick, President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, sharing his insights with Katie Couric on why health care is difficult to fix and his optimism that systems can be changed to reduce, and even eliminate, medical error.

Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety.

2007-02-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

Low health literacy is a recognized patient safety problem. Prior research has demonstrated that patients with impaired health literacy have difficulty comprehending prescription instructions and warnings. This Joint Commission report, developed by an expert panel, contains specific recommendations for improving provider–patient communication, in order to ameliorate the problem of low health literacy as much as possible. The report recommends that organizations establish communication as a patient safety priority and calls for financial support for patient-centered care initiatives.

To read the report: "What Did the Doctor Say?" Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety

Updated immunization schedules: 2007

2007-02-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

The release of the 2007 children and adolescent immunization schedule can be found at the National Guidelines Clearinghouse (www.guideline.gov).

It can also be found in the January issue of Pediatrics:
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. (2007) Recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents - United States, 2007. Pediatrics 119(1): 207-8, 3p following 208.

Museum of Social Reform

2007-02-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

From the Scout Report (retrieved 2/9/07)

In the early decades of the twentieth century, a number of academics, social welfare advocates, and muckrakers became interested in the living conditions of recently arrived immigrants to the United States. One such person was Professor Francis Greenwood Peabody of Harvard University. In 1903, he founded the Social Museum, which was established “to promote investigations of modern social conditions and to direct the amelioration of industrial and social life.” For the next thirty years, Peabody and his colleagues at the museum worked on assembling a large collection of photographs, publications and reports related to the international social reform movement. At this site, visitors can browse through the photograph collection, which includes themes such as “charity”, “housing”, and “education”. Visitors will also want to browse through some of Peabody’s own publications, including his influential work, “The Approach to the Social Question: An Introduction to the Study of Social Ethics”.

YSN Library February 12 - February 16

2007-02-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 2/12
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964
Class 4:00-5:00: Ovid Medline Basics

Tuesday 2/13
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964

Wednesday 2/14
12:30 - 2:30
Class: 11:30 - 12:30 Business Researource for Health Care Professionals
Class: 4:00 - 5:00 Podcasting Basics

Thursday 2/15
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964

Friday 2/16
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Participate in Global Health Care Survey

2007-02-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

From ANA Nursing World ... February 6, 2007 (http://nursingworld.org/inc/globalsurvey.htm)

"The American Nurses Association (ANA) invites all U.S. nurses to participate in the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Global Health Care Survey. Nurses from around the world are being asked about their views on nursing and current and future health care issues. The online survey is being conducted by the market research firm - Consensus Research Group. The questionnaire is available in seven languages – English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Turkish, and Chinese. Survey results will be used by ICN and ANA to inform organizational advocacy and policy initiatives. The results of the survey will be made public at ICN’s Council of National Representatives meeting to be held in Yokohama, Japan www.icn.ch/conference2007.htm."

The 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines

2007-02-05T06:25:00.000-05:00

The following has been excepted from the Department of Health and Human Services webpage announcing the 2007 Poverty Guidelines.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services the The poverty guidelines are sometimes loosely referred to as the “federal poverty level” (FPL), but that phrase is ambiguous and should be avoided, especially in situations (e.g., legislative or administrative) where precision is important.

They say that there are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure:

The poverty thresholds, and
The poverty guidelines.

The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau. The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes — for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other words, all official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty thresholds, not the guidelines.) Poverty thresholds since 1980 and weighted average poverty thresholds since 1959 are available on the Census Bureau’s Web site. For an example of how the Census Bureau applies the thresholds to a family’s income to determine its poverty status, see “How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty” on the Census Bureau’s web site.

The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. (The full text of the Federal Register notice with the 2007 poverty guidelines is available.)

To see the complete coverage: Dept HHS
The Oregon Center for Public Policy has a clearer picture of the Guidelines.

For your interest here is a list of Poverty Research Centers:

The National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan
The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Kentucky Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky
The West Coast Poverty Research Center at the University of Washington
The Joint Center for Poverty Research of Northwestern University and the University of Chicago
The RUPRI Rural Poverty Research Center at the University of Missouri

YSN Library February 5 - February 9

2007-02-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 2/5
12:00 - 2:00

Tuesday 2/6
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964
Class 3-4: Citation Analysis: Tools of the trade

Wednesday 2/7
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2964
Class: 7-8pm PowerPoint Basics

Thursday 2/8
12:00 - 5:00

Friday 2/9
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

A concept analysis of self-monitoring

2007-01-22T06:04:00.000-05:00

"This paper reports a concept analysis delineating and clarifying the concept of self-monitoring to facilitate development and evaluation of interventions to enhance self-monitoring."
"Rodgers and Knafl's evolutionary concept analysis process was used to delineate and clarify the concept. The PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched using keywords 'self-monitoring', 'self-management' and 'self-care' ... and the searching was refined and the keyword 'self-monitoring' was paired with 'awareness' and 'self-regulation' was added."
"Findings. Self-monitoring was composed of two complementary components (attributes): (1) awareness of bodily symptoms, sensations, daily activities, and cognitive processes and (2) measurements, recordings and observations that inform cognition or provide information for independent action or consultation with care providers. Conclusion. Self-monitoring may be an important concept for understanding how people self-manage chronic conditions. This concept analysis may be useful for researchers who wish to measure this dimension and to develop nursing theory in this area."

To read the full article:

Wilde MH, Garvin S. (2007) A concept analysis of self-monitoring. J Adv Nurs. 57(3):339-50.

Citizen's Juries

2006-12-14T15:05:00.000-05:00

Citizen's Juries provide the opportunity for people, drawn randomly from any local population, to express their view on any subject presented to them. The jury is convened and the participants listen to specialists presenting thier point of view on the subject. The jurors are then given the opportunity to give their judgements after hearing all the "evidence". (http://www.juryworld.com/what.htm) This is a type of social research that can be used very effectively in nursing research (http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU37.html) as an paper recently published in Nurse Education Today points out.

