Human Factors Related to Health Care and Patient Safety

Attendees at Beacon's October 2009 meeting heard Carla Alvarado, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Center for Quality & Productivity Improvement, University of Wisconsin, describe how human factors relate to healthcare and patient safety. Carla emphasized an awareness of the need to incorporate human factors when looking at systems problems and explained when change occurs in one area, it affects other areas. She shared her model "SEIPS" Systems Engineering for Patient Safety.

Barb DeBaun, Beacon Improvement Advisor and Carla Alvarado, guest speaker, pictured at Beacon's October 2009 Meeting.

Download a copy of the SEIPS model and Carla's presentation

Hand Hygiene

Successful strategies for improving compliance with hand hygiene protocols were presented by four facilities. The use of contests, poster campaigns, jingles and video were offered as starting points to developing a theme to fully engage staff.

Sepsis -- Key To Success

A presentation by Martie Mattson, RN, MSN, Sepsis Project Consultant, Integrated Nursing Leadership Program related how critical it is for nurses to recognize sepsis and to intervene early. The key to success depends on a committed ‘village' of administrators, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, IT, and quality professionals along with nurses and physicians.

Breakout sessions for the meeting included topics on Games People Play to make learning fun, challenges and successes with c. ‘difficult' (C. difficile) and presentations on creating a primary stroke center.

Download  highlights from the October 2009 Meeting