THOUGHT LEADERSHIP by AMS
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CMS relaxes nursing home visitation rules; now is the time for vigilance in infection prevention and control
For the first time in what feels like ages, family and friends can once again visit loved ones inside nursing homes. In reality, it has been almost exactly one year to the day since non-emergency visits were banned in an effort to protect residents from COVID-19.
And now that nearly 3 million vaccine doses have been administered amongst the nursing home population, the doors are opening once again. All of us in long-term care are thrilled that our residents can once again see their families, knowing how hard the pandemic-induced isolation has been on them both physically and emotionally. Read more...
CASE STUDY
Virtual Rounding by AMS - the proof is in the numbers
As staffing remains one of the biggest challenges today for skilled nursing facilities, a 10-chain SNF located in the Midwest recently called upon AMS Infection Prevention Partners’ Virtual Rounding program to provide clinical backup to their infection prevention and control (IPC) program. Having an extra set of experienced clinicians round virtually on residents daily lent a level of support to their over-stretched care teams and provided an extra layer of protection to catch potential problems, helping to avoid adverse patient outcomes and potential IPC fines. Read more...
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Add a clinician's expertise to your EMR data with Virtual Rounding
We can’t be everywhere at once. There’s never enough time in the day. Rounding -- especially in the long-term care community -- just isn’t what it used to be. Every nurse knows this, and these are thoughts we, as nurses, seem to all have quite often these days.
Thankfully, there are tools and technology to give us insight into our residents and patients, but there are times when it just doesn’t feel like enough. Even the best analytics platforms and algorithms can’t replace a dedicated nurse’s clinical eye -- double-checking prescriptions, looking for even the subtlest changes in a patient’s vital signs, reviewing labs and ensuring the right antibiotic was prescribed. Read more...
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Infection Prevention and Control in 2021: Let’s learn from our past mistakes, be proactive
As 2021 gets underway, let’s pause to take a few moments to reflect on 2020 and all that we learned from such a difficult year, particularly as it relates to long-term care and infection prevention and control practices. Read more...
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Get Prepared: Identify your Nursing Home’s Vaccination Coordinator Now
We’re all eager for the arrival of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination -- perhaps no one more than the long-term care community. While we were all expecting it as imminent for the past few weeks, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices officially prioritized healthcare workers, as well as long-term care and skilled nursing residents and staff for vaccine distribution last week.
As early as this month, 3 million residents and 21 million staff of long-term care and skilled nursing facilities could begin receiving the vaccine, initiating a collective—but cautious---sigh of relief for those facilities desperately trying to keep the novel coronavirus out of their doors and protect their residents. At long last, the vaccine is almost here. What are next steps? Read more...
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When influenza meets a pandemic: How to keep long-term residents safe and healthy as flu season approaches
We’re weeks away from embarking upon an unprecedented time in healthcare and science and we haven’t even made it through the current scenario in which we’re all living amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. continue to climb - 6 million+ and counting - we’re getting ready to be faced with yet another formidable opponent in infectious disease - influenza. Read more...
CASE STUDY
Comprehensive IPC Program Reduces Infections, Unnecessary Prescriptions at Leading Long-Term Care Facility
This case study demonstrates that with the ability to quickly and accurately identify multiple distinct pathogens (viral vs. bacterial) in nursing facility residents on a quarterly basis, as well as in symptomatic residents, and the support of a dedicated infection preventionist, along with staff education and training, long-term care facilities can drastically reduce the number of respiratory infection cases, control the spread of infectious disease, and reduce the number of unnecessarily prescribed antibiotics. Read more...
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How live EHR data advances infection prevention at long-term care facilities
We recently announced several strategic partners with leaders in the skilled nursing and long-term care communities that will help us advance infection prevention and control (ICP) at facilities across the country.
We’ve chosen to work with the best in our industry - from our preferred laboratory, Coastal Dx, to PruittHealth, which has 90 locations in the southeast U.S., to Sensiva, which provides fast and accurate COVID-19 antibody testing. So naturally, when we needed access to live clinical data to bolster our infection control and prevention programs, we selected Real Time Medical Systems. Read more...
WHITEPAPER
Respiratory PCR Quarterly Testing Has Two Objectives:
According to the CDC, nursing home residents experience 3 to 4 respiratory infections a year. Our program will result in the greatest possibility of identifying the possible agent and therefore prescribing the correct treatment.
The CDC also states that 50 to 70% of antibiotic use for respiratory infections are inappropriate in LTC facilities. By determining whether the infection is viral vs. bacterial using PCR technology, we have shown we can decrease antibiotic use. Read more...
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Implementing Effective Infection Control Programs in Nursing Homes
[March 1, 2020] All continents now have an outbreak of the Coronavirus, except Antarctica. International stock markets have wiped away $6 trillion in value due to the world threat of a pandemic. Here in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is preparing for the pending outbreak, requesting $2.5 billion to start. The American Health Care Association has issued alerts to their nursing home members--all as our first two cases have been identified in a Washington State facility this past weekend. While everyone needs to be diligent and cautious, it is even more important for our at-risk seniors and those that care for them to be on high alert. Read more...