F323 is the federal tag that is often cited at actual harm or immediate jeopardy. Have you received any citations at actual harm under this tag in recent years? If so, when was the last time you reviewed the language in the regulation?

I know it's probably a great cure for insomnia, but the regulation is pretty clearly written. And although there is some room for interpretation, it's a great guide to help improve your accident prevention program. Think about it: how can you meet the challenge if you don’t know what the rules are?

QA reporting is standard procedure for staff of long term care facilities. But don’t think of it as simply a protocol you have to follow. If you have good QA data — not just numbers on a screen, but comprehensive, insightful data you can use — you’ll find it can be a real game-changer for not only your community's benefit, but especially for your residents’ wellbeing.

QA reports can be a valuable tool in your risk management efforts — if they’re giving you the information you truly need. Your EHR might be holding a lot of data, and perhaps you get a few QA reports too. But do you have clear, comprehensive reports that benefit your facility, staff, and residents?

EHR systems are great tools for many different purposes in your facilities, but they aren’t a magic bullet for everything. Even the best tools have blindspots. Here are three gaps inherent in EHR systems that you will need to cover with additional tools.