Asked about the top areas of improvement needed to meet patient safety culture program goals, respondents to the 2019 Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare Industry Outlook Survey said that communication openness was most in need of improvement (47%).

Vision impairment including blindness affects nearly 4 million U.S. adults, and the figure is expected to increase significantly with rising rates of macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other eye conditions.

The DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurses are given to nurses who display extraordinary and compassionate care throughout the year. More than 3,600 healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. as well as 21 other countries participate annually in the program.

The report called for significant changes in nurses’ roles, responsibilities, and education to meet the increased demand for care and to make improvements to the healthcare system.

According to the survey, the 2018 State of the Nurse Practitioner Profession, almost 70% of respondents hold a certification in family care, 12% hold a certification in adult care, and six percent hold a certification in adult-gerontology care. Only four percent of respondents have a certification in pediatrics.

ECRI Institute’s 2019 list of concerns addresses systemic issues facing health systems, such as behavioral health concerns, clinician burnout, and skills development. Mobile health technology, number four on the list, opens up a world of opportunities by transporting healthcare to the home, but also presents potential risks.

The free webinar, Advancing Patient Safety Beyond the Hospital, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Radonda Vaught administered a fatal dose of the wrong medication to a 75-year-old woman in late 2017, after overriding system safeguards, as The Tennessean’s Brett Kelman reported, citing an investigation report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.