Building Effective Policies for Comorbidity Management

​​​​Policies for managing comorbidities, as well as multimorbidity and multiple chronic conditions, vary based on the medical conditions involved; therefore, developing a uniform policy is not nece...

How To: Providing Obstetrical Services When Understaffed

In recent years, more OB units in rural areas have experienced closures and maternity care deserts have grown. In response, many rural healthcare organizations are exploring creative approaches in ...

The da Vinci Surgical Robot and the Importance of Iterative Evidence Review

Medical technology is constantly evolving. As new medical devices are developed and existing devices are updated, clinical trials are conducted to confirm the technology is safe and provides the in...

Preventing Short-Stay Readmissions

​Every care transition carries increased risk of adverse events, poor health outcomes, emotional instability, and high healthcare costs—and the risks are even more elevated for older adults, especi...

The Role of Primary Care Staff in Coordinating Care for Patients with Complex Medical Conditions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 in 10 American adults have one chronic disease, such as heart, lung, or kidney disease; cancer; Alzheimer's disease; and diabetes, and...

How to Improve Medication History and Reconciliation Processes in Ambulatory Care

Patients often have multiple providers involved in their care. According to a 2019 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 30% of older Americans can see at least five different doctors...

Violence against Healthcare Staff: How Leaders in Ambulatory Care Can Keep Providers and Staff Safe

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers suffer from higher rates of workplace violence (i.e., verbal abuse such as threats, harassment, or intimidation, or physical abu...

Ambulatory Care Providers Can Combat Sepsis through Prevention, Identification, and Treatment

Sepsis is the body's overwhelming response to infection and can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone can get an infec...

Three Strategies for Primary Care Providers to Ease the Pediatric Mental Health Crisis

The mental health of children is currently in crisis. According to an investigation reported in 2021 in JAMA Pediatrics, one in four children globally is experiencing elevated depressive symptoms a...

Incident Management Systems Are Essential For Any Healthcare Facility

Regardless of the type of healthcare facility you manage—a hospital, an assisted living center, or an ambulatory care establishment—incident management for patient safety should be a primary focus ...

How to Improve Your Organization's Approach to Healthcare Incident Management

Accidents, outbreaks, and other incidents regularly occur in healthcare settings. This is not surprising to most healthcare providers, including those working in aging services and ambulatory care ...

To Reduce Malpractice Claims Improve Communication

"Communication failures cost 1.5 times as much as claims without communication failures, and were more than twice as likely to result in a payout of more than $1 million," the Journal of Patient Sa...

Vaccination: For Your Residents, Your Family, Your Friends, and Yourself

All who have cared for our nation’s older adults through the COVID-19 pandemic have given so much; the toll in lives lost, illness, and financial and economic impacts have been great for those we s...

Mandatory Staff Vaccinations: Short-Term Benefits vs. Potential Unintended Consequences

With several vaccines against COVID-19 already available through emergency use authorization (EUA), others potentially on the way, and a nationwide vaccination campaign to administer the vaccine to...

Keep Healthcare Workers Safe to Improve Patient Safety

Healthcare workers face work-related risks, illnesses, and injuries, and patient safety is directly tied to worker safety. Creating a culture of safety is crucial. ECRI, and its affiliate, the Inst...

Diagnosing Communication Gaps in Diagnostic Test Reporting

In the United States, there are 30 times more outpatient visits as hospital discharges. As a result of the high volumes and complexities inherent to ambulatory settings, one in twenty patients can ...