Ask any healthcare executive to name the biggest issue that will demand their attention in 2022, and the response will be staffing shortages and their impact on patient safety. Those focused on improving care quality might consider how key trends will play out and the impact of current industry...
More widespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) would not only be a patient safety nightmare, but it would put healthcare workers at risk as well, including employees working in hospitals, nursing homes, and laboratories. To slow down this potential scenario, effective antibiotic stewardship...
Risks in the laboratory can be split into two categories, says Sean G. Kaufman, CEO and founding partner of the lab safety company Safer Behaviors. First, he says, are the physical and environmental risks that will always be a part of the job no matter what. These represent...
When sending specimens outside the lab for testing or other purposes, there are many things to consider. Not just anyone in the laboratory can prepare the specimens for shipment; specific training is required. Staff need to know how to pack the specimens, how to keep themselves and the...
Since 2020, the healthcare industry has lost nearly half a million workers, exacerbating staffing shortages that existed prior to the start of the pandemic. One of the hardest-hit areas is the pharmacy. As of September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected there would be 43,000 ...
Well over 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, taking stock of lessons learned and next steps can be a challenge. The industry has encountered a lot in a very compressed time frame, so focusing on specific areas of success as well as ways to improve can help highlight the positive and provide a...
Reconciliation wouldn’t be much of an issue if a patient only went to a single provider for care, or if information was transferred seamlessly. However, this is rarely the case.
Patients move or change doctors, go to nearby ERs or urgent care clinics for emergencies, and can be prescribed...
Pete picked up a rack of specimens that needed to be delivered to the serology lab across the hall. He wore gloves because he was handling specimens, and he pushed the lab exit door open using the knob. He walked across the hallway in his PPE, and he opened the door to the serology lab to...
The one thing healthcare isn’t short on is data. The industry has data coming in from all directions, but that’s not always a perfect scenario—data that is duplicated, low quality, or siloed can present barriers to better analysis. For healthcare systems to improve the way they want, data needs...