The paper "explains the concept of Citizens' Juries and how it is being used as a form of social research, that can simultaneously increase public participation in policy making. Participation has become a key component of the discourse in policy making, and public participation initiatives can be one way of bridging the democratic deficit.

"For nursing, Citizens' Juries offer a way of discovering lay people's considered judgment on key policy issues, while also providing a potentially powerful platform for citizens to express their concerns and priorities, thereby influencing the services they receive. A Citizens' Jury brings together a small group of people over a period of time and presents them with a policy question. The jurors listen to expert witnesses, examine the evidence, deliberate on the issues and arrive at a policy decision or set of recommendations. In this paper we argue that any ordinary person given the opportunity, enough time and the necessary resources can make decisions about complex policy matters. Key findings from two Citizens' Juries on genetics in Wales are offered as case studies.

To read the full article:
Iredale R, Longley M. (2006) From passive subject to active agent: The potential of Citizens' Juries for nursing research. Nurse Educ Today. Dec 7 [epub ahead of print]

Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2006

2006-12-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services (released in June 2006) is based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's (USPSTF) recommendations and was developed to assist clinicians with providing clinical preventive care to their patients.

Features:

Recommendations for Adults
- Cancer
- Heart and Vascular Diseases
- Infectious Diseases
- Injury and Violence
- Mental Health Conditions and Substance Abuse
- Metabolic, Nutritional, and Endocrine Conditions
- Musculoskeletal Conditions
- Obstetric and Gynecologic Conditions
- Vision Disorders
Recommendations for Children

U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative

2006-11-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

The Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving to be National Family History Day. The Family Health History web site has a printable form or a web based program you can use to track your family health history. The resource is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, French and Polish. Learning about your family's health history may help ensure a longer, healthier life. Though this may be a sensitive subject to address with family, knowing your family health history will empower you to focus on prevention and wellness.

The resource is available at: US Surgeon General's Family Health Initiative

http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/

November is National Family Caregivers Month

2006-11-14T06:27:00.000-05:00

Over 50 million Americans are recognized this month during National Family Caregivers Month. The estimated value of the "free" services provided by those caring for loved ones who are frail, chronically ill or disabled is conservatively estimated to be $306 billion annually.

Sponsored each year by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), NFC Month focuses on the challenges facing family caregivers.

More... www.thefamilycaregiver.org

CDC Launches Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Campaign

2006-11-13T06:23:00.000-05:00

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a national public education and awareness campaign on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a weakening and often devastating illness for millions of Americans. The campaign, called "Get Informed. Get Diagnosed. Get Help", is designed to increase awareness among clinicians and the public, because 80 percent of Americans afflicted with CFS illness may not know they have it.

Press Release... www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r061103.htm
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Website... www.cdc.gov/cfs/

YSN Library November 13 - November 17

2006-11-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 11/13
8:30 - 3:00
Class: 4-5pm Ovid MEDLINE Basics [Anlyan Center, Room N203]

Tuesday 11/14
Call the Medical Libray Reference Desk for assistance 737-4065
Class: 11-12pm Library 101

Wednesday 11/15
1:00 - 5:00
Class: 4-5pm EndNote Basics
Class: 4-5pm RefWorks Basics

Thursday 11/16
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2962
Class: 3-4pm Citation Analysis: Tools of the Trade

Friday 11/17
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

7 Myths about the nursing shortage

2006-11-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

This week on the Health Affairs blog Linda Aiken (professor of nursing at University of Pennsylvania) speaks about 7 myths that currently exist about the nursing shortage:

We can continue to “muddle through” present and future nurse shortages without serious consequences.
Not enough Americans want to be nurses.
The U.S. nurse shortage can be solved by opening our borders to nurses from other countries.
The U.S. nurse shortage can be solved by substituting unskilled labor.
Expanding roles and demands for nurses will be constrained by opposition from practicing physicians.
Care will increasingly shift to out-of-hospital settings, reducing the demand for nurses.
We don’t know how to solve the nurse shortage.

After reading it you are welcome to comment at the blog site.

Diabetic Recipes for November

2006-11-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

November is American Diabetes Month. womenshealth.gov has put together some Thanksgiving recipies with just this in mind.

People with diabetes have to take extra care to make sure that their food is balanced to help manage their blood glucose levels. When you make healthy food choices, you will improve your overall health and you can even prevent conditions such as heart disease, some cancers, and hypertension.

Even if there isn't anyone in your family who is a diabetic, feature some of these recipes around your Thanksgiving Day table this year in recognition of the 20 million Americans who have diabetes—about half of whom are women.

Sentinel Events reported to JCAHO

2006-11-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

Fast Fact from advisory.com Daily Briefing Nov 1, 2006.

More sentinel event statistics.

JCAHO Public Policy:

YSN Library October 30 - November 3

2006-10-27T12:15:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 10/30
8:30 - 5:00

Tuesday 10/31
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2962

Wednesday 11/1
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2962
Class: 7-8pm RefWorks Basics

Thursday 11/2
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2962
Class: 4-5pm PubMed Basics

Friday 11/3
12:00 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

New Resource on Maternal and Child Health History

2006-10-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

The Maternal and Child Health Library has posted on its Web site a new resource, Maternal and Child Health History, which is available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/history. This resource brings together documents and reports related to the history of maternal and child health in the United States and health services for children and families that are part of the Maternal and Child Health Library Collection and also links to significant resources at other libraries
and federal agencies.

To receive notification of updates to the history page and to other library resources in the future, you can subscribe to the MCH Alert (see http://www.mchlibrary.info/alert/default.html), a weekly electronic newsletter that provides timely reference to research, policy developments, recently released publications, new programs, and initiatives affecting the maternal and child health community.

