Revealing patient safety issues and medical errors are goals of Facebook page set up by ProPublica

Photo by iStockphoto.com/selimaksan

Interested in creating a venue for those who have been harmed while undergoing medical treatments, ProPublica, the nonprofit, investigative news organization, has set up a Facebook page on the issue.

"Group members have already shared stories of personal disability or the death of a loved one due to surgical mistakes, becoming infected with deadly drug-resistant bacteria and dental mishaps — including cases they claim were not properly addressed by health care providers," Daniel Victor and Marshall Allen report. The page will be moderated by Victor and Olga Pierce.

The page is also open to doctors, nurses, regulators, health-care executives and others interested in discussing medical errors, their causes and solutions. Question-and-answer sessions with experts will be posted, along with links to the latest reports and policy proposals. (Read more)

100 Kentucky hospitals join network to improve patient safety, fight hospital-acquired conditions such as infections

To help hospitals reduce preventable readmissions and hospital-acquired infections, 100 of Kentucky's 131 hospitals have joined the Kentucky Hospital Association's hospital engagement network. The group's goal is to help hospitals find ways to improve patient safety, reduce readmissions and hospital-acquired conditions such as infections, and share learning among hospitals.

The network hopes to reduce the incidence of adverse drug events; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; central-line-associated bloodstream infections; injuries from falls and immobility; obstetrical adverse events; pressure ulcers; surgical site infections; venous thromboembolisms or deep vein clots; ventilator-associated pneumonia; and preventable readmissions.

The two-year project is supported by a contract with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of the "Partnership for Patients" campaign, launched earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal for the project is to reduce preventable  readmissions that occur within 30 days of discharge by 20 percent and hospital-acquired infections by 40 percent (compared to 2010) by the end of 2013.

"The commitment to patient safety and quality by hospitals across Kentucky has resulted in lives saved, fewer complications and reduced costs," said Mark J. Neff, chair of the KHA board of trustees and president and CEO of St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead. For a list of hospitals participating in the network, click here.

Nearly half of Kentuckians keep guns in their home, and 9 percent keep a gun loaded and unlocked

Forty-five percent of Kentucky adults keep a gun or other firearm in their home, and one-fifth of those (9 percent of the population) keep them loaded but unlocked, the 2011 Kentucky Health Issues Poll has found. Children are present in almost half of homes that have firearms.

"Whether or not you keep guns in your home, if you have children, this should be a reminder to talk to them about gun safety," said Susan Zepeda, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which released the poll results. In 2008, 576 Kentuckians died from injury by firearms, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranking the state 16th in firearm deaths that year.

The poll found that men, people with higher incomes and people who live in the Appalachian part of the state are more likely to keep firearms around the home. People who live in large urban areas had fewer of the weapons — 39 percent in the Lexington area, 37 percent in Northern Kentucky and 32 in the Louisville area, compared to 57 percent in Eastern Kentucky.

The poll was funded by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, as well as the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. A random sample of more than 1,600 Kentuckians responded to the survey, which was conducted Sept. 27 to Oct. 27, 2011 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of adults across Kentucky were interviewed, including 1,313 landline interviews and 308 cell-phone interviews. (Read more)

Twice as many kids are killed on roads and streets on Halloween as on any other day, but many parents fail to discuss safety

Only one-third of parents talk to their children each year about how to stay safe on Halloween, a study released by the Safe Kids Fayette County Program has found, even though on average, twice as many child pedestrians are killed during the holiday than on any other other day of the year. (Photo by zirconicusso)

"Given children's limited attention spans, repeated and consistent messages about safe behaviors are key to preventing injuries," said Sherri Hannan, a nurse and coordinator of Safe Kids Fayette County. "By following the basic safety tips provided by Safe Kids, Halloween can be a fun and safe night for children of all ages."

Of the 935 parents surveyed, most said they had talked to their kids at some point about Halloween safety but don't make it an annual conversation. The study also showed 40 percent of parents allow their children to use one or more unsafe items on Halloween, such as a mask, loose-fitting clothing and/or a sharp object.

The study found that 12 percent of children 5 or younger are allowed to trick-or-treat without an adult. "It is alarming to hear that children ages 5 years and younger are trick-or-treating without adult supervision," Hannan said. "If they are old enough and mature enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, parents should make sure children go out in groups and stick to a predetermined route with good lighting."

To keep children safe, Safe Kids recommends:
• Children under 12 should trick-or-treat and cross streets with an adult.
• Children and parents should always walk on sidewalks or paths. In the absence of those, they should walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Parents and children should cross at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Costumes and trick-or-treat bags should be decorated with reflective tape or stickers.
• Parents should check treats for signs of tampering before children are allowed to eat them. Candy should be thrown away if the wrapped is faded, torn or unwrapped.
• Drivers should slow down and be especially alert in neighborhoods.
• Drivers should anticipate heavy traffic and turn on their headlights early in the day.
• Drivers should reduce distractions while driving and pay attention to the road.

Tips for staying safe this Halloween include avoiding decorative contact lenses

Though ghouls and goblins willbe out in full force, there will be other, unexpected dangers lurking on Halloween, some before kids even leave the house.

Though glowing, oddly-colored eyes might seem like the ultimate spooky touch to kids' costumes, officials with the Kentucky Optometric Association, along with the Food and Drug Administration, warn against using decorative, non-corrective contact lenses that are sold without a prescription from an eye doctor. (FDA photo)

"Consumers who purchase lenses without a prescription or without consultation from an eye doctor put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye's ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss," said Lisa Sanford Howard, an optometrist in Middlesboro. Risks involve conjunctivitis (pink eye), swelling, allergic reaction and corneal abrasion due to a poor lens fit.

In considering costumes, parents should make sure their children can see well through masks and walk without tripping on their costume, Kentucky State Police advise. While they're on the street, children should carry a flashlight or have reflective tape on their costumes to make them more visible.

"On Halloween evening, we're placing our children in probably some of the most dangerous traffic situations you could imagine," said KSP Lt. David Jude. "Our children are outside after dark, they walk along and cross unfamiliar streets, and they often wear dark colors, which are difficult for motorists to see."

When children get home with their haul, they should not eat treats until they have been checked by an adult. Parents should discard unwrapped or suspicious candy.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 41 million kids between ages 5 and 14 will go trick-or-treating this year.

Opinions on health and safety issues differ among regions in Ky.

New data show Kentuckians' views on several major health-related issues vary depending on where they live. Those in Eastern Kentucky, the area with the highest poverty rate, are more likely to worry about having the money to pay for nutritious meals. They also have less access to affordable fruit and vegetables, and have a harder time finding safe places to exercise.

The data were compiled through the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which was conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. It surveyed more than 1,600 Kentuckians selected at random.

Views on smoking also differ by region. People in Northern Kentucky are less likely to support a statewide smoking ban, while people in the greater Louisville area tend to be more in favor of it. The views reflect local smoking bans that are already in effect; Louisville has banned smoking in public places since 2008, but the movement has stalled in Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentuckians are also less likely to support legislation that would ban cell phone use while driving. People living in Kentucky's two largest urban centers, Louisville and Lexington, are more likely to use their cell phones while driving. People in Lexington said they're more like to talk, text or send emails on their phones when behind the wheel, while people in Louisville are only more likely to talk. People in Eastern Kentucky are the least likely group to talk or text on a cell phone when operating a vehicle.

Almost 3 in 4 respondents said they would support a complete ban on cell phone use while driving. Nearly as many said they need more information in order to understand the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal health-reform law.

The poll is jointly funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. (Read more)