Eyad Abdel Latif’s Post

Join us TOMORROW at 1pm for a Showcase event with our London Regional Hub Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust for two fabulous presentations. • 13:10-13:35 Virtual Wards at GSTT Virtual ward services (also known as hospital at home) provide urgent and emergency care for people in their own homes that would historically have required admission to hospital. This allows people to receive acute multi-disciplinary care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most. Join us for this interactive online event where Dr Shaheen Khan, Mark Tearle and Ed Middleton will discuss: -How Virtual Wards work -Virtual Ward expansion plans at GSTT -The benefits of Virtual Wards for patients -The benefits of Virtual Wards for Service Delivery • 13:45-14:05 Service Transformation in Research Delivery at GSTT Research has been key to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guy’s and St Thomas’ have played a key role in developing diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. As one of the most research active Trusts in England, Guy’s and St Thomas’ is at the heart of the national effort to develop diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. Join us for this fantastic session led by Clair Harris, Head of Research Workforce at GSTT. Claire will discuss how GSTT adapted quickly to deliver a large portfolio of Covid research, capitalising on the legacy of that research to establish a new service creating new opportunities for patients. Register Here; zurl.co/dB81 IHSCM Members can attain 4 High Performance Leadership Framework points for attending this event; 1 point towards Operational Leadership and 1 point towards Workforce for each of the two presentations. https://lnkd.in/e7P6c9Rr

Join us on 7th September at 1pm for a Showcase event with our London Regional Hub Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust for two fabulous presentations. • 13:10-13:35 Virtual Wards at GSTT Virtual ward services (also known as hospital at home) provide urgent and emergency care for people in their own homes that would historically have required admission to hospital. This allows people to receive acute multi-disciplinary care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most. Join us for this interactive online event where Dr Shaheen Khan, Mark Tearle and Ed Middleton will discuss: -How Virtual Wards work -Virtual Ward expansion plans at GSTT -The benefits of Virtual Wards for patients -The benefits of Virtual Wards for Service Delivery • 13:45-14:05 Service Transformation in Research Delivery at GSTT Research has been key to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guy’s and St Thomas’ have played a key role in developing diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. As one of the most research active Trusts in England, Guy’s and St Thomas’ is at the heart of the national effort to develop diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. Join us for this fantastic session led by Clair Harris, Head of Research Workforce at GSTT. Claire will discuss how GSTT adapted quickly to deliver a large portfolio of Covid research, capitalising on the legacy of that research to establish a new service creating new opportunities for patients. Register Here; zurl.co/dB81 IHSCM Members can attain 4 High Performance Leadership Framework points for attending this event; 1 point towards Operational Leadership and 1 point towards Workforce for each of the two presentations. https://zurl.co/skI.