2006 EBP Study

2006-10-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

Sigma Theta Tau have published the results of a recent survey they did questioning registered nurses use of evidence-based practice in their practices. Some conclusions include:

most nurses consistently need to find, access and provide care based on EBP
24% of nurses siad their familiarity with EBP was low - advanced practice nurses were more likely to indicate higher levels of familiarity
27% of nurses consider the current resources for EBP are inadequate
nurses recently entering the field are more likely to think that availability and accessibility of resources is adequate
prevailing challenges to finding and accessing the available information include lack of time (66%); findings difficult to appraise and analyze (45%)
respondents who use resources to find EBP information also typically access more than one source including consulting with colleagues or peers and also use the internet. Books, reference manuals, print journals and medical libraries were also named as resources

A interesting finding was that there is an increasing focus on EBP in education. However, only 20% said that EBP was a significant part of their nursing education curriculum. Recent graduates (33%) with less than 5 years tenure were more likely to indicate that EBP was stressed during their education.

To see the full report, including the instrument
2006 EBP Study: Summary of Findings

HIPPA and talking with family caregivers

2006-10-10T13:31:00.000-04:00

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (PL 104–191), known as HIPAA, has confused and unnecessarily alarmed many conscientious health care providers. Nurses in particular are likely to be on the front line of family caregivers' inquiries, because physicians are often difficult to reach and because family caregivers look to nurses as sources of reliable information. A major retraining of health care providers at all levels is needed to dampen the “HIPAA scare” and clarify what HIPAA does and does not say about communication with family caregivers.

Writing in the August 2006 American Journal of Nursing, the author clarifies communication guidelines between nurses and family caregivers under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

To read the full article:
Levine C. HIPAA and talking with family caregivers: what does the law really say?
Am J Nurs. 2006 Aug;106(8):51-3. PMID: 16905933

Other HIPPA websites of interest:
NIH - HIPPA Privacy Rule
Library of Congress links to the Law via Thomas
Health and Human Services HIPPA general information
Health and Human Services Office of Human Rights HIPPA information

YSN Library October 9 - October 13

2006-10-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 10/9
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Tuesday 10/10
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 4-5pm EndNote Basics

Wednesday 10/11
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 7-8pm PowerPoint Basics

Thursday 10/12
11:30 - 5:00
Class: 4-5pm PowerPoint Basics

Friday 10/13
11:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Health Affairs to launch blog

2006-10-04T05:08:00.000-04:00

For twenty-five years Health Affairs’ goal as a journal has been to foster an ongoing dialogue on health policy issues of concern to a diverse audience of interested readers. They are about to launch a blog on their website www.healthaffairs.org.

Anyone is welcome to comment, but all must register and agree to terms of use, including the use of real names. Comments will be filtered for appropriateness and language.

The main elements of Health Affairs’ blog will include:

invited posts from leading policy analysts;
responses from a variety of health care stakeholders;
comments from readers;
links to timely information both within Health Affairs and from other sources;
posts from Health Affairs’ editors on policy briefings, new reports, hot policy topics.

Writers during the first two weeks will include:
James Robinson, University of California, Berkeley, on Michael Porter’s new book
Alain Enthoven, Stanford University, writing his first-ever blog post
Uwe Reinhardt, Princeton University
Alan Maynard, University of York
And much more.

Blog postings will not be peer-reviewed, but all will be vetted by the journal’s editors.
We invite you, our loyal readers, to join us in this new venture beginning October 5 at www.healthaffairs.org/blog

YSN Library October 2 - October 6

2006-10-03T15:04:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 10/2
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Tuesday 10/3
12:00 - 5:00

Wednesday 10/4
1:30 - 5:00
Class: 7-8pm RefWorks Basics

Thursday 10/5
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 10/6
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

YSN Library September 25 - September 29

2006-09-22T06:01:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 9/25
8:30 - 3:30

Tuesday 9/26
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 10-11am Business Resources for Health Care Professionals

Wednesday 9/27
11:00 - 5:00
Class: 7-8pm Powerpoint Basics

Thursday 9/28
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 4-5pm EndNote Basics

Friday 9/29
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Decision making by healthy volunteeers in clinical trials

2006-09-21T06:16:00.000-04:00

The study reported inthis article set out to test the quality of the decision-making process of healthy volunteers in clinical trials.

Researchers fear that the decision to volunteer for clinical trials is taken inadequately and that the signature on the consent forms, meant to affirm that consent was 'informed', is actually insubstantial. Over a period of a year, candidates were approached during their screening process for a proposed clinical trial, after concluding the required 'Informed Consent' procedure. In all, 100 participants in phase I trials filled out questionnaires based ultimately on the Janis and Mann model of vigilant information processing, during their stay in the research centre.

The results were that only 35% of the participants reached a 'quality decision'. There is a definite correlation between information processing and quality decision-making. However, many of the healthy research volunteers (58%) do not seek out information nor check alternatives before making a decision.

The research conluded that full disclosure is essential to a valid informed consent procedure but not sufficient; emphasis must be put on having the information understood and assimilated. Research nurses play a central role in achieving this objective.

Rabin C, Tabak N. Healthy participants in phase I clinical trials: the quality of their decision to take part. J Clin Nurs. 2006 Aug;15(8):971-9. PMID: 16879541

Environmental Health Nursing Education

2006-09-20T06:11:00.000-04:00

Environmental health has received minimal attention in nursing curricula over the past decade, despite efforts by the Institute of Medicine (1995) and others to advance the environmental health agenda in nursing education, practice, and research.

This paper describes an initiative that was first funded as a part of the Environmental Health Scholars Program in 2000 to incorporate environmental health into master's and undergraduate nursing programs at one university. Evaluation of this initiative highlights the challenges and successes experienced in this academic setting.

A number of recommendations based on this experience and the literature are offered. There is a perceived need to define the critical body of knowledge and skills in environmental health and to develop tools to enable educators and practitioners to apply this knowledge in public health nursing and other specialty practices. In tandem, opportunities and incentives are needed to encourage faculty development and the infusion of environmental health into existing curricula. Changes are also needed across practice settings to proactively address environmental health issues so that environmental health becomes and remains an integral part of nursing.

