Since then, Project BOOST has grown and evolved. Some BOOST iterations now include third parties, such as the University of Michigan, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, and the California HealthCare Foundation. SHM also recently introduced a nationwide, tuition-based version of the BOOST initiative.
Now, SHM is announcing that new resources are available to all hospitals, regardless of their participation in Project BOOST, all year. Some resources were previously available only to Project BOOST participants; others are brand-new materials available to any hospital or hospitalist trying to reduce unplanned readmissions to their hospital.
“No matter where you are in the hospital, you have an opportunity to improve discharge,” says Tina Budnitz, MPH, senior advisor for quality improvement. “The response to Project BOOST has been overwhelmingly positive. That’s why we’re so excited to make these new materials available to anyone responsible for lowering readmissions.”
Individuals can download the Project BOOST implementation course, a new training program specifically designed to help nurses use the proven “teachback” method, and the Project BOOST patient PASS form.
Budnitz and Project BOOST organizers also plan to launch supplemental products for self-implementers, including access to Project BOOST e-mail listservs, data centers, and webinars.
Prepare Now for Flu Season
With most of the country still enjoying warm weather, it’s easy to forget that flu season is right around the corner. Hospitals can either be part of the solution—or part of the problem.
Compared to friends and family outside of the hospital, patients in the hospital are especially at risk. The chances of contracting the flu are higher, given decreased immune responses and increased proximity to caregivers and other potentially infected patients. Plus, the impact of the flu on healthcare providers can be significantly more severe.
By now, most hospitals have protocols for preparing for flu season and isolating infected patients, says Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSc, SFHM, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston and director of general medical service at Brigham and Women’s Hospitalist Service. Hospitalists play a special role within those protocols, she adds.
“Hospitalists can be instrumental in preventing the spread of flu within the hospital by having a low threshold for diagnostic testing of patients, immediate isolation of those patients, and strict adherence to infection-control measures in those with suspected influenza,” Dr. Scheurer says.
Dr. Scheurer also emphasizes the fact that flu prevention doesn’t end with better clinical practices. Patient education is key.
“Hospitalists can be vital in educating patients about how to avoid symptomatic contacts,” she says, “and how to advocate for themselves in insisting that all care providers use strict handwashing protocols to avoid transmitting influenza among patients.” TH