Email Updates
October 27, 2021 Weekly Issue
PSNet highlights the latest patient safety literature, news, and expert commentary, including Weekly Updates, WebM&M, and Perspectives on Safety. The current issue highlights what's new this week in patient safety literature, news, conferences, reports, and more. Past issues of the PSNet Weekly Update are available to browse. WebM&M presents current and past monthly issues of Cases & Commentaries and Perspectives on Safety.
This Week’s Featured Articles
Alanazi FK, Sim J, Lapkin S. Nurs Open. 2022;9:30-43.
Nurse attitudes towards patient safety culture have shown to impact missed nursing care, iatrogenic harm, and other adverse events. This review synthesizes research on nurses’ safety attitudes and subsequent impact on patient outcomes. While most data on adverse events was self-reported, nurses indicated an improved safety culture resulted in fewer reported adverse events. Nurse managers can play an important role in improving patient safety culture and outcomes in their hospital units.
Bell SK, Bourgeois FC, DesRoches CM, et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2022;31:526-540.
Engaging patients and families in their own care can improve outcomes, safety, and satisfaction. This study brought patients, families, clinicians and experts together to identify patient-reported diagnostic process-related breakdowns. The group identified 7 categories, 40 subcategories, 19 contributing factors and 11 patient-reported impacts. Breakdowns were identified in each step of the diagnostic process.
Paulin J, Kurola J, Koivisto M, et al. BMC Emerg Med. 2021;21:115.
Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are in the unique position of providing medical care outside of a healthcare facility. This prospective cohort study conducted in Finland explored the outcomes of patients who were treated by EMS personnel without going to the ED. Findings indicate that 80% of patients treated by EMS did not have any re-contact with the healthcare system (e.g., re-contacted EMS, went to the ED, were hospitalized), suggesting that EMS management of these patients is relatively safe.
Wheway JL, Jun GT. Int J Qual Health Care. 2021;33:mzab135.
This qualitative study conducted in the United Kingdom evaluated the utility of two system models – AcciMap and Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) – to better understand patient safety incident reports and develop remedial actions. Participants appreciated the unique strengths of both models but expressed concerns regarding their complexity and required training/education.
Tsai TH, Gerst MD, Engineer C, et al. J Patient Saf. 2021;17:506-512.
This article describes the development and validation of a decision support model to support healthcare leadership when prioritizing quality improvement initiatives related to four common healthcare-associated infections.
Greene J, Samuel-Jakubos H. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2021;47:768-774.
This qualitative study examined patients’ perspectives on trust in hospitals and health care systems. Patients identified three factors that impact their trust in hospitals: competence, caring, and communication.
Klimmeck S, Sexton B, Schwendimann R. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2021;47:783-792.
Safety WalkRounds involve health care leadership or managers visiting frontline staff and engaging in discussions about safety concerns. One university hospital in Switzerland combined WalkRounds with structured in-person observations which helped identify safe care practices and deficits in patient safety. However, there were no significant changes in safety and teamwork climate nine-months after implementation.
Paulin J, Kurola J, Koivisto M, et al. BMC Emerg Med. 2021;21:115.
Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are in the unique position of providing medical care outside of a healthcare facility. This prospective cohort study conducted in Finland explored the outcomes of patients who were treated by EMS personnel without going to the ED. Findings indicate that 80% of patients treated by EMS did not have any re-contact with the healthcare system (e.g., re-contacted EMS, went to the ED, were hospitalized), suggesting that EMS management of these patients is relatively safe.
Bell SK, Bourgeois FC, DesRoches CM, et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2022;31:526-540.
Engaging patients and families in their own care can improve outcomes, safety, and satisfaction. This study brought patients, families, clinicians and experts together to identify patient-reported diagnostic process-related breakdowns. The group identified 7 categories, 40 subcategories, 19 contributing factors and 11 patient-reported impacts. Breakdowns were identified in each step of the diagnostic process.
Moureaud C, Hertig JB, Dong Y, et al. Health Policy (New York). 2021;125:1421-1429.
Based on survey responses from 1,002 participants, this study evaluated how social media users assess, interact and engage with information related to the illegal sales of prescription medicines. Findings suggest that individuals generally perceive online pharmacies and social media platforms to be safe and respondents are confident in their ability to acquire legitimate medicines. The authors note that this false confidence has the potential to lead to patient harm given the prevalence of counterfeit and substandard medication available on these platforms.
Brühwiler LD, Niederhauser A, Fischer S, et al. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e054364.
Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications continue to pose health risks in older adults. Using a Delphi approach, experts identified 85 minimal requirements for safe medication prescribing in nursing homes. The five key topics recommend structured, regular review and monitoring, interprofessional collaboration, and involving the resident.
Morse KE, Chadwick WA, Paul W, et al. Pediatr Qual Saf. 2021;6:e436.
