IHA Daily Briefing: Feb. 2

In Today’s Issue
IDPH: Illinois Sees Welcome Decline in Seasonal Respiratory Viruses
SAMHSA Updates Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit
New Tool Helps Manage Opioid Use in Older Adults
Study Highlights Easy Way to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections
Respiratory Health and Tobacco Resources Are Available
COVID-19 Information
Briefly Noted

IDPH: Illinois Sees Welcome Decline in Seasonal Respiratory Viruses
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that the latest data continues to show the spread of respiratory viruses is declining across the state. The state’s overall respiratory illness level decreased from Low to Minimal in the most recent available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data and the state is also now at Low level for COVID-19 hospitalizations on the CDC COVID Data Tracker as of Jan. 27. In addition, the number of counties at Medium level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, which means between 10 and 20 hospitalizations per 100,000 of population in the last week, is at 10 in the most recent week, down from 11 the previous week. No counties are at High level, meaning more than 20 hospitalizations per 100,000 in the last week, down from six the previous week.

SAMHSA Updates Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has updated its Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit. The toolkit for healthcare providers and prescribers provides guidance and resources on preventing and responding to an overdose. The toolkit, designed to augment overdose prevention and reversal training, provides guidance on the role of opioid overdose reversal medications, including naloxone and nalmefene, and how to respond to an overdose. It also contains appendices for specific audiences, including people who use drugs, people who take prescription opioids, first responders, healthcare practitioners and others.

New Tool Helps Manage Opioid Use in Older Adults
A new online tool developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality supports efforts by primary care practices and healthcare systems to improve opioid medication management and prevent opioid misuse and opioid use disorder in older adults. The Opioids in Older Adults Compendium allows users to explore potential “high-level changes” that may improve opioid management, including tracking data to provide insights into patients’ opioid use, developing workflows to promote team-based care, using shared decision making to provide individualized care and increasing referrals to nonpharmacologic chronic pain management. Case studies and key activities with tools and resources are provided to support improved care. Click here to access the compendium.

Study Highlights Easy Way to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections
While significant progress has been made in preventing some healthcare-associated infection (HAI) types, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI. A study published yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a simple switch in disinfectants used on patients prior to surgical procedures may prevent thousands of in-hospital infections every year.

The study of 6,785 patients with a closed fracture and 1,700 patients with an open fracture were included in the trial. In the closed-fracture population, surgical-site infection occurred in 77 patients (2.4%) who received skin antisepsis with a solution of 0.7% iodine povacrylex in 74% isopropyl alcohol, and in 108 patients (3.3%) in the group that received skin antisepsis with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol. In patients with open fractures, the results were similar in the two groups. Study researches said that while the trial only included patients undergoing surgery for broken bones, the results might apply to other surgeries.

To support hospital members with their commitment to quality and safety efforts, IHA’s Institute for Innovations in Care and Quality is advancing person-centered healthcare in Illinois through evidence-based initiatives that can measurably improve patient safety and strengthen quality healthcare, including HAI prevention.  For questions about our programs and resources please contact IHA.

Respiratory Health and Tobacco Resources Are Available
The American Lung Association has numerous free online courses for healthcare professionals, including a live, virtual Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) educator course. Upon completion, healthcare professionals will earn Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Education Units credit. Courses include:

  • Asthma Basics: An interactive online learning module designed to help educate people about asthma.

  • Asthma Educator Institute: A three half-day preparatory course intended for those qualified to take the National Board for Respiratory Care examination and for individuals who want to implement guidelines-based asthma care.

  • Asthma Management Guidelines: A Review for Healthcare Professionals: A free training designed to help healthcare professionals learn and apply guidelines-based asthma care.

  • COPD Basics: An interactive online program to help people understand COPD. The course is ideal for patients with COPD, especially those with a new diagnosis. It is also geared toward caregivers or family members of someone who is living with COPD, as well as healthcare professionals.

  • COPD Educator Course: A professional education course for healthcare professionals who work with COPD patients, such as respiratory therapists, internal medicine nurses, pulmonary nurses, pharmacists and care managers. 

  • COPD Overview: An online module centered on COPD for healthcare professionals.

  • Infectious Disease Basics: A course designed to help individuals understand infectious respiratory diseases and, when applicable, the vaccinations available that help prevent them.

  • Radon Basics: A program designed to help people understand more about radon, a radioactive gas commonly found indoors at dangerous levels.

  • Tobacco Basics: A course designed to lay the foundation in understanding the toll of tobacco use in the U.S. 

COVID-19 Information
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) has launched a weekly Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard that will be updated weekly on Friday. This report provides the public with the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data.

Click here to visit the IDPH COVID-19 resources webpage. IDPH will continue to report the weekly number of people with COVID-19 admitted to hospitals from emergency departments, deaths and vaccinations, with COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information also reported through the dashboard of the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System.

Briefly Noted
The U.S. economy added 353,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate clocked in at 3.7%, according to data released today by the U.S Labor Department. In January, employment in healthcare increased by 70,000, with more than 33,000 jobs realized in ambulatory healthcare services and employment gains of more than 22,000 in hospitals. Job growth in healthcare averaged 58,000 per month in 2023.

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that unmedicated children with anxiety disorders show widespread overactivation in brain functioning. They also showed that treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) led to improvements in clinical symptoms and brain functioning. The findings illuminate the brain mechanisms underlying the acute effects of CBT to treat one of the most common mental disorders. Click here to view the study, which published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, and led by NIMH researchers.