PART 2 Telehospitalists and the Future of Hospital Care   Even as the pandemic encouraged governments to implement policies that foster and encourage telehospitalist services, it accelerated the trend towards treating a growing number of non-acute patients outside hospitals (e.g.,  mobile health facilities, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities and, increasingly private homes) while complex and very ill patients will continue to receive acute inpatient services.  This care model has been called the “hospital without walls”. Symbian Health expects this shift in care outside hospitals, emergency departments, and medical pavilions towards SNFs and other community-based care facilities to continue after the pandemic, creating a potential opportunity for hospitalists to manage patients’ care from a remote digital monitoring and control center.  In the hospital-without-walls model, the hospitalist might only see a patient once, e.g., in the ER, while subsequent visits are conducted through a combination of telemedicine, digital diagnostics, and in-person visits by medics or registered nurses to administer medicine or draw blood, for example. In what is perhaps the ultimate expression of the “hospital without walls” concept, an August 2023 article in The Hospitalist proposed that hospitalists could be called up to provide care to homeless persons living on the streets, in collaboration with so-called “street medicine” teams who visit patients wherever they are.  On the inpatient side, members of the street medicine team provide expert consultation on homeless patients’ medical care needs. Telehospitalist technologies can facilitate the collaboration between hospitalists and street medicine providers, with an emphasis on virtual care, monitoring and guidance.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLINIC, HOSPITAL and PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERS In 2013, I participated in a two week training; Peer Participatory and Rapid Health Appraisal for Action (PPRHAA) organized by the Catholic Abeokuta Diocese. This training was to equip us with indepth knowledge about the healthcare and Appraisal skills for health facilities. After the training, my team and I went into the field for practicals and Appraised some Catholic Health Facilities, ensuring that they were up to standard and met the policies and regulations set by the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), We also uniquely classified and differentiated them into Clinics, Hospitals and Primary Health Centers. Prior to then, just like many health personnels, I never knew there were distinctive differences between Clinic, Hospital and Primary Healthcare Centers. I regarded them all as Hospitals as long as they administer prescription and treatment to the sick. 😂 Below, I have taken time to simplify and summarize the differences between these Health facilities according to their size and scope, Services, Availability of specialists and Patient care capacity: CLINIC 1. Size and Scope: - Smaller healthcare facility. - Provides outpatient care. 2. Services: - Routine check-ups, preventive care, minor procedures. - Typically do not offer emergency services or inpatient care. 3. Specialist Availability: - Staffed by general practitioners or specific specialists. 4. Patient Capacity: - Serves fewer patients compared to hospitals. HOSPITAL 1. Size and Scope: - Large healthcare facility. - Provides comprehensive services, including emergency and inpatient care. 2. Services: - Advanced diagnostics, surgeries, specialized treatments. - Includes emergency departments, intensive care units, and various specialized wards. 3. Specialist Availability: - Staffed with a wide range of specialists and advanced medical equipment. 4. Patient Capacity: - Can accommodate a large number of patients, both inpatient and outpatient. PRIMARY HEALTH CENTER (PHC) 1. Size and Scope: - Small to medium-sized facility, often located in rural or underserved areas. - Focuses on basic healthcare needs of the community. 2. Services: - Preventive care, basic diagnostics, maternal and child health services, immunizations. - May offer minor emergency care but not equipped for major emergencies or surgeries. 3. Specialist Availability: - Primarily staffed by general practitioners, nurses, and community health workers. 4. Patient Capacity: -Serves local population, typically in a community or rural setting. Did you know before now that there were distinctive differences with these health facilities or did you just regard them all as Clinics or Hospitals like i did? Let us know in the comment section. 👇🏼 Yay! Today is Fridayyyyy! Do have an amazing weekend. 🎊 #healthcare #HealthcareHeroes #frontlineworkers #medical #doctor

Knowing the number of NICU beds within a community helps healthcare systems understand trends and anticipate needs for the workforce and other resources. Unfortunately, pinpointing precise NICU data can be challenging; currently, there is no updated, comprehensive registry for all NICUs across the country. Further, there are many types of NICUs, and each state has different protocols for certifying bed space and varying criteria. With that in mind, we can leverage the data we do have available to track NICU bed patterns and anticipate upcoming changes. Here’s a look at NICU bed growth in 2023 and projections for 2024.

"Hundreds of health systems sought and implemented the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS’s) HaH waiver and invested in the ecosystem necessary to provide #highquality #care #athome... "Many health systems are eager to launch #HaH programs but balk at the significant upfront investment of financial and personnel resources... Thus despite CMS’s waiver program, the overall number of fee-for-service #Medicare patients receiving care via HaH remains relatively small... "HaH providers must demonstrate a return on investment for health systems in terms of both cost and quality, and—to the degree possible—de-risk the decision to build a HaH program." https://lnkd.in/gQJdhGNa

Do we really need to alleviate ED overcrowding or just to complain about it? If so, there is a way to do so. For many years, the issue of ED overcrowding/boarding plagues our healthcare delivery system. It has been exacerbated during and after the COVID pandemic for well-known and already intensively discussed reasons. Hundreds (if not thousands) of professional publications have been written. Myriads of media coverage addressing the importance of this issue have provided examples of the terrible consequences for patient mortality and medical errors from ignoring this issue. This problem has been significantly worsened during the COVID pandemic and by the increased patient demand due to the baby boomers. This not just the US’s problem. It is a burning issue in Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa. In fact, in some countries, EDs are periodically closed due to the imbalance between supply and patient demand, and patients have to drive to the next open ED which could be located a hundred miles away. A couple years ago, a group of the US ED chairmen published a very informative paper: https://lnkd.in/d2kFVr6j “The impact of ED crowding on morbidity, mortality, medical error, staff burnout, and excessive cost is well documented but remains largely underappreciated”, where they analyzed the most popular interventions on reducing ED overcrowding. At the top of this list is smoothing elective (mostly surgical) hospital admissions (see table 2). Indeed, as shown on the first comment on this post, unsmoothed hospital admissions adversely impact quality of care, staff burnout and hospital bottom line (https://lnkd.in/dvvubGN): It has also been proven to significantly improve nurse staffing, retention and access to timely surgery: https://lnkd.in/eB7Aw4xA. A week ago, Annals of Emergency Medicine published ahead of print a manuscript by my distinguished colleagues Gillian Schmitz, MD, Peter Viccellio , MD, and I “Emergency department crowding after Coronavirus disease 2019: time to change the hospital paradigm”: https://lnkd.in/gqUECQsq. It ends with the following words: “For the sake of a huge population of patients awaiting definitive care and for those who need critical emergency care, we need to change hospital paradigm. Your life may depend on it.” The alternative to this is just to keep collecting data and stories about the harmful effects of ED overcrowding on patient mortality, nurse shortages, hospital bottom line, etc., while ignoring the cause of these problems. #emergencydepartment #hospitalmanagement #nursingshortage #patientsafety #ems #cms #hhs #nhs

