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Lori Fornwalt,1 Brad Riddell1,2 1Departments of Infection Prevention and Environmental Services, Trinity Medical Centre, Birmingham, AL, 2Environmental Services, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA Abstract: It is widely acknowledged that the hospital environment is an important reservoir for many of the pathogenic microbes associated with health care-associated infections (HAIs). Environmental cleaning plays an important role in the prevention and containment of HAIs, in patient safety, and the overall experience of health care facilities. New technologies, such as pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light systems are an innovative development for enhanced cleaning and decontamination of hospital environments. A portable PX-UV disinfection device delivers pulsed UV light to destroy microbial pathogens and spores, and can be used in conjunction with manual environmental cleaning. In addition, this technology facilitates thorough disinfection of hospital rooms in 10–15 minutes. The current study was conducted to evaluate whether the introduction of the PX-UV device had a positive impact on patient satisfaction. Satisfaction was measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. In 2011, prior to the introduction of the PX-UV system, patient HCAHPS scores for cleanliness averaged 75.75%. In the first full quarter after enhanced cleaning of the facility was introduced, this improved to 83%. Overall scores for the hospital rose from 76% (first quarter, 2011) to 87.6% (fourth quarter, 2012). As a result of this improvement, the hospital received 1% of at-risk reimbursement from the inpatient prospective payment system as well as additional funding. Cleanliness of the hospital environment is one of the questions included in the HCAHPS survey and one measure of patient satisfaction. After the introduction of the PX-UV system, the score for cleanliness and the overall rating of the hospital rose from below the fiftieth to the ninety-ninth percentile. This improvement in the patient experience was associated with financial benefits to the hospital. Keywords: HAIs, PX-UV, environmental cleaning, patient satisfaction

Population and fishery dynamics are modelled to assess performance of alternative harvest policies for chinook that spawn in western North America. The sensitivity of model performance to variations in stock productivity and patterns of environment variation are explored to evaluate the trade-off between risk of extinction and benefits from harvest. Results indicate maximum economic benefit and low risk of extinction is not likely under the present harvest policy. Even with a conservative harvest-threshold policy, wherein harvest rates are reduced at low stock size and are zero if the stock size declines below an abundance threshold, the risk of extinction is significantly reduced compared to fixed harvest rate policies. Simulated abundance forecast errors within the historical range degraded model performance only slightly. With the constraint that risk of extinction be held below an acceptable level, socio-economic indicators reveal an optimal harvest-threshold policy at a fractional harvest of surplus abundance of about 0.45 and a threshold near 100 female spawners per stock. Based on coded-wire tag results for a major hatchery population, the mean historical harvest rate (1983–1991) was 0.6. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The spread of pathogens from farmed salmon is a conservation concern for wild Pacific salmon in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Three pathogens are prevalent in farmed Atlantic salmon in BC, spill over to wild Pacific salmon, and are linked to negative impacts on wild salmon: Piscine orthoreovirus, Tenacibaculum spp., and sea lice ( Lepeophtheirus salmonis ). Molecular screening of infectious agents in farmed and wild salmon and environmental DNA highlights a further 4 agents that are likely elevated near salmon farms and 37 that co-occur in wild and farmed salmon. Pathogens likely affect wild salmon indirectly by mediating migration, competition, and predation. Current net-pen aquaculture practices pose these risks to numerous populations of all species of wild salmon in BC, most of which are not covered in Government of Canada science and advisory reports. Climate change, pathogen evolution, and changes to disease management and aquaculture regulations will influence future risks.

Population health management is an approach to improve the health outcomes of a specific group of people, such as frequent users of the emergency department or those at high-risk for hospital admissions. When combined with quality improvement strategies, the targeted application of health information exchange and health information technology (health IT) can swiftly move health care systems and providers from basic to advanced population health management. One such tool is an electronic alert system (alert system), which informs a provider or site about a patient's visit to the emergency department or hospital admission on a daily basis. This article highlights the use of such an alert system in 2 communities to help address gaps in population health management., (Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this paper, the first in a two-part series, is to provide an introduction to selected elements of research for the practising pharmacist. It is not intended to provide the reader with all the tools necessary to plan, conduct and report a research study. One paper cannot achieve this since entire books have been devoted to single components of research. Through the examination and discussion of the structure of a research report as presented in this paper, the reader should derive a basic understanding of selected aspects of research. A subsequent paper will present an approach to evaluating reports of research studies. The background provided by both papers should make it possible for pharmacists to review more objectively the increasing number of journal articles reporting research studies. Readers should also gain an appreciation of the complexity of the research process and the time required to prepare a paper acceptable for publication. They will not be in a position to evaluate all the details in the research report.