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...
More than 2.8 million AMR infections occur in the U.S. each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result. Globally, 700,000 people die each year due to AMR diseases, with the WHO estimating that number could increase to 10 million deaths annually by 2050. The WHO estimates those additional...
It takes five years and up to seven clinicians on average to get a rare disease correctly diagnosed. It can be even more difficult if you’re a person of color, says Tammy Boyd, MPH, JD, chief policy officer of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, and Kimberly Haugstad...
What does it mean for a patient to have a rare disease? It means an average of five years before getting a correct diagnosis. It means consultations with over seven clinicians to reach an accurate diagnosis. It means a great deal of money, struggle, and physical and mental suffering. And at the...
Medication non-adherence, particularly among senior patients, is a costly problem facing the American healthcare system. This issue results in an estimated $100 billion–$290 billion in annual costs, according to studies reviewed in the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM). Other...
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, retaining healthcare staff has grown increasingly difficult. Between the high workload and burnout, many healthcare employees have either left or are thinking about leaving the field.
Healthcare organizations need to look at their safety...
Brad Truax, MD, principal consultant of the Truax Group, says he doesn’t think anybody has really done a good job at reducing distractions in the OR. As an example, he cites a 2021 study done by ...
The importance of medication reconciliation is obvious. When taken together, certain medicine combinations can cause harmful effects. Therefore, keeping an updated record of all the medicines a patient is taking, and the dosage of each, is essential for their well-being.
CRM has two main parts. The first deals with teamwork and communication and covers the interpersonal and social aspects of the working environment. The second deals with human factors and situational awareness and entails understanding physical and cognitive...
After years of decline, 2020 and 2021 saw record rises in U.S. drug overdose deaths. In the 12-month period that ended in April 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, an increase of nearly 30% from the prior year, according to provisional figures ...
