Tag:
patient safety
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
New online tool tracks doc prescribing habits
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been lax in overseeing unsafe prescribing patterns for patients on Medicaid Part D, and has done little to thwart questionable prescribing practices, according to an analysis by ProPublica, an independent newsroom that performs investigative journalism in the public interest.
Safety experts: Hospitals lacking in doc substance abuse policies
All hospitals should randomly test physicians for drug and alcohol use to enhance patient safety, according to a recommendation from two Johns Hopkins physicians and patient safety experts in a commentary published online in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Poor communication stymies safety, financial goals
Hospital C-suite executives and risk managers identified communication problems including nurses fearing retribution for raising patient safety issues, and patients being handed off multiple times to different hospital staffers and department.
Robo-surgery mistakes land physician in hot water
A surgeon at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver faces 14 counts of unprofessional conduct associated with use of the hospital's robotic surgery arm.
Joint Commission outlines dangers of alarm fatigue
The Joint Commission this week issued a warning that healthcare workers can become numb to the incessant beeping of medical devices, creating life-threatening situations for patients. The hospital accreditation body based the warning on events reported to its Sentinel Event database, which tracks serious safety-related events, though it has been sounding the alarm on this issue for years.
Hospital workplace safety means better patient care
Quality care and healthcare worker safety are inseparable because conditions that physically or emotionally harm caregivers also put patients at higher risk of injury, according to a March whitepaper from the National Patient Safety Foundation.
1 in 5 practices likely violate disability law
If your practice is unable to accommodate a wheelchair-bound patient, you're far from alone, according to a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine . You also may be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Hospitals underuse technology to prevent retained surgical items
While lost sponges and instruments are still common and costly, many hospitals have yet to embrace technologies that would reduce the risk of leaving surgical items in patients.
Performance tracking, enhanced data help hospitals improve care
As emphasis on delivering high-quality care increases, hospitals' patient safety success stories can offer best practices to improve care.
10 strategies to improve patient safety
Hospitals are "strongly encouraged" to immediately adopt 10 strategies to improve patient safety, according to a research group headed by RAND Corp.
