Purpose In the healthcare management domain, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the role of resilience practices in improving patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to understand the capabilities that enable healthcare resilience and how digital technologies can support these capabilities. Design/methodology/approach Within- and cross-case research methodology was used to study resilience mechanisms and capabilities in healthcare and to understand how digital health technologies impact healthcare resilience. The authors analyze data from two Italian hospitals through the lens of the operational failure literature and anchor the findings to the theory of dynamic capabilities. Findings Five different dynamic capabilities emerged as crucial for managing operational failure. Furthermore, in relation to these capabilities, medical, organizational and patient-related knowledge surfaced as major enablers. Finally, the findings allowed the authors to better explain the role of knowledge in healthcare resilience and how digital technologies boost this role. Practical implications When trying to promote a culture of patient safety, the research suggests healthcare managers should focus on promoting and enhancing resilience capabilities. Furthermore, when evaluating the role of digital technologies, healthcare managers should consider their importance in enabling these dynamic capabilities. Originality/value Although operations management (OM) research points to resilience as a crucial behavior in the supply chain, this is the first research that investigates the concept of resilience in healthcare systems from an OM perspective, with only a few authors having studied similar concepts, such as “workaround” practices.

Purpose We aimed to implement and to assess the impact of the antifungal stewardship programme (AFSp) on prescription appropriateness of antifungals, management and outcomes of candidaemia patients, and antifungal consumption and costs at our solid organ transplant (SOT) institute. Methods Local epidemiology of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) from 2009 to 2017 was analysed in order to prepare an effective AFSp, implemented in January 2018. It included suspension of empirical antifungal prescriptions after 72 hours (antifungal time‐out), automated alert and infectious disease (ID) consult for empirical prescriptions and for every patient with IFI, and indication for step‐down to oral fluconazole when possible. We used process measures and results measures to assess the effects of the implemented programme. Results The ASFp led to significant improvements in selection of the appropriate antifungal (40.5% in pre‐AFS vs 78.6% in post‐AFS), correct dosing (51.2% vs 79.8%), correct length of treatment (55.9% vs 75%) and better management of patients with candidaemia. Analysis of prescribed empirical antifungal revealed that defined daily doses (DDDs) per 100 patient days decreased by 36.7% in 2018 compared to the average of pre‐AFSp period, with important savings in costs. Conclusion This AFSp led to a better use of antifungal drugs in terms of appropriateness and consumption, with stable clinical and microbiological outcomes in patients with IFI.

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Introduction Despite sound evidence on the importance of sleep for human beings and its role in healing, hospitalized patients still experience sleep disruption with deleterious effects. Many factors affecting patients' sleep can be removed or minimized. We evaluated the efficacy of a multicomponent Good Sleep Bundle (GSB) developed to improve patients' perceived quality of sleep, through which we modified environmental factors, timing of nighttime clinical interventions, and actively involved patients in order to positively influence their experience during hospitalization. Methods: In a prospective, before and after controlled study, two different groups of 65 patients each were admitted to a cardiothoracic unit in two different periods, receiving the usual care (control group) and the GSB (GSB group), respectively. Sleep quality was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at the admission, discharge, and 30 days after discharge in all patients enrolled. Comparisons between the two groups evaluated changes in PSQI score from admission to discharge (primary endpoint), and from admission to 30 days after discharge (secondary endpoint). Results: The mean PSQI score difference between admission and discharge was 4.54 (SD 4.11) in the control group, and 2.05 (SD 4.25) in the GSB group. The mean difference in PSQI score change between the two groups, which was the primary endpoint, was 2.49 (SD 4.19). This difference was highly significant (p = 0.0009). Conclusion: The GSB was associated with a highly significant reduction of the negative effects that hospitalization produces on patients' perceived quality of sleep compared with the usual care group.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is a worldwide urgent health problem. Hand hygiene (HH) is an effective intervention to reduce the spread of CRE.Local Problem: In 2017, an increase in the rate of health care-associated (HA) CRE colonization was observed in a large multiorgan transplant center in Italy. This study aimed to reduce the HA-CRE colonization rates by improving HH compliance. Methods: A pre-/post-intervention project was conducted from November 2017 through December 2020. Interventions:The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) framework was used to implement the HH Targeted Solution Tool (TST). Results: Hand hygiene compliance increased from 49% to 76.9% after the Improve phase (P = .0001), and to 81.9% after the second Control phase (P = .0001). The rate of HA-CRE decreased from 24.9% to 5.6% (P = .0001). Conclusions: Using the DMAIC framework to implement the TST can result in significant improvements in HH compliance and HA-CRE colonization rates.