MUNDELEIN, IL--(Marketwire - June 15, 2011) - Starting today, more than 1,600 U.S. nursing homes currently using the abaqis® quality assurance system will have the ability to empower their staff with free customized education to help improve resident care.
When abaqis was introduced less than three years ago, it was a revolutionary new quality assurance system to help nursing homes prepare for the new federal inspection process called Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) and improve their resident quality of care year-round. The new generation abaqis not only identifies residents at the highest risk for an in-depth investigation, it also provides information for a customized lesson plan based on the facility's own abaqis results. The education is accessed exclusively through Medline's free online education website, Medline University.
Medline abaqis® users now have the benefit of a custom Medline University home page that displays a curriculum plan unique to their facility's education needs. This custom education plan is designed to help staff enhance the quality of care in those areas that the abaqis software tool indicates as needing improvement.
"With the addition of Medline University, abaqis not only identifies areas within the facility that could trigger further investigation, it now provides education for the staff that is tailored specifically to those areas of concern," said Andrew Kramer, M.D., CEO of Nursing Home Quality, the developers of abaqis. "The education empowers staff to improve the quality of life for residents by taking corrective action."
Courses on Medline University specific to abaqis and resident care cover a broad range of issues, including honoring resident preferences, bathing with dignity, pain recognition and management, pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, and many more. Many of the courses offer continuing education credits.
Access to Medline University enables nursing home administrators to track the courses and monitor training compliance to ensure staff is taking the education.
As the only quality assessment and reporting system for nursing homes tied directly to the QIS, abaqis gives providers the unique opportunity to use QIS tools and approaches for ongoing quality assurance and continuous survey readiness. Users are able to identify quality concerns in the same manner as surveyors and address those concerns before, rather than after, a survey.
"Medline University provides users with 24-hour access to solutions and training to help nursing home staff advance resident-centered care," said Amy Munson, the director of Medline University. "There are more than 100 courses on MU tailored to long-term care, some of which are interactive simulations that fully engage the staff and help build true competency."
abaqis is sold through Medline. abaqis is a registered trademark of Nursing Home Quality, LLC, who developed the quality assurance tool, and the same company the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with to train the State Survey Agencies nationwide on the use of QIS. To learn more about the abaqis Nursing Home Quality Assurance System, visit www.medline.com/abaqis or call 1-800-MEDLINE.
About Medline Industries, Inc.
As the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, Medline manufactures and distributes more than 125,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, physician offices and home care dealers. Recently named one of the "100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare," Medline is headquartered in Mundelein, Ill. and has more than 1,100 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
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