The goal of medication reconciliation is to identify medication inconsistencies at hospital discharge. This study identified six common medication reconciliation errors at discharge – duplication, missing route, missing dose, missing frequency, unlisted medication, and “see instructions” errors. The authors evaluated the prevalence of these errors at two pediatric hospitals and found that duplication and “see instructions” errors were most common.
Sibbald M, Monteiro SD, Sherbino J, et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2022;31:426-433.
Diagnostic safety remains a patient safety priority. This randomized study including emergency medicine and internal medicine physicians as well as medical students found that electronic differential diagnostic support increased the likelihood that the correct diagnosis appeared in the differential, regardless of whether the tool was used early or late in the diagnostic process.
Bjørn B, Anhøj J, Østergaard M, et al. J Patient Saf. 2021;17:e593-e598.
Trigger tools are used as signals to detect potential adverse events. Using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Global Trigger Tool (GTT), one patient safety review team was unable to reproduce harm rates in a test-retest reliability study, suggesting the GTT may not be a reliable measure of harm over time. The team recommends additional test-retest studies in other hospitals.
Duzyj CM, Boyle C, Mahoney K, et al. Am J Perinatol. 2021;38:1281-1288.
Pregnancy and childbirth are recognized as high-risk activities for both the pregnant person and infant. This article describes the implementation of a postpartum hemorrhage patient safety bundle. Successes, challenges and recommendations for implementation are included.
Willis JS, Tyler C, Schiff GD, et al. Am J Med. 2021;134:1101-1103.
Telemedicine has become a more accepted care mode due to the COVID pandemic and general rural care access issues. This commentary suggests a 5-part framework for examining patient, physician, technological, clinical and health system influences on care management decisions that affect the safety of telediagnosis in primary care.
Murphy DR, Savoy A, Satterly T, et al. BMJ Health Care Inform. 2021;28:e100437.
Dashboards can provide real-time quality and safety data to frontline providers. This systematic review found limited information on the direct impact of patient safety dashboards on reducing patient safety events. The authors also note that dashboard design processes are rarely based on informatics or human factors principles, which may impede implementation and use.
Alanazi FK, Sim J, Lapkin S. Nurs Open. 2022;9:30-43.
Nurse attitudes towards patient safety culture have shown to impact missed nursing care, iatrogenic harm, and other adverse events. This review synthesizes research on nurses’ safety attitudes and subsequent impact on patient outcomes. While most data on adverse events was self-reported, nurses indicated an improved safety culture resulted in fewer reported adverse events. Nurse managers can play an important role in improving patient safety culture and outcomes in their hospital units.
Hussein M, Pavlova M, Ghalwash M, et al. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021;21:1057.
Accreditation programs, such as Magnet Hospital Program and The Joint Commission, are intended to improve hospital patient safety and quality. This review of 76 studies suggests accreditation has a positive impact on safety culture, efficiency and length of stay. Effects on mortality and healthcare-associated infection rates were mixed.
No results.
Newspaper/Magazine Article
Zipp R. Medical Tech Dive. October 18, 2021.
This article highlights systems influences that detract from the effectiveness of current methods of reporting recalled unsafe medical devices and raising awareness of recalls for clinicians, patients and families. Challenges highlighted include the use of paper-based notification systems and data reporting delays.
Uhl S, Siddique SM, McKeever L, et al. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; October 2021. AHRQ Publication No. 21(22)-EHC035.
Patient malnutrition is an underrecognized threat to patient safety. This report provides a comprehensive evidence analysis on the patient malnutrition literature, the relationship of in-hospital malnutrition to patient harm across patient groups and tactics for measurement of the problem to design and assess the impact of interventions.
Ariadne Labs, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
Communication and Resolution Programs (CRP) are a promising strategy for managing the aftermath of medical harm. This 18-month learning collaborative will help participants engage leadership, implement CRP processes, build patient partnerships and establish measurement approaches to gauge the success of CRP efforts. Applications for the 2023-2024 December start cohort will be accepted until October 27, 2023.
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health. Manchester, UK: University of Manchester; May 31, 2021
System failures require multifactorial assessment to install targeted improvements. This toolkit examines 10 areas of focus for organizations to assess the safety of mental health services in emergency and primary care settings to minimize patient suicide and self-harm. Areas of focus include post-discharge follow-up, admissions, and family engagement.
This Month’s WebM&Ms
WebM&M Cases
Marissa G. Vadi, MD, MPH, and Mathew R. Malkin, MD |
A 6-week-old infant underwent a craniotomy and excision of abnormal brain tissue for treatment of hemimegalencephaly and epilepsy. A right femoral central venous catheter and an arterial catheter were inserted, as well as 22-gauge intravenous catheter inserted into the external jugular vein, which was covered with surgical drapes. During the surgical procedure, the neurosurgeon adjusted the patient’s head, displacing the external jugular intravenous catheter into the subcutaneous tissue. The catheter’s dislodgment went unnoticed due to its position underneath the surgical drapes. The commentary discusses the importance intraoperative monitoring of intravenous catheