Author: Robert Fojut

Trauma activation fees are attracting significant media attention. A recent report found that activation fees have risen sharply in the last 6 years and vary widely between hospitals. But according to Mike Williams, president of The Abaris Group, a trauma center consulting firm, activation fees are not just controversial, they are deeply flawed as a…

While the American College of Surgeons requires verified trauma centers to validate registry data, the Orange Book does not specify a particular data validation methodology. One suggestion is to entirely re-abstract 5% to 10% of patient records. But for busy trauma programs with limited resources, this approach can be burdensome. According to Kathy Cookman, BS,…

Many healthcare leaders look to Toyota and other world-class manufacturers for ideas on how to improve quality. But few healthcare organizations have adopted one of Toyota’s most important quality concepts — poka-yoke. This powerful design philosophy can help trauma leaders improve system performance without adding new layers of process and new penalties for poor performance.…

Trauma leaders increasingly recognize the vital role of registrars in trauma care. But unlike professionals in many fields, trauma registrars often receive limited formal training. Many new registrars still learn by exposure to the job. According to experts, this approach to registrar training creates serious problems. “Registrars who are trained by ‘just doing the job’…

Many healthcare leaders have their doubts about Google Glass. Does it violate patient privacy? Will it increase physician distractions? Most important for trauma professionals, does Google Glass have a role to play during a fast paced trauma activation? Recently, members of the trauma team at Forbes Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania,…

Many trauma centers are struggling to maintain a full team of trauma registrars. According to a recent survey, more than a quarter of trauma programs have trouble recruiting registrars, and over one-third have problems with retention. New criteria from the American College of Surgeons could make building a registry team even more challenging. According to…

Clinical trials for time-sensitive emergency therapies often enroll patients under exception from informed consent (EFIC). U.S. regulations require investigators to conduct a pre-trial “community consultation” with representatives from the communities where the investigation will take place. But what do patients themselves think of EFIC trials? A study publishing next month in Critical Care Medicine explores…

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar recently received the Trauma Distinction Award of Excellence from Accreditation Canada International (ACI). HMC is the first trauma organization in the world to earn the recognition. The ACI program gives international trauma organizations access to evidence-based standards, in-depth performance indicators and on-site visits by expert evaluators. “This accreditation represents…

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar submitted two performance improvement projects as part of its recent effort to earn the Trauma Distinction Award of Excellence from Accreditation Canada International (ACI). In keeping with ACI’s system focus, the projects aimed to improve trauma care in both the field and the hospital. Improving rapid sequence intubation (RSI)…

The Cribari Grid has long been the standard tool for measuring undertriage and overtriage rates within a trauma system. But while the grid is relatively simple, using it to monitor and improve triage performance is a challenge. According to David Kashmer, MD, chair of surgery at Signature Healthcare in Brockton, Massachusetts, using triage rates incorrectly…