A new report was recently published listing the top ten patient-safety concerns for healthcare organizations. These concerns include alarm fatigue, data integrity and over-reliance on healthcare IT leading to poor care coordination.
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For the second year in a row, ECRI has identified the top concerns to help focus the attention of healthcare organizations on highly reported safety issues.
The current top 10 patient-safety concerns are:
- Alarm hazards;
- Data integrity;
- Managing patient violence;
- Mix-up of IV lines;
- Care coordination during medication reconciliation;
- Failure to conduct independent double checks;
- Opioid related events;
- Reprocessing of endoscopes and surgical instruments;
- Inadequate patient handoffs; and
- Medication errors related to pounds and kilograms.
This list is ranked according to the frequency of events in each category.
Alarm hazards stem from physicians and nurses experiences hundreds and beeps and buzzes per day, without the ability to differentiate those that require immediate action.
Several of the concerns on the list are related to health IT.
Data integrity relates to incomplete or incorrect information in patient EHRs. Also, over reliance on EHRs can lead to inadequate care coordination during medication reconciliations.
The number 10 concern of medication errors related to pounds and kilograms can also be the result of default settings in EHRs.
We help our clients rank and identify their safety concerns so that we can appropriately address them. Often the best way to identify safety concerns and problems is through performing a thorough Risk Assessment.
It is essential for practices to follow through. Once problem areas are identified, solutions should be created and put into place quickly.
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Do you need help with your identifying practice concerns or performing your Risk Assessment? We can help. To contact us about your practice’s safety concerns, your Risk Assessment, or your other legal needs: CLICK HERE.
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