De-escalation: Mitigating Violence in Healthcare
The International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety Foundation (IAHSS) in August 2017 released a report to address strategies to prevent workplace violence in healthcare. Those familiar with the healthcare industry won’t be surprised by its conclusion: Healthcare facilities need to take steps now to mitigate violent incidents.
Q&A: The Patient Safety Implications of Overlapping Surgeries
A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association made headlines this November, announcing that overlapping surgeries didn’t increase the risk of postop complications. This study, and several others like it that came out in 2017, suggests the practice may not be as risky as some have feared.
Do Physicians Have a Responsibility to Protect Patients from Financial Harm?
Healthcare organizations shifting to wellness and value-based care first have to overcome significant barriers in getting certain populations to engage in health improvements. But among the biggest barriers today is one that few physicians seem willing to discuss with their patients: cost.
Reduce Nurse Stress and Reduce Medical Errors
Stress manifests among nurses in various forms and can affect patient outcomes. Fortunately, leaders can implement solutions to help reduce this pervasive problem.
Preventing Fires in the OR
An unplanned fire is the ultimate sign that things have gone sideways.
Despite being labeled a never event and countless regulations on how to prevent them, fires still break out in hospitals. Between 2012 and 2014 there were 5,700 medical facility fires reported to fire departments.
How Hospitals Are Failing Black Mothers
Researchers have found that women who deliver at these so-called “black-serving” hospitals are more likely to have serious complications — from infections to birth-related embolisms to emergency hysterectomies — than mothers who deliver at institutions that serve fewer black women.
Counting Patient Steps Predicts Readmissions Risk
In a recent study, commercial activity monitors showed a correlation between the number of inpatient steps and the likelihood of readmission.
Why Do Healthcare Workers Report to Work When Sick?
Recent study makes the assertion that illness transmission by healthcare employees represents a grave public health hazard. By John Palmer It’s no secret that that healthcare can be a dirty profession. So why is it that despite the warnings about the dangers of not wearing appropriate protection around hazardous drugs and infectious diseases, workers still … Continued
Needlesticks On The Rise, Despite Safeguards
Compliance with safety sharps continues to decrease, leaving facilities open to safety citations.
NotPetya and Ransomware: 6 Steps to Help You Beat Hackers
The member only article appears in the December issue of Patient Safety Monitor Journal. The NotPetya computer hack that hit healthcare facilities last summer is a warning to get creative about tightening up security. In the last week of June 2017, foreign-born computer malware attacked the systems of several U.S. companies—including Princeton Community Hospital in … Continued