Dickson Live from IHI National Forum

Good Morning and welcome to the 27th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare. Over the next several days we will be sharing updates from workshops related to disease response, improving healthcare, and more.

Join us as we live update the blog with new content during the event and follow the conversation as it takes place on Twitter using #IHI27Forum. If you're here too, make sure to stop by and see us at Booth #523 while the exhibit hall is open. Look forward to seeing you there!

Updated Tuesday 12/8 at 11:25 AM

We've already had the opportunity to sit in on a session based around emergency response through the lens of the recent Ebola scare and a few themes emerged during the presentation.

1. We have no idea when or where the next scare will be, but there will be another. Below is a timeline of medical emergencies in New York City that have occurred over the last 15 years as a reference to their continued appearances and relevance. At what point is it important to consider a low risk threat a legitimate one so you can make yourself properly prepared it? Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question.
2. Communication is imperative to executing any emergency medical plan. It's important to reach everyone in the organization, whether they be doctors, nurses, patients, custodial staff, security, etc, because any break in the chain can disrupt even the best laid plans. Employees that are educated are also less likely to succumb to fear when presented with such an emergency, however it is important to have information easily accessible so plans can be quickly refreshed when they are necessary.
3. Even with the planning that is already in place, the U.S. is grossly unprepared for a mass scale medical emergency. Right now there just aren't enough beds across the country.

For or more thoughts on the subject, visit the CDC's website.

Updated Tuesday 12/8 at 4:12 PM

Here at the IHI National forum no theme has shone more brightly than the idea of love. Nowhere is that more evident than on a board the conference has set up to solicit answers to one major question. What brings you joy in your work? The responses were consistent to a single core idea.

The patients. The colleagues. The people. How can you see that and think that these people do what they do for anything other than love? Even though there are hundreds of lists online to help people understand why they should go into medicine, the idea of helping others is fundamental to them. With the current climate of today's world, being surrounded by such an outpouring of love and camaraderie has been refreshing.

The next time you run into someone related to the field of healthcare, whether they be a nurse, a surgeon, a scientist, or anything else, give them your thanks. While they may have other reasons they chose the field, one fact remains: Everything they do, they’re doing it for you whether you realize it or not.

Updated Wednesday 12/9 at 12:30 PM

Day three is starting to wind down as the conference nears its completion. if you're on site and haven't visited us yet stop by Booth #523 and say hi. If you've considered furthering your education, stick around and visit with some of the Master's programs that are on site.

It may not come as much of a surprise, but continuing education is a major part of the medical industry. Those in attendance this week are receiving credit for the programs they're attending as they continue to better themselves in order to provide you with better care. As they compile credits, they become eligible for new certifications.

Such certificates are available across a number of categories and program levels:

• Improvement Capability 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106
• Patient Safety 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106
• Leadership 101
• Person- and Family-Centered Care 101
• Quality, Cost, and Value 101

If you're interested in furthering you're education in the field and would like more information on the IHI certificate programs, visit their website for details.