Study Finds Overworked Nurses Can Lead to 40% Increase in Patient Death Risk
When the workload was above the optimal level, the study found the risk of a patient safety incident grew by 8% to 32%, while the risk of patient mortality increased by 43%.
ISMP Survey Shows Provider Text Messaging Often Runs Afoul of Patient Safety
ISMP conducted this survey to gain insight into the practice of texting medical orders given the ongoing debate regarding its use. Technology-savvy healthcare professionals have embraced the convenience of this 21st century form of communication, while opponents feel it is too informal to properly document patient care. They also have concerns about data security and the potential impact on patient safety with texting medical orders.
Ultrasound Guidance Improves Neuraxial Anesthesia Safety
The path to effective neuraxial anesthesia delivery has existed for decades—ultrasound visualization. But practical issues in implementation have intervened. As a result, even in today’s technological age, highly trained anesthesia providers continue to deliver neuraxial—and most prominently epidural—anesthesia wearing a virtual blindfold, using spinal palpation alone to determine the optimal site for injection.
FDA Unveils Medical Device Safety Plan
The Medical Device Safety Action Plan outlines the FDA’s vision for device and patient safety.
Study: Patient Care Improves When Docs Have Malpractice Immunity
Published in Health Management, Policy and Innovation, the study found there was no negative impact on patient safety when approximately 900 University of Miami Health System physicians were given sovereign immunity from medical malpractice claims while working at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami
Patient Safety Tools Designed to Minimize Risks from System Mergers and Acquisitions
Ariadne Labs and CRICO/Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions released a set of patient safety tools designed to help clinical leaders identify safety risks and prevent potential harm.
Study: Usability of EHRs May Contribute to Patient Harm
Researchers from the National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare in Washington, D.C., examined reports from the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority database collected from 2013 to 2016. The study analyzed 1.7 million reports of possible patient harm that explicitly named an EHR vendor or product.
CMS Cites Baltimore Hospital for Abandoning Patient in January
A Baltimore hospital was cited by CMS in a report released this week for its actions in removing a mentally ill patient from its emergency room (ER) on a cold January night and leaving her at a bus stop wearing just a hospital gown.
Situational Awareness is an Important Part of High Reliability
High-reliability industries and organizations are very familiar with the term situational awareness (SA). SA is a foundational concept, and its importance in operational decision-making at the front line is recognized and categorically supported by leadership. In healthcare, save for pockets of very safe and reliable care delivery, this is generally not the case.
Diagnostic Errors, Opioid Safety, Care Coordination Top ECRI List of 2018 Patient Safety Concerns
Diagnostic errors are the top patient safety issue of the moment, according to ECRI Institute’s latest ranking of top 10 patient safety concerns for healthcare organizations.