Oversight Board Survey Says Physician Misconduct Remains Widespread, Underreported
The Harris Poll online survey of 2,018 people found that nearly 1 in 5 of respondents (18%) have experienced what they said was an unethical or unprofessional interaction with a physician.
Incomplete Processes, Insufficient Documentation Were Top Concerns in HFAP Surveys
According to the 2019 HFAP Quality Review, incomplete processes and insufficient documentation were the most-cited standards during 2018 on-site surveys at acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, laboratories, and ambulatory surgery centers.
Annual Industry Survey: Assessing Suicide Risk
Asked to rate their organization’s effectiveness in assessing and preventing suicide risk, 43% of respondents to the 2019 Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare Industry Outlook Survey said that their organization is slightly effective at addressing the problem.
WHO Recognizes Burnout as ‘Occupational Phenomenon’
The WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” A WHO statement made it clear that burnout is listed as an “occupational phenomenon. It is not classified as a medical condition.”
Workplace Eating Habits Affect Hospital Employees’ Health
Employees’ health can affect an organization’s bottom line in multiple ways. Prior research shows obesity contributes to higher absenteeism, lower productivity, and higher healthcare expenses for employers.
Seattle Hospital Shuts Down ORs After Finding Fungus
Aspergillus is a common type of mold that poses a low risk to surgical patients, but Seattle Children’s is contacting about 3,000 patients who underwent procedures in the past four months.
Sexual Assault Victim Sues the Hospital that Treated Her
The information collected from the victim was stored on an unsecured electronic health record, where it later was allegedly improperly accessed by an x-ray technician, who allegedly passed the information on to the alleged perpetrator of the sexual assault.
Annual Industry Survey: Dealing With Staff Burnout
Asked to rate their organization’s strategies to deal with staff burnout, just under 40% of respondents to the 2019 Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare Industry Outlook Survey said that their organization is slightly effective at addressing the problem.
CDC Report Finds 3 in 5 Pregnancy-Related Deaths Are Preventable
Released last week, the Vital Signs report found that of the 700 pregnancy-related deaths that occur each year in the United States, about 31% take place during pregnancy, 36% happen during delivery or the week after, and 33% occur one week to one year after delivery.
Guidance for ER Physicians Treating Loved Ones, Colleagues, or Themselves
Similar to situations arising in the treatment of VIP patients, ER physicians treating loved ones or close associates may vary their customary medical care from the standard treatment and inadvertently produce harm rather than benefit.