Hewitt JB, Candek PR, Engel JM. Challenges and Successes of Infusing Environmental Health Content in a Nursing Program. Public Health Nurs. 2006 Sep;23(5):453-464.
PMID: 16961564

Use of community-based participatory research in public health nursing

2006-09-19T06:08:00.000-04:00

There is growing demand for research using a community-based participatory (CBPR) approach. CBPR requires that the academic research team actively partner with community members and stakeholders in the entire research process. The community members are full partners with the researchers in relation to the development and implementation of the study, analysis of the data, and dissemination of the findings.

The purpose of this article is to review four basic principles of CBPR and provide an example of how these CBPR principles were used in an ethnographic study related to the culture of African American infant health. In the pilot study, CBPR provided the framework for recruitment and retention of participants, ongoing data analysis, and dissemination of findings. Using CBPR provided the researchers an introduction into the selected community. Community members served as key informants about the culture of the community and provided access to potential participants. The community partners contributed to analysis of emerging themes and in the dissemination of findings to the community, stakeholders, and the scientific community.

CBPR provides opportunities for community health nurse researchers to conduct research with vulnerable populations and sets the stage for implementing evidenced-based nursing interventions in the community.

Savage CL, Xu Y, Lee R, Rose BL, Kappesser M, Anthony JS. A case study in the use of community-based participatory research in public health nursing. Public Health Nurs. 2006 Sep-Oct;23(5):472-8.

Impact of empirical studies of spirituality and culture on nurse education

2006-09-18T06:19:00.000-04:00

Spirituality and cultural dimensions of care are considered to be integral to holistic care. The healing potentials of spiritual and cultural care are well documented.

This article discusses a research programme which used action research comprising largely of qualitative approaches. As the holistic and multiperspective nature of spirituality and culture requires a multidisciplinary approach and flexibility of methodology, various research techniques were used. The findings led to the development of theories, models and conceptual literature on spiritual and cultural care. In particular, two models evolved from the studies: the ASSET for spiritual cares education and training and the ACCESS for transcultural care practice. The critical incident studies provide insights into nurses' roles in spiritual care interventions. The phenomenological study highlights that chronically ill patients use spiritual strategies in coping with their illness.

Overall, the paper offers a body of evidence that has an impact upon curriculum development in nurse education and nursing practice.

The ASSET model offers a framework for spiritual care education. The ACCESS model offers a framework for transcultural care practice. The critical incident studies map out nurses' roles in spiritual and cultural care with scope for development of care intervention models for the future. The coping mechanisms study highlights how patients use spiritual coping strategies such as prayer and other resources to cope with their chronic illnesses.

To read the full article:
Narayanasamy A. The impact of empirical studies of spirituality and culture on nurse education. J Clin Nurs. 2006 Jul;15(7):840-51. Review. PMID: 16879377

YSN Library September 18 - September 22

2006-09-15T16:20:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 9/18
8:30 - 12:00
Class: 4-5pm Ovid MEDLINE Basics

Tuesday 9/19
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 2-3pm EndNote Basics

Wednesday 9/20
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 7-8pm RefWorks Basics

Thursday 9/21
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class: 5-6pm RefWorks Basics

Friday 9/22
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Strategies for reducing nursing shortage

2006-09-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

A recent report published in Health Affairs by the Center for Studying Health System Change finds that while competitive salaries, agency labor, and other short-term fixes have helped temporarily alleviate the nursing shortage, health care officials need to place more focus on long-term efforts to increase the size of the nurse workforce and improve nurses' work environments. Based on a survey of 32 hospitals in 12 nationally representative markets, researchers estimate that 75% of hospitals use temporary nursing staff, 31% use internal staffing agencies, and 19% employ foreign nurses to meet short-term staffing needs.

Ten of the 24 hospitals that use agency nurses said they had reduced their reliance on temporary nurses, with several facilities creating internal per-diem nurse pools to help reduce reliance on agency staffing. Other short-term strategies include raising salaries; offering sign-on, retention, or referral bonuses; implementing flexible and self-schedule systems; and offering a broader range of shift types. All but one of the hospitals surveyed reported using at least one strategy involving the expansion of nurse-education programs.

Nine of the 22 hospitals that had implemented nurse training initiatives reported plans to expand the programs, with many facilities using their training capabilities to operate nursing schools, offer loan repayment in return for a work commitment, or tailor nursing-degree programs to meet the needs of current ancillary staff. In addition, several of the hospitals have begun directly subsidizing nurse faculty salaries, loaned their own nurses to help teach courses at nursing schools, or helped local nursing schools recruit new faculty.

Meanwhile, 88% of hospitals have made changes to nurses’ working environments to help recruit and retain nurses, including altering nurse staffing levels; repositioning nursing roles and responsibilities; making nursing units more accessible and nurse-friendly; and implementing changes to improve care quality. The authors note that while hospitals have expressed a commitment to reducing the nursing shortage, there is an “important role for public financial support.” They also call for further expansion of state and federal grant initiatives for prospective nurses, as well as other strategies to increase nurse faculty positions and training opportunities.

May J.H., Bazzoli G.J., Gerland A.M. (2006) Hospitals' responses to nurse staffing shortages. Health Aff (Millwood). 25(4):W316-23. Epub 2006 Jun 26

100,000 Lives Campaign

2006-09-14T06:26:00.000-04:00

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has announced that the roughly 3,100 U.S. hospitals participating in the 100,000 Lives Campaign—an initiative aimed at preventing medical errors and unnecessary patient deaths—have exceeded their goals and prevented an estimated 122,300 deaths since the program began 18 months ago.