Have you ever wondered about the impact of IT system failures on patient care? Let’s explore this together. A recent BBC News investigation has unveiled some alarming facts about the NHS IT systems, which are used to manage patients’ medical records. Can you believe that IT system failures have been linked to the deaths of three patients and more than 100 instances of serious harm at NHS hospital trusts in England? What’s more, a Freedom of Information request revealed that 200,000 medical letters had gone unsent due to widespread problems with NHS computer systems. Nearly half of hospital trusts with electronic patient systems reported issues that could affect patients. Does this make you question the safety of digitizing health records? The government has prioritized introducing computerized records and making the NHS paperless in England. The aim is for everyone’s health information to be accessible to GPs, hospitals, and care homes at the touch of a button. But with numerous false starts and a new deadline set for 2026, one can’t help but ask, “Are we ready for this transition?” Let’s consider the case of 22-year-old Darnell Smith. Darnell had sickle cell disease, cerebral palsy, and was non-verbal. He was admitted to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, in Sheffield, with a cough and cold-like symptoms and a reduced appetite, in November 2022. Tragically, hospital staff could not see key information about Darnell on their computer system, leading to a delay in his care and his untimely death. How can we ensure that such tragedies do not repeat? How can we make IT systems more user-friendly and foolproof? The Royal College of GPs expressed shock and surprise at these findings. Prof Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the college, rightly said, “Now that we know there is a problem, it is crazy not to do something quickly in order to save lives and keep people safe.” So, what can we do to address these issues? How can we leverage technology to enhance patient care rather than endanger it? As we ponder these questions, let’s remember that while electronic patient record systems have been shown to improve safety and care for patients, it’s essential that they are introduced and operated to high standards. NHS England is working closely with trusts to review any concerns raised and provide additional support and guidance on the safe use of their systems. In the end, the goal is clear: to provide the best possible care for patients. But the path to achieving this goal in the digital age is fraught with challenges. As we navigate this journey, let’s keep the conversation going. What are your thoughts on this issue? How can we ensure the safe and effective use of digital health systems? Share your insights and join the discussion below. Source: https://lnkd.in/gJQ8MyHh

Check out this study relating to Patient & Family Experience in the ER and the correlation with ESI scores. The data is clear, lower wait times, lower time to providers, and those whose problems were fixed reported better experiences. This is a huge driver in attracting patients that have options. By making the comparatively small investment of staffing your ED with Care Coordinators & Utilization Management Nurses you can not only effectively improve patient throughput, thereby lowering wait times, but also make a positive financial impact by ensuring the appropriate care transitions. While not the only indicator to look at, definitely do not ignore your ESI Scores! #Healthcare #emergencydepartment #CaseManagement #utilizationmanagement https://lnkd.in/ewAK4hK2 https://lnkd.in/ewAK4hK2

🏥 Each year, there are four million intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the United States. 💸 ICU services cost, on average, 2.5 times more than non-ICU stays. 👩⚕️ The prospect of shortening ICU stays is a medically and operationally complex and sensitive matter. Still, some healthcare systems are making headway, aligning people, processes, and technology to safely reduce ICU length of stay when it makes clinical sense. New York’s Northwell Health is among them. Their guiding tool? The Adult ICU Liberation Bundle, developed in 2014 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine also known as the ABCDEF Bundle. Here’s how Northwell Health is using the ABCDEF Liberation Bundle to reduce ICU length of stay and related spending. 💡 Also available, is a full on-demand webinar to earn one contact hour. #healthcare #ICU #NorthwellHealth #ABCDEFBundle #ICULiberation