Lumetra Healthcare Solutions

Last month The Leapfrog Group released their 2008 Hospital Survey. To no one’s surprise, it reported the unrealized opportunity of U.S. hospitals to improve patient safety by implementing standards known to improve quality and save lives.

A decade ago, with the publication of “To Err is Human,” The Institute of Medicine alerted us to the startling number of patients who are injured or killed as a result of preventable medical errors. The Leapfrog report reminds us all that, despite a decade of attention and effort, there is still much to be done to improve the healthcare system.

For example, 65% of participating hospitals do not have all recommended policies in place to prevent common hospital-acquired infections. The 13 evidence-based safety practices (which include procedures such as hand-washing as well as nursing staff competency) have only been met by 25% of participants.

Working with a Patient Safety Organization (PSO) can be an important part of any healthcare provider’s… Read More

The world of health information technology (HIT) continues to gain attention, culminating in what many see as a great opportunity, offered though the HITECH Act, to make a permanent shift in how technology is used in clinical practice. Furthering this focus on HIT are programs offering incentives for the use of technology, such as the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), which offers a two percent bonus increase to providers using e-Prescribing.

These measures and other incentives have helped to create a significant influx of HIT users, of e-Prescribing in particular, over the past year. For example, Walgreens recently reported a 211 percent increase in e-Prescribing between March 2008 and March 2009. While this long awaited shift in how healthcare practices use technology remains in the early stages of adoption, the HITECH Act creates additional momentum that demands a need for coordination of technology integration in healthcare.

There are two layers needed for successful e-Prescribing… Read More

The importance of hand washing has been emphasized as a quality improvement intervention across virtually all healthcare settings for a number of years. Lumetra created a poster promoting hand washing several years ago, utilizing a cartoon character. This educational tool serves as a reminder for targeted populations at risk of contracting or spreading the flu. These groups include patients, their families, and employees in the work setting, especially in healthcare facilities.

Please feel free to download the PDF for use in your facility.

Late last month, the San Francisco Business Times featured an update on Lumetra and our ongoing efforts to win new customers. The brief article included comments from Linda Sawyer, PhD, Lumetra’s CEO, and referenced some of Lumetra existing clients.