O'Meara S. A view from the bedside. Nurses World Magazine. 2006 Feb 3:10-13, 35.

After 15 years of tepid results from top-down programs, some hospitals are now considering nurses to be the best source for developing quality care initiatives. This article describes one such initiative, Transforming Care at the Bedside, that is sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Full text available!  Click View Article below.

Nielsen-Bohlman L, Panzer AM, Kindig DA (eds). Institute of Medicine Committee on Health Literacy.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2004

This 2004 report from the Institute of Medicine takes a deep look at health literacy and describes its origins, consequences, and solutions. The committee echoes the call of the Surgeon General and other health leaders on the import of health literacy, and it elaborates the cross-cutting priority for health literacy identified in the recent Institute of Medicine report on Priority Areas for National Action in Quality Improvement. Most importantly, the current report lays out a comprehensive strategy to improve health literacy in America.

Bass L. Health literacy: Implications for teaching the adult patient. Journal of Infusion Nursing. 2005 Jan-Feb;28(1):15-22.

This article defines health literacy, describes the scope of the problem, identifies affected patient groups, and offers interventions to maximize patient understanding during the teaching process.

HMO Workgroup on Care Management
Washington, District of Columbia, USA; AAHP-HIAA Foundation; 2004

This report addresses how Managed Care Organizations can improve the quality of transitions of care for adult patients with complex acute or chronic conditions. Includes best practices, recommendations for action, and tools.

Coleman EA, Mahoney E, Parry C. Assessing the quality of preparation for posthospital care from the patient's perspective: the care transitions measure. Medical Care. 2005;43:246-255.

Study examining the Care Transitions Measure, a self-report measure that provides insight into patient perspective, as well as information helpful to clinicians, hospital administrators, and others.

Coleman EA, Smith, JD, Frank JC, Min, S, Parry C, Kramer AK. Preparing patients and caregivers to participate in care delivered across settings: the Care Transitions Intervention. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2004;52:1817-1825.

This article describes how interventions encouraging older patients and their caregivers to participate actively in care transitions can reduce rehospitalization rates. Includes sample tools.

Coleman, EA, Min S, Chomiak A, Kramer A. Posthospital Care Transitions: Patterns, Complications, and Risk Identification. Health Services Research. 2004 Oct;39(5):1449-1465.

This article describes a study of patterns in posthospital care transitions and identifies those populations at greatest risk for complicated transitions. A method for identifying at-risk populations is discussed.

Tofle RB, Schwartz B, Yoon S, Max-Royale A
Bonita, California: The Coalition for Health Environments Research (CHER); 2003

The guide addresses the physiological, psychological, spiritual, emotional, and historical aspects of the relationship between people and color in health care environments, and reviews the literature to draw conclusions from purely scientific research.

Saint S, Kaufman SR, Thompson M, Rogers MA, Chenoweth CE. A reminder reduces urinary catheterization in hospitalized patients. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Aug 2005;31(8):455-462.

A simple reminder system can prevent hospitalized patients from having a urinary catheter in place any longer than is necessary, greatly reducing the risk of urinary tract infections. Urinary catheters are a major contributor to hospital acquired urinary tract infections, in part because busy health care providers forget to take the catheters out. A University of Michigan Health System study finds that written reminders (or computerized reminders, where feasible) can successfully flag the issue, thereby shortening the duration of catheter use, and reducing the risk of costly infections.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement. IHI Innovation Series white paper. Going Lean in Health Care. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Healthcare Improvement; 2005.

IHI Innovation Series white paper

Lean management principles have been used effectively in manufacturing companies for decades, particularly in Japan. IHI believes that lean principles can be — indeed, already are being — successfully applied to the delivery of health care.

Full text available! Click view white paper below.