The campaign, which now involves approximately 75% of all U.S. hospital beds, requires participating hospitals to report mortality data, error rates, and patient infections, as well as to adopt some or all of six evidence-based care practices and life-saving interventions; the interventions include rapid response teams for the emergency care of patients whose vital signs suddenly begin to deteriorate, use of preoperative antibiotics to prevent surgical infections, and treatment of heart attack patients with aspirin and beta-blockers.

Approximately 33% of participating hospitals have implemented all six practices and more than 50% have implemented three or more practices. In addition, nearly 100 hospitals that have achieved excellence in specific areas targeted by the campaign have agreed to mentor other hospitals striving to provide better patient care. Speaking yesterday at a hospital conference in Atlanta, the president and CEO of IHI said that the campaign “signals no less than a new standard of health care in America,” noting that he had “never before witnessed such widespread collaboration and commitment” from the health care industry to make such significant improvements in patient care.

Research Results for the Public

2006-09-13T06:55:00.000-04:00

The NIH has published a new website Research results for the Public. Its aim is to inform the public about research that is being conducted. The web site has links to fact sheets that enable people to "learn more about how NIH is pursuing its goal to make important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives."

Role discrepancy: is it a common problem among nurses?

2006-09-12T06:29:00.000-04:00

This paper reports a study of nurses' perceptions of the differences between ideal and actual nursing roles, how these perceptions differ according to length of experience and the factors that might contribute to these perceived differences.

The literature suggests that nurses tend to experience role discrepancy or a mismatch between their ideal and actual roles. Although it has been assumed that experienced nurses perceive less role discrepancy than inexperienced nurses, either because the former adjust themselves to their actual practice or because they have the expertise to improve their practice,
this assumption has not been tested.

Nurses with more clinical experience rated their ideal and actual nursing roles more positively than those with less experience. However, the results showed that both groups of nurses
experienced the same degree of role discrepancy. Both groups perceived strong role discrepancy in the areas of organizational decision-making and provision of patient education. Experienced nurses also perceived moderate role discrepancy in developing nursing care plans and in the freedom to initiate referrals.

Role discrepancy cannot be resolved by having more clinical experience. While clinical experience enhances nurses' conceptions of their ideal roles, it can also lead to role discrepancy if there are organizational barriers that prevent nurses from engaging in their ideal roles. It is important to find a way whereby nurses can actualize their ideal views of practice in the
current healthcare environment.

To read the full article:
Takase M, Maude P, Manias E. (2006) Role discrepancy: is it a common problem among nurses? J Adv Nurs. 54(6):751-9.

STD Treatment Guidelines Updated

2006-09-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Centers for Disease Control has issued new guidelines for sexually treated diseases.

These guidelines for the treatment of persons who have sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were developed by CDC after consultation with a group of professionals knowledgeable in the field of STDs who met in Atlanta, Georgia, during April 19–21, 2005. The information in this report updates the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2002.

Read Summary
Full Guideline - web version
Full guideline - PDF version

Health Literacy of American Adults

2006-09-11T05:56:00.000-04:00

Results from the Health Literacy component of the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) were just released. The health literacy findings are based on the first large-scale national assessment designed specifically to measure the health literacy of adults living in America.

This report measures health literacy among American adults including their ability to read, understand, and apply health-related information in English.

Findings include:

The majority of American adults (53 percent) had Intermediate health literacy. Fewer than 15 percent of adults had either Below Basic or Proficient health literacy.
Women had higher average health literacy than men.
Adults who were ages 65 and older had lower average health literacy than younger adults.
Hispanic adults had lower average health literacy than adults in any other racial/ethnic group.

To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006483

Comments on Health Literacy of America' Adults - NEJM

2006-09-11T05:35:00.000-04:00

From Dr. Marcus is an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami.

Marcus, E.N. (2006). The Silent Epidemic — The Health Effects of Illiteracy New England Journal of Medicine, 355 (4), 339-41 http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/4/339?query=TOC

YSN Library September 11 - September 15

2006-09-08T15:58:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 9/11
8:30 - 2:30

Tuesday 9/12
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Wednesday 9/13
10:30 - 2:30

Thursday 9/14
11:30 - 4:30

Friday 9/15
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

YSN Library September 4 - September 9

2006-09-04T13:39:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 9/5
University Holiday

Tuesday 9/6
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Wednesday 9/7
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Thursday 9/8
8:30 - 4:30

Friday 9/9
Call the Information Desk for assistance - 737-4065

Complete list of classes

Nursing care quality at National Quality Forum

2006-08-28T06:11:00.000-04:00

Nurses, as the principal caregivers in any healthcare system, directly and profoundly affect the lives of patients and are critical to the quality of care patients receive. However, patient acuity and shorter lengths of stay, the nursing shortage, changing technology, expansion of public and community health services, and higher patient expectations have produced a greater demand for care, mounted financial pressure, and limited nursing resources. Today’s nurses practice in a constrained environment that tests the core of their contribution to quality.

The National Quality Forum(NQF) is leading an effort to understand more fully the extent to which nurses contribute to improved patient safety and healthcare outcomes and promote nursing care quality. The NQF site www.qualityforum.org/nursing/default.htm provides an overview of NQF activities in this area and supports a growing community of stakeholders—including healthcare professionals, researchers, consumers, public and private purchasers, employers, health plans, accrediting bodies, labor organizations, and organizations involved in healthcare research or quality improvement—that are interested in collaborating in this endeavor.

YSN Library August 28 - September 1

2006-08-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 8/28
10:00 - 5:00

Tuesday 8/29
8:30 - 5:00

Wednesday 8/30
10:30 - 2:00

Thursday 8/31
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 9/1
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Complete list of classes

2007 National Patient Safety Goals

2006-08-22T06:31:00.000-04:00

The purpose of the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals is to promote specific improvements in patient safety. The Goals highlight problematic areas in health care and describe evidence and expert-based solutions to these problems. Recognizing that sound system design is intrinsic to the delivery of safe, high quality health care, the Goals focus on system-wide solutions, wherever possible.

See all of the goals on the Joint Commission web site.

Sneak peek - New look YSN Nursing website

2006-08-21T12:12:00.000-04:00

We have been busy over the summer. Take a look at the new Nursing Library Website.
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/nursing3/welcome.html

YSN Library August 21 - August 25

2006-08-21T06:12:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 8/21
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Tuesday 8/22
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Wednesday 8/23
2:00 - 5:00

Thursday 8/24
8:30 - 1:30
Class 3:00 - 4:00 EndNote Basics

Friday 8/25
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

YSN Library August 7 - August 11

2006-08-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 8/7
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 3:00 - 4:00 Advanced Searching Techniques

Tuesday 8/8
1:00 - 4:30

Wednesday 8/9
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 4:00 - 5:00 EndNote Basics

Thursday 8/10
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 8/11
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Complete list of classes

YSN Library July 31 - August 4

2006-07-28T06:37:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 7/31
10:30 - 4:00
Class 10:30 - 11:30 PubMed Basics

Tuesday 8/1
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Wednesday 8/2
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Thursday 8/3
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 8/4
8:30 - 1:00

Complete list of classes

FDA offers glimpse at important milestones in its history

2006-07-19T06:55:00.000-04:00

As part of FDA's observance of its first 100 years, the agency has created "This Week in FDA History," a Web page that spotlights a different FDA milestone each week. The page also describes how each historical item relates to current agency operations and offers links to further information for those who want to probe deeper. Be reminded about:

FDA Centenial 1906 - 2006 web page has many other interesting links about their first 100 years.

New site teaches children about safe use of OTC drugs

2006-07-18T12:50:00.000-04:00

"Medicines in My Home" is a new Web site that aims to help children -- especially 11- and 12-year-olds -- understand the safe use of over-the-counter medicines. The site is designed to be used as part of a classroom curriculum, but it also can serve as an information source independent of the classroom. FDA developed the site with the Montgomery County (Md.) Public School System and the National Council on Patient Information and Education.

IOM Report: Preterm Birth

2006-07-17T06:14:00.000-04:00

A report released yesterday by the IOM finds that more than half a million infants are born prematurely every year, costing the United States at least $26 billion.

The report, “Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention,” finds that one in eight infants in the United States is now born at least three weeks early, a rate that has increased by more than 30% during the last 20 years and has largely been fueled by fertility treatments resulting in more multiple births. However, experts say the cause of most preterm births remains unclear, making the early deliveries difficult to prevent. Although the report notes that physicians have “made great strides in helping preemies to survive,” researchers say birth even a few weeks prematurely can significantly increase the risk of medical and developmental problems.

To reduce the number of premature births, the IOM recommends that more pregnant women undergo first-trimester ultrasound exams to help accurately determine gestational age. In addition, the group calls on physicians to strengthen guidelines for preventing multiple births associated with fertility treatments. Finally, the report calls on the federal government to increase research efforts into the causes and prevention of preterm birth.

YSN Library July 17 - July 21

2006-07-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 7/17
8:30 - 4:00
Class 4:00 - 5:00 RefWorks Basics

Tuesday 7/18
8:30 - 4:00
Class 4:00 - 5:00 Endnote Basics

Wednesday 7/19
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 7:00 - 8:00 PowerPoint Basics

Thursday 7/20
Call the Medical reference desk for assistance - 737-4065

Friday 7/21
8:30 - 1:00

Complete list of classes

YSN Library July 10 - July 14

2006-07-07T10:14:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 7/10
8:30 - 4:00
Class 4:00 - 5:00 Endnote Basics

Tuesday 7/11
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Wednesday 7/12
11:00 - 5:00
Class 7:00 - 8:00 RefWorks Basics

Thursday 7/13
Call the Medical reference desk for assistance - 737-4065

Friday 7/14
12:00 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

YSN Library July 3 - July 7

2006-06-30T05:52:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 7/3
Call the Medical Libray for assistance - 737-4065

Tuesday 7/4
University Holiday

Wednesday 7/5
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 7:00 - 8:00 PowerPoint Basics

Thursday 7/6
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 7/7
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Electronic healthcare records and privacy

2006-06-29T06:14:00.000-04:00

In JAMA this week there is an interesting commentary on President Bush's request for the adoption of interconnected healthcare records within the next 10 years and the implications that has for possible violation of privacy. The commentary explains the laws surrounding health information portability. There is also discussion about the complexity of compelled authorizations for the disclosure of healthcare records, and creating contextual access criteria which would ensure limits to the scope of disclosure.

To read the full article:
Rothstein MA & Talbott MK (2006) Compelled Disclosure of Health Information: Protecting Against the Greatest Potential Threat to Privacy JAMA. 295 pp.2882-2885

Collaborative strategies to enhance research and EBP

2006-06-28T06:41:00.000-04:00

Whether the goal is to generate new knowledge through basic research or to effectively use existing knowledge in evidence-based clinical practice, collaborative exchange between service and academia is essential. The authors describe 2 successful strategies that have been mutually beneficial to a clinical agency and a school of nursing in fostering research and evidence-based practice. These strategies can be used by other institutions as they strive to meet standards for excellence in academia and service.

To read the full article:
Engelke MK, Marshburn DM.(2006) Collaborative strategies to enhance research and evidence-based practice. J Nurs Adm. 2006 Mar;36(3):131-5.

New Stroke Guidelines

2006-06-27T06:36:00.000-04:00

New stroke prevention guidelines focus on individual patient risks. The stroke prevention guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association advise physicians to adopt a "patient-oriented approach to stroke prevention," marking a departure from previously published guidelines that advocated a population-based approach. The guidelines, which are published in the June issue of Stroke, were based on an analysis of clinical trials conducted between 2001 and January 2005.

