Health Information Technology Investments, Patient Experience, and Hospital Bad Debt

In this study, we examine the effect of health information technology (HIT) investments on hospital bad debt via improved patient experience. Using data from California Hospital Reports and Definitive Healthcare, we first predict and find that HIT investments decrease hospital bad debt. Next, following Baron and Kenny's (1986) approach and the bootstrap approach of Zhao, Kynch, and Chen (2010), we study whether patient experience mediates the relationship between HIT investments and hospital bad debt. We find that HIT improves patient experience which, in turn, reduces bad debt at hospitals. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that patient experience is important as a means to affect the relationship between HIT investments and hospital bad debt.

Compliance with Recommended Practices for Management of Controlled Substances in a Health Care Facility and Corrective Actions

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong><br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Background:</strong> Pharmacists are required to maintain a secure inventory of medications and to ensure proper, safe, and diversion-free dispensing practices. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Objectives:</strong> The primary objectives of this study were to determine compliance with recommended practices for the management of controlled substances in a mother–child teaching hospital and to identify actions to improve compliance. The secondary objective was to identify steps in the drug pathway for controlled substances and associated failure modes in the study hospital.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> This descriptive cross-sectional study used a framework devel-oped by the California Hospital Association (CHA) to assess compliance with recommended practices for the management of controlled substances in hospitals. For each criterion, a research assistant observed practices within the pharmacy, on patient care units, at outpatient care clinics, and in operating and delivery rooms. The level of compliance was recorded as compliant, partially compliant, or noncompliant. An Ishikawa diagram was developed to illustrate steps in the drug pathway and associated failure modes related to the use of controlled substances in the study hospital. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The pathway for controlled substances at the study hospital was compliant for 56 (49.6%) of the 113 CHA criteria, partially compliant for 27 (23.9%) of the criteria, and noncompliant for 24 (21.2%) of the criteria; the remaining 6 (5.3%) criteria were not applicable. This practice evaluation highlighted 22 corrective actions, 12 (55%) that could be implemented in the short term, 8 (36%) suitable for implementation in the medium term, and 2 (9%) suitable for both the short and medium term. A total of 57 potential failure modes related to the use of controlled substances were identified.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The pathway for controlled substances at the study hospital was compliant with almost half of the CHA criteria, and 22 corrective actions were identified. Pharmacists, physicians, and nurses should be mobilized to optimize the use of controlled substances throughout the drug-use process.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong><br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Contexte:</strong> Les pharmaciens sont responsables de maintenir à jour les réserves de médicaments et doivent faire en sorte que les pratiques de distribution soient adéquates, sûres et exemptes de détournement. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Objectifs :</strong> Les objectifs principaux de la présente étude consistaient à déterminer le degré de conformité aux pratiques de gestion des substances contrôlées, recommandées dans un hôpital universitaire mère-enfant, et de trouver des mesures pour améliorer leur degré de conformité. L’objectif secondaire visait à recenser les étapes que suivent les substances contrôlées dans le circuit des médicaments et les modes de défaillance qui y sont associés dans l’hôpital à l’étude.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Méthodes :</strong> La présente étude descriptive et transversale s’appuyait sur un cadre mis au point par la California Hospital Association (CHA), qui sert à évaluer le degré de conformité aux recommandations relatives aux pratiques de gestion des substances contrôlées dans les hôpitaux. Pour chaque critère, un assistant de recherche observait les pratiques dans le service de pharmacie, les unités de soins, les cliniques de consultation ex-terne et les salles d’opération ou les salles d’accouchement. Il évaluait le degré de conformité à l’aide d’un des qualificatifs suivants : conforme, partiellement conforme ou non conforme. Un diagramme d’Ishikawa a été conçu pour illustrer les étapes du circuit des médicaments et les modes de défaillance associés à l’utilisation de substances contrôlées dans l’hôpital à l’étude. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Résultats :</strong> Le circuit des substances contrôlées à l’hôpital où se déroulait l’étude était conforme à 56 (49,6 %) des 113 critères de la CHA, partiellement conforme à 27 (23,9 %) critères et non conforme à 24 (21,2 %) critères; les 6 (5,3 %) critères restants n’étaient pas applicables. Cette évaluation des pratiques a mis en évidence 22 actions correctives, dont 12 (55 %) pouvaient être mises en place à court terme, 8 (36 %) à moyen terme et 2 (9 %) à court ou à moyen terme. Les investigateurs ont repéré 57 modes de défaillance potentiels liés à l’utilisation de substances contrôlées.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusions :</strong> L’analyse du circuit des substances contrôlées à l’hôpital où se déroulait l’étude a révélé que près de la moitié des critères de la CHA étaient conformes, et 22 actions correctives ont été proposées. Les pharmaciens, médecins et infirmières devraient participer à l’optimisation de l’utilisation des substances contrôlées dans l’ensemble du processus de distribution des médicaments.</p>

