Needlestick Prevention Law Update
Fifteen States Now Have Legislation
Ohio, Oklahoma, Connecticut, and Alaska are the most recent states to pass needle safety legislation. The current list of states that have taken legislative action and the date the bills were signed into law follows:
State Date Signed into Law
California 9/98
Tennessee 3/99
Maryland 5/99
Texas 6/99
New Jersey 1/00
West Virginia 4/00
Minnesota 4/00
Maine 4/00
Georgia 4/00
Iowa 4/00
New Hampshire 5/00
Alaska 6/00
Connecticut 6/00
Oklahoma 6/00
Ohio 7/00
According to the International Health Care Worker Safety Center at the University of Virginia, Hawaii has passed a senate resolution, but not a law, regarding their support for implementation of safer medical devices. The District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have bills pending.
Ohio law, the most recent to be approved, requires public institutions to use safety needles and provides training on how to use them and how to keep records of needlestick injuries. Similar to other states' laws, it makes exceptions for lack of available products and when products compromise patient safety. The legislation's standards are close to federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules and will take effect in three months.
The Leapfrog Group and the Positive Effect on Hospital Hand Hygiene
November 21st 2024The Leapfrog Group enhances hospital safety by publicizing hand hygiene performance, improving patient safety outcomes, and significantly reducing health care-associated infections through transparent standards and monitoring initiatives.
The Importance of Hand Hygiene in Clostridioides difficile Reduction
November 18th 2024Clostridioides difficile infections burden US healthcare. Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring (EHHMS) systems remind for soap and water. This study evaluates EHHMS effectiveness by comparing C difficile cases in 10 hospitals with CMS data, linking EHHMS use to reduced cases.