To see the complete guideline:
Sacco RL, et al. (2006) Guidelines for prevention of stroke in patients with ischemic stroke or
transient ischemic attack: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Council on Stroke: co-sponsored by the Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention: the American Academy of Neurology affirms the value of this guideline. Stroke. 2006 Feb;37(2):577-617

Nurse leaders serve greater good by making decisions based on ethics

2006-06-26T06:13:00.000-04:00

Writing in the January-March 2006 Nursing Administration Quarterly, Kathleen Sanford, current president of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, offers tips to help nurse executives make ethical management decisions. The author asserts that just as nurses face ethical issues in patient care, nurse administrators face complex ethical dilemmas in management. In striving to make the best decisions for their hospitals and staff, nurse executives must champion the “principles of right, moral, and good conduct.” To this end, nurse executives should consider the impact of decisions on all stakeholders, identify which decision best serves the common good, and evaluate the results of each decision to improve future decisions.

To read the full article:
Sanford K. (2006) The ethical leader. Nurs Adm Q. 30(1):5-10.

YSN Library June 26 - June 30

2006-06-22T06:55:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 6/26
8:30 - 5:00

Tuesday 6/27
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Wednesday 6/28
9:30 - 4:00
Class 7:00 - 8:00 RefWorks Basics

Thursday 6/29
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 4:00 - 5:00 Endnote Advanced

Friday 6/30
12:00 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Case study: Trust in times of clinical catastrophy

2006-06-22T06:21:00.000-04:00

When caring for children who become suddenly and catastrophically ill, clinicians must simultaneously attend to a complex and rapidly evolving medical situation, as well as to the equally challenging demands of establishing compassionate relationships with family members and communicating well with colleagues.

An 18-month-old toddler was brought to the hospital with severe head injury after being struck by a car. Over a period of hours, her condition evolved from prognostic uncertainty to the diagnosis of brain death and considerations of organ donation. Against this medical backdrop, the clinicians successfully established a trusting relationship with family members by careful attention to their emotional, informational, and care needs as they absorbed the devastating prognosis, took in the results of the brain death examination, and considered the option of organ donation.

This case illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary communication, the vital role of social workers and other psychosocial providers with expertise in working with families, and the critical significance of mutual care and support for the clinicians who accompany families through these tragic life events.

To read the full article:
Truog RD, Christ G, Browning DM, Meyer EC. (2006) Sudden traumatic death in children: "we did everything, but your child didn't survive". JAMA. 2006 Jun 14;295(22):2646-54.

Google's Book Blog

2006-06-21T06:12:00.000-04:00

Google has added a new tool in its quest to convince people that scanning millions of books in university libraries is beneficial and perfectly legal. The company started a blog devoted to the Google Book Search project.

One of the latest entries highlights the complete works of Shakespeare, all of which can be read in their entirety through Google. “The modern-day printing press brought his plays to people all around the world, unleashing countless performances and sparking astonishing creativity,” the blog item reads. “This summer we’re working to make Shakespeare even more accessible with our website.”

On a “News & Views” page of the blog, Google addresses lawsuits that have been filed seeking to stop it from scanning copyrighted library books. “So why has such a universally useful tool become so controversial? Because some in the publishing community question whether any third party should be able to copy and index copyrighted works so that users can search through them, even if all a user sees is the bibliographic information and a few snippets of text, and even if the result is to make those books widely discoverable online and help the authors and publishers sell more of them.”

As far as we know, the publishing groups opposing Google have not set up similar blogs making their case. A Google search (what else?) does pull up a press release by the Association of American Publishers on the issue:
“While authors and publishers know how useful Google’s search engine can be and think the Print Library could be an excellent resource, the bottom line is that under its current plan Google is seeking to make millions of dollars by freeloading on the talent and property of authors and publishers.” (http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1345)

Healthcare spending: US vs. OECDs

2006-06-20T06:27:00.000-04:00

In 2003, the United States had fewer practicing physicians,practicing nurses, and acute care bed days per capita than the median country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Nevertheless, U.S. health spending per capita was almost two and a half times the per capita health spending of the median OECD country. One proposal for both lowering health spending and improving quality is the adoption of health information technology (HIT). The United States lags as much as a dozen years behind other industrialized countries in HIT adoption—countries where national governments have played major roles in establishing the rule, and health insurers have paid most of the costs.

To read the full article:

Anderson, G.F., Frogner, B.K., Johns, R.A., and Reinhardt, U.E. (2006). Health care spending and use of information technology in OECD countries. Health Affairs 25(3): 819-831

Mumps Outbreaks

2006-06-19T06:29:00.000-04:00

May 18, 2006 MMWR Dispatch update
CDC and state and local health departments continue to investigate an outbreak of mumps that began in Iowa in December 2005 (1) and involved at least 10 additional states as of May 2, 2006. This report summarizes preliminary data reported to CDC from these 11 states and provides recommendations to prevent and control mumps during an outbreak.

The CDC Web site provides a collection of resources for healthcare professionals regarding the recent multistate mumps outbreak. The CDC has also released clinical guidance for the control and elimination of mumps.

YSN Library June 19 - June 23

2006-06-16T06:09:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 6/19
8:30 - 3:30

Tuesday 6/20
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 3:00 - 4:00 EndNote Basics

Wednesday 6/21
2:00 - 5:00
Class 7:00 - 8:00 PowerPoint Basics

Thursday 6/22
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 6/23
Call the Medical Reference Desk for assistance - 737-4065

Complete list of classes

IOM: New reports on Emergency Medicine

2006-06-15T13:58:00.000-04:00

Following a two-year investigation, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) yesterday issued three reports concluding that “the nation’s emergency medical system…is overburdened, underfunded, and highly fragmented.”

Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains

Emergency Medical Services At the Crossroads

Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point

According to the IOM, demand for emergency services has surged over the last several years, rising to 114 million ED visits in 2003 from only 90 million visits in 1993, while the number of inpatient hospital beds declined by 198,000 during the same period as hospitals shifted toward more outpatient care. According to the reports, hospital EDs are currently overwhelmed by day-to-day emergencies, with more than 500,000 ambulances being diverted from overcrowded EDs in 2003. Furthermore, the IOM warns that the nation’s EDs are ill-equipped to handle a sharp influx of patients in the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or pandemic flu.

As a result, the group is urging Congress to establish a pool of $50 million that will be spent to reimburse hospitals for emergency care provided to poor and uninsured patients. The reports also recommend that Congress take steps to ensure that hospitals and emergency medical workers receive a greater portion of the nation’s disaster-preparedness funding. In addition, the IOM calls on JCAHO to develop “strong guidelines” aimed at reducing ambulance diversions and overcrowding in EDs, and an ED physician and panel member adds that in the absence of systemwide reform, individual hospitals can take steps to improve ED efficiency and preparedness.

Medical error listed in Wikipedia

2006-06-15T06:23:00.000-04:00

Wikipedia has recently created an entry on medical error.

For those of you that have never visited Wikipedia it's worth the look. Wikipedia's definition of itself is it "is a multilingual Web-based free-content encyclopedia. It exists as a wiki, a website that allows visitors to edit its content; the word Wikipedia itself is a portmanteau of wiki and encyclopedia. Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing articles to be changed by anyone with access to the website."

So my disclimer for anything that you read on a Wiki is to recognise that it may not be authoritative, and is subject to change by anyone at anytime.

What is cool about it though is that it is the future of collaboration and communication. Many organisations and people are investigating the use of wikis as a means of communication. "Like many simple concepts, "open editing" has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users. ... The first ever wiki site was created for the Portland Pattern Repository in 1995." (http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki).

Here are some other examples:

wikinews
readerwiki
Clincial Informatics Wiki
in healthcare - Quality through Knowledge
in healthcare -The RHIO wiki

And I am sure there are many more out there.

And finally word of warning about using and trusting what is written in Wikipedia.
Professor raises Wikipedia awareness

Hurricane preparedness: it's the season

2006-06-14T06:30:00.000-04:00

To assist in the relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC) provides this list of clinical practice recommendations, tools and resource s , public health measures, and other sources of information.

Resources include:

Also see the Centers for Disease Control site Key Facts on Hurricane Readiness, and a handout tin PDF that can be quickly printed off.

State of the World's Mothers 2006

2006-06-13T06:33:00.000-04:00

From the Save the Children website:

For most children in the developing world, the most dangerous day of their lives is the day they are born, according to new research by Save the Children.

The State of the World’s Mothers 2006 report reveals that of more than 10 million children under the age of 5 who die each year in the developing world, about 1 in 5 - an estimated 2 million babies - die within the first 24 hours of life.

An additional 1 million babies die during days 2 through 7 and a total of 4 million babies die during the first month.

Save the Children stresses that simple, affordable techniques, such as immunising women against tetanus and providing a skilled attendant at birth, could reduce these deaths by 70 percent.

“The first hours, days and weeks of a baby’s life are critical yet, only a tiny minority of babies in poor countries receive proper heath care during this highly vulnerable period,” said Save the Children Chief Executive Jasmine Whitbread. “The most simple health measures such as that we take for granted can mean the difference between life and death.”

Most newborn deaths are the result of preventable causes such as infections, complications at birth and low birth weight. Newborn deaths are one of the world’s most neglected heath problems. While there has been significant progress in reducing deaths among children under age 5 over the past decade, there has been little progress in reducing mortality rates for babies during the first month of life. Newborn deaths are so common in many parts of the developing world that parents put off naming their babies until they are a week to 3 months old.

The report recommends:

Increased investment to help girls and young women in poor countries have greater access to education, nutrition and modern contraceptives.
Provision of low-cost, low-tech solutions to mothers and babies that save lives during pregnancy, at birth and immediately after birth. These measures include tetanus immunizations, skilled attendant at childbirth, prompt treatment of newborn infections and education about proper hygiene, warmth and breastfeeding for infants.
Improved access to good quality health care to mothers after childbirth.

In addition to its special focus on newborns and mothers, the report includes Save the Children’s seventh annual Mothers’ Index that identifies the best—and worst—countries to be mother and child through a comprehensive look at their well-being in 125 countries. For the seventh year in a row, Scandinavian countries dominate the top tier of the rankings with Sweden taking first place. The United States and United Kingdom tie for 10th place. Niger is in last place.

Read the State of the World's Mothers 2006

NIH Consumer Magazine

2006-06-12T06:12:00.000-04:00

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine is a new quarterly guide for patients and their families. It brings the latest and most authoritative medical and healthcare information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as featured online on the MedlinePlus website.

Table of contents for the Summer 2006 issue include:

clinical trials: a crucial key to human health research
Lance Armstrong shares his battle with cancer
detecting and managing high blood pressure
the challenges of living with Parkinson's disease
this is the season of the itch

This colorful, informative, and authoritative magazine is designed to engage consumers in the health care process.

YSN Library June 12 - June 16

2006-06-09T15:14:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 6/12
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 3:00 - 4:00 EndNote Basics

Tuesday 6/13
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964
Class 5:00 - 6:00 RSS and Blogs
Class 3:00 - 4:00 RefWorks Basics

Wednesday 6/14
1:30 - 3:30

Thursday 6/15
See me in Medical Library for assistance - 737-2964

Friday 6/16
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

Ways to Manage Calories Away from Home

2006-06-06T13:52:00.000-04:00

The FDA has found that Americans spend about 46 percent of their food budget on items prepared away from home and take in about 32 percent of their calories from such foods. "Away-from-home" foods are those that are prepared and purchased out of the home.

In the recent report Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods -- Final Report the FDA offers recommendations to improve the ability of consumers to manage calorie intake from foods prepared and bought away from home. The document is part of FDA efforts to help reduce overweight/obesity, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity.

For more information about the report you can read:

background information

FDA's Plan to Tackle U.S. Obesity

Questions & Answers

Press release