Aspirin reduces long-term stroke risk in women with prior hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

ObjectiveTo determine whether hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) increased long-term stroke risk in women in the California Teachers Study (CTS), a prospective cohort study, and whether aspirin or statin use modified this risk.MethodsCTS participants ≤60 years of age at the time of enrollment in 1995 were followed up prospectively for validated stroke outcomes obtained via linkage with California hospital records through December 31, 2015. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the primary outcomes of all stroke and stroke before 60 years of age among those with and without a history of HDP. We tested for interactions (p < 0.2) and performed stratified analyses to assess the risk of the primary outcomes in women with and without self-reported use of aspirin or statins.ResultsOf 83,749 women included in the analysis, 4,070 (4.9%) had HDP. Women with prior HDP had increased risk of all stroke (adjusted HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.4) but no increased risk of stroke before age 60 (adjusted HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9–1.7). There was an interaction (p = 0.18) between aspirin use and HDP history on risk of stroke before age 60: nonusers of aspirin had higher risk (adjusted HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.1) while aspirin users did not (adjusted HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.4–1.7). This effect was not seen with statins.ConclusionsAfter controlling for comorbid conditions, women with prior HDP had increased long-term stroke risk, which was reduced by aspirin use. Randomized trials may be needed to assess whether long-term aspirin use could benefit selected women with a history of HDP.

Multi-institute analysis of carbapenem resistance reveals remarkable diversity, unexplained mechanisms, and limited clonal outbreaks

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are among the most severe threats to the antibiotic era. Multiple different species can exhibit resistance due to many different mechanisms, and many different mobile elements are capable of transferring resistance between lineages. We prospectively sampled CRE from hospitalized patients from three Boston-area hospitals, together with a collection of CRE from a single California hospital, to define the frequency and characteristics of outbreaks and determine whether there is evidence for transfer of strains within and between hospitals and the frequency with which resistance is transferred between lineages or species. We found eight species exhibiting resistance, with the majority of our sample being the sequence type 258 (ST258) lineage ofKlebsiella pneumoniae. There was very little evidence of extensive hospital outbreaks, but a great deal of variation in resistance mechanisms and the genomic backgrounds carrying these mechanisms. Local transmission was evident in clear phylogeographic structure between the samples from the two coasts. The most common resistance mechanisms were KPC (K. pneumoniaecarbapenemases) beta-lactamases encoded byblaKPC2,blaKPC3, andblaKPC4, which were transferred between strains and species by seven distinct subgroups of the Tn4401element. We also found evidence for previously unrecognized resistance mechanisms that produced resistance when transformed into a susceptible genomic background. The extensive variation, together with evidence of transmission beyond limited clonal outbreaks, points to multiple unsampled transmission chains throughout the continuum of care, including asymptomatic carriage and transmission of CRE. This finding suggests that to control this threat, we need an aggressive approach to surveillance and isolation.