Preventing Falls: The A-B-C Approach
Preventing Falls: The A-B-C Approach
Little kids play at falling down. When people are a bit older, falling is avoided—unless they are into tumbling or martial arts! And once they reach the level of senior citizen, falling becomes potentially fatal. According to a literature review by Clyburn and Heydemann (2011), statistics show that falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries to older people in the United States. Each year, more than 11 million people 65 and older suffer falls.
Virtual Patient Platforms
Virtual Patient Platforms
Clinical decision-making skills are among the most valuable assets healthcare professionals possess, but they are also one of the hardest aspects of medicine to teach, learn, and hone. For most caregivers, gaining the skills and experience they need comes from interaction with actual patients, and this approach requires healthcare professionals to strike a delicate balance—one where educational needs are carefully weighed against potential safety issues, and time spent in real-world settings is preceded by countless hours of classroom preparation and instruction.
Mitigate Risk and Drive Organizational Change with Just Culture
Reporting adverse events is part of the culture at Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH). NWH implemented an electronic incident reporting system in 2006. Reporting safety events in an electronic system gives the organization the real-time information it needs to mitigate risks. It also helps the hospital’s risk management staff focus on patient safety improvement strategies that help drive organizational change.
Alarm Fatigue Hazards: The Sirens Are Calling
Alarm Fatigue Hazards: The Sirens Are Calling
Nurses often compare their patient care environments to a casino or carnival; a cacophony of sounds and little distinction of where these sirens originate and what they mean. Clinicians cope by turning alarms down or off to create a more tolerable environment for themselves and their patients. Unfortunately, all too often this results in harm to the patient.
Do No Harm 2.0
As I prepare each year for the National Patient Safety Foundation’s (NPSF) Patient Safety Congress, I look forward to the panel discussion that features members of the Lucian Leape Institute (LLI) discussing a current topic in a “town hall” format. The Congress was held last week (May 23–25) at the National Harbor complex near Washington, DC.
AAMI Institute Launches Infusion Safety Study with Grant from CareFusion Foundation
The Healthcare Technology Safety Institute (HTSI)—part of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Foundation—has been awarded a $328,660 grant by the CareFusion Foundation to fund a three-year national study on key issues surrounding the administration of intravenous (IV) medication using smart pumps. The goal of this first-ever study, to be coordinated by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is to evaluate the types of errors that may occur when using smart pumps to administer IV medications, and what can be done about them.
UHC and Datix Collaborate to Improve Quality in U.S. Hospitals through New Patient Safety Software
UHC, an alliance of 116 academic medical centers with 264 affiliated hospitals in the U.S., and Datix, a U.K.-based provider of patient safety technology solutions, today announced a strategic collaboration to deliver new patient safety software and improve quality in U.S. hospitals.
B. Braun Brings Advancements in Safety and Education to APIC
B. Braun Medical Inc. will be attending APIC 2012 from June 4 through 6 in San Antonio, Texas displaying a range of safety-engineered devices designed to advance protection from infection in the healthcare setting for both patients and healthcare workers. The company’s new Introcan Safety® 3 Closed IV Catheter will be in the spotlight, directly addressing issues pertaining to exposure to blood borne pathogens and catheter related complications.
HyGreen Demonstrates Electronic Hand Hygiene System
HyGreen, Inc. showcased its hand hygiene system, HyGreen(R), at the National Patient Safety Foundation’s 14th Annual Patient Safety Congress. This year’s event was held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. on May 23-25, 2012.
Dräger Launches Infinity® Acute Care System Monitoring Solution
Dräger has announced the availability of its breakthrough Infinity Acute Care System monitoring solution in the United States and Canada*. This system pairs a handheld device for monitoring at the bedside and in-hospital transport with a widescreen medical workstation at the point of care. The system provides continuous surveillance, interoperability with Dräger’s ventilation systems, comprehensive patient information at the bedside, and the full suite of Masimo’s rainbow® SET noninvasive Pulse CO-Oximetry measurements, which can help hospitals increase patient safety and reduce costs. The Infinity Acute Care System has been in commercial use in European hospitals since 2010.