Those in the patient safety field may not think about their fellow healthcare workers on a day-to-day basis, but perhaps it's time they did. Although the two worlds don't often mix, employee health experts are making a case that improving the health and safety of hospital employees has clear...
New research from the CDC offers additional insight into growing concern about antibiotic resistance, particularly when it comes to inconsistent prescribing practices.
Anticoagulant drugs remain one of the top safety concerns for hospitals around the country, and government agencies and medication safety organizations continue to devote time and energy to make anticoagulant oversight a priority for healthcare organizations.
Between hand hygiene, sterile practices, environmental cleaning, and a host of other infection control best practices, the healthcare industry has come a long way in taking precautions to prevent patient infections. But according to the CDC, approximately 1.7 million healthcare-...
When the Institute of Medicine's report To Err Is Human was released in 1999, there was a clear shift in the patient safety world. Previously, clinicians absorbed the brunt of the blame when it came to medical errors. The report shed new light on the medical industry and...
Editor’s note: NPSG.06.01.01 was approved by The Joint Commission in June 2013 as a new 2014 National Patient Safety Goal. The final standard includes two phases: Phase I, beginning January 2014, requires hospital leaders to establish alarm system safety as a hospital priority by...
When it comes to medication reconciliation (also known as “med rec”), accuracy is everything. Having an effective process in place ensures each patient’s medication is accurately recorded and avoids inconsistencies or potential errors throughout each transition of care.
In 2011, some of the hospitals within Adventist Health System (AHS), headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla., embarked on mortality reviews for patients in their EDs—and didn’t like what they saw.
Improving patient handoffs has long been on the radar of hospitals and health systems. As healthcare has become more specialized, handoffs occur more frequently and carry even greater importance. Ineffective handoffs can have serious implications on patient care and safety....
