Patient Safety: Healthcare- Associated Infection

Quality Improvement Activities

For questions and comments, please contact:
Sarah Keehner,
RN, BSN, CNN
Quality Improvement Director
[email protected] (203) 285-1214
 
Heather Camilleri, CCHT
Quality Improvement Coordinator
(203) 285-1224
ACTION REQUIRED:
Please be aware of the dates associated with each activity.
Register and attend the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients: Tools to Prevent Infections in Hemodialysis webinar on Friday, May 18, 2018.
 
Resources :

Suggested resources for staff and patient education:

 

Making Dialysis Safer Coalition

Clean Hands Campaign

Sepsis Alliance

World Health Organization
Feedback:
Please take a moment to let us know if you believe these will be helpful in the facility and if patients utilize them.
Resource Assessment

Patient Safety
Dear Provider,

Thank you to all the facilities involves in the Patient Safety Quality Improvement Activity. The Network has a goal of decreasing Bloodstream Infection (BSIs) by 20%, currently the Network has surpassed that goal by reaching a 43% decrease in BSIs. This would not be possible without all of the facilitates hard work and dedication to infection prevention and continuing education.

During this project the Network has asked all of the participating facilities to become a member of the  Center for Disease and Prevention Control (CDC): Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition.  If the facility has not become a member of the coalition, the Network is asking you to follow the provided link to the CDC website and complete the member form.
CDC: Making Dialysis Safer Coalition Membership Form


During the month of May the Network is promoting the education of staff, and the assessment of competency.  Ongoing staff education ensures that all staff who come in contact with patients have the tools needed to protect themselves and patients form infection. The Network is asking clinic leadership to provide one infection prevention in-service during the month of May.  

 

The following are suggestions for infection prevention education:

  1. CDC Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition (offers one CEU upon completion) 
  2. CDC Clean Hands Campaign
  3. Sepsis Alliance
  4. World Health Organization
Project Activities

*Implement CDC core interventions

*Complete NHSN training

*Partner with the CDC Making Dialysis Safer Coalition

 
Long Term Catheter Reduction
The Network will be sending out a patient level tracker through a web based portal call Smartsheet. Please open the link and sign in to create a facility account. The tracker can be completed in Smartsheet, and the Network will receive a  notification when the tracker is complete and/ or updated.
 
The  goal is to track and monitor a patient's progression  through the process of getting a permanent access placed once they begin dialysis with a central venous catheter. The portal is not secure, please do not enter patient identifiers into the tracker. Only UPI numbers can be entered. The Network will fax an UPI list with patient name and date of birth to the facility to  reduce the burden of creating the initial tracker.
 
Project Activities

*Designate a vascular access coordinator

*Complete Smartsheet registration

*Create a Facility log in

*Complete the patient level tracking tool

 
Health Information Exchange  
A Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform is vital for communication between the dialysis facilities and the hospitals. Continuity of care will help keep dialysis patients healthier longer and reduce the burden on care providers. 

All facilities are encouraged to reach out to local hospital and  implement a system that ensure timely communication of vital health records between the facility and other care providers.
 
We Want to Hear from YOU!
Please contact the Quality Improvement Department if you have questions, comments, or specific barriers that you would like to address.  Let us know if you have identified any best practices that you would like to share with the community.