Sign displaying CDC-recommended airborne precautions everyone must take (Spanish).

Sign displaying CDC-recommended airborne precautions everyone must take.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, typically spread through inhaling water droplets from contaminated sources like hot tubs, cooling towers, and complex water systems. Symptoms include cough, muscle aches, fever, shortness of breath, and headache, and the disease can be treated with antibiotics, though it is fatal in about 10% of cases. Certain individuals, particularly those over 50 or with weakened immune systems, are at higher risk for infection.

This ICAR form guides observations on water exposure risks in acute care, long-term care, and outpatient healthcare facilities, excluding hemodialysis settings. Separate resources are available for hemodialysis facility assessments.

ICAR Module 11 assesses infection risks from water exposures and related policies in healthcare facilities, excluding hemodialysis settings.

ICAR tools help healthcare facilities assess and improve infection prevention practices, with modules for acute care, long-term care, and outpatient settings. Not for use in outpatient hemodialysis; separate tools available.

The IDSA's COVID-19 Vaccine Dosing & Schedule page provides updated guidelines on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. As of fall 2023, it advises all U.S. residents aged 6 months and older to receive one dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines, reformulated to protect against the XBB.1.5 variant. The page includes resources related to vaccine recommendations, regulatory actions, and scientific considerations.

Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) Steps

Protect nursing home residents from evolving health threats like MDROs with Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) to stop the spread of germs.

Developed by the CDC, this report highlights progress and opportunities in antibiotic stewardship across the U.S. It focuses on health equity in prescribing practices, updates on stewardship guidance, and surveillance data to track antibiotic use. The report includes findings from various studies and new resources to enhance stewardship efforts in healthcare settings. 

The Dietary Guidelines is designed for professionals to help all individuals ages 2 years and older and their families consume a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet. The information in the Dietary Guidelines is used in developing Federal food, nutrition, and health policies and programs.

The HHS Cybersecurity Task Force has released new resources to help the health and public health sectors combat rising cyber threats. This includes the "Knowledge on Demand" platform for free cybersecurity training, the updated "Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) 2023 Edition," and the "Hospital Cyber Resiliency Initiative Landscape Analysis." These resources aim to enhance cybersecurity awareness, provide best practices, and assess hospital cyber resilience.

A decision support tool assists prescribers in choosing treatment for common infections in nursing home residents. By selecting the infection type and answering questions, users are informed if minimum antibiotic criteria are met (green checkmark) or suggested alternative actions (red "X").

This page outlines strategies for overdose prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.

The "Spring 2024 Semiannual Report to Congress" by the HHS Office of Inspector General details significant findings, recommendations, and investigative outcomes related to the administration of HHS programs from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. It aims to keep the Secretary and Congress informed about risks, problems, and improvements in HHS operations.

AHRQ’s SHARE Approach is a five-step process for shared decision making that includes exploring and comparing the benefits, harms, and risks of each option through meaningful dialogue about what matters most to the patient.

CLAS is a way to improve the quality of services provided to all individuals, which will ultimately help reduce health disparities and achieve health equity. CLAS is about respect and responsiveness: Respect the whole individual and Respond to the individual’s health needs and preferences.

This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments in this promising pathway toward better care, including examples of project findings and products, collective outputs, and impacts of this work. 

The "2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety" by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides a comprehensive overview of patient safety trends, disparities, and measures across various healthcare settings. It highlights areas of improvement, persistent challenges, and outlines the efforts to enhance patient safety and reduce healthcare-associated harms.

Building relationships with external partners that reflect the lived experience of individuals served by your organization can help you understand how best to meet those individuals’ needs and ultimately end disparities. Thoughtful outreach, feedback mechanisms, and engagement are foundational to building long-term, reciprocal relationships with diverse communities

This document by the Health Services Advisory Group, Inc. (HSAG) assesses the quality and efficiency impact of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measures. It analyzes data trends from 2016-2021, evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides insights into health equity, chronic conditions, and other healthcare quality priorities.

The document is about revisions to the State Operations Manual (SOM) Appendix Z - Emergency Preparedness.  This Transmittal includes revisions based on recent federal regulation changes via (CMS–3346–F) and is a follow up to memo QSO 20-07 released on December 20, 2019.  In addition to updates on the interpretive guidelines, this update also provides additional guidance on emerging infectious diseases.  We are making changes to Appendix Z to reflect lessons learned and additional guidance related to pandemic preparedness as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.  

CMS launched the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model on July 31, 2023, a voluntary initiative to aid individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Letters of interest are accepted until September 15, 2023, with a full Request for Applications (RFA) expected in Fall 2023. The model begins on July 1, 2024, spanning eight years.

The CMS Innovation Center held a virtual listening session as part of our continuing partnership with patients.

The How to Upload an Assessment for MDS Users training video provides steps for uploading MDS assessments to iQIES.

Effective with the July 2023 refresh, CMS revised the nursing-home level exclusion criteria on erroneously high number of administrators applied to the administrator turnover measure.

The CMS Framework for Health Equity provides a strong foundation for our work as a leader and trusted partner dedicated to advancing health equity, expanding coverage, and improving health outcomes. This includes strengthening our infrastructure for assessment, creating synergies across the health care system to drive structural change, and identifying and working together to eliminate barriers to CMS-supported benefits, services, and coverage for individuals and communities who are underserved or disadvantaged and those who support them.

This document contains the answers to frequently asked questions about The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP

This document outlines the program audit process for 2022. CMS will send engagement letters to initiate routine audits beginning February 2022 through July 2022. Engagement letters for ad hoc audits may be sent at any time throughout the year. The program areas for the 2022 audits include: CDAG-Part D Coverage Determinations, Appeals, and Grievances; CPE: Medicare Part C and Part D Compliance Program Effectiveness; FA--Part D Formulary and Benefit Administration; MMP-SARAG--Medicare-Medicaid Plan Service Authorization Requests, Appeals, and Grievances; MMPCC--Medicare-Medicaid Plan Care Coordination; ODAG--Part C Organization Determinations, Appeals, and Grievances; SNP-CC--Special Needs Plans – Care Coordination

This QIF provides resources that may aid LTC providers in recognizing potential medication error deficiency citations and developing a Plan of Correction.

Pain can have negative effects leading to prolonged hospital stays. Determining the presence of uncontrolled and untreated pain in patients with cognitive impairments such as delirium, dementia, and delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) is challenging. One tool commonly suggested for use in assessment of pain in older adults with cognitive impairment is the Pain Assessment In Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale. Proper use of the PAINAD scale as part of a comprehensive pain management plan can help reduce the likelihood of a patient experiencing unrecognized and untreated pain. Using an individual example, this article illustrates best practices in pain assessment and management for a woman experiencing DSD during an acute hospitalization.

This tip sheet provides healthcare facility executives with practices for retaining and supporting staff during and after disasters, emphasizing the importance of addressing immediate and short-term needs such as shelter, transportation, food, behavioral health care, and flexible scheduling. It includes insights on maintaining staff morale and ensuring their well-being to foster a resilient workforce.

This document from ASPR TRACIE compiles resources on mold prevention and cleanup after flooding, including fact sheets, checklists, guidance documents, and PSAs. It provides valuable information for community residents, business owners, and healthcare facility executives on handling mold-related issues post-flood.

The document provides a comprehensive list of resources from ASPR TRACIE related to hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery, covering various aspects such as mold management, climate resilience, healthcare system considerations, and disaster behavioral health. It includes modules and fact sheets designed to support healthcare workers and organizations in managing emergencies effectively.

These FAQs provide guidance on Enhanced Barrier Precautions as defined by the CDC for preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in senior living facilities, covering definitions, applications, and distinctions from standard and contact precautions. The document aims to improve infection control practices and resident care quality.

This cohort study from the National Health and Aging Trends Study examines the disability and caregiving patterns of individuals entering long-term care facilities (LTCFs), highlighting that many enter nursing homes and assisted living after months of severe disability and extensive unpaid home caregiving. The study provides insights into the progression of disability and caregiving needs before and after entry into these facilities.

The Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS) investigates long-term outcomes for patients with favorable-risk prostate cancer managed through protocol-directed active surveillance, showing it to be an effective strategy for avoiding overtreatment and preventing undertreatment. The study includes data from 2155 men across 10 North American centers.

The Falls Management Program (FMP) is an interdisciplinary quality improvement initiative designed to assist senior living facilities in providing individualized, person-centered care and improving their fall care processes through educational and quality improvement tools. It highlights the prevalence and serious consequences of falls in senior living facilities and emphasizes the importance of a systematic approach to minimizing fall risk.

If you work in a care profession, you likely use person-centered approaches every day. This guide will help you discover even more ways to help every person in your care thrive.

Even though people all over the world are living longer and healthier lives, our health can change over time because of the different conditions and concerns we may face. Many of us, especially as we reach our mid-70s and beyond, may develop different combinations of diseases, health conditions, and disabilities. Our health needs become more complex as we get older, and what matters most to us may vary also.

The World Health Organization has put together a helpful infographic to remind Health Care Workers when they should practice hand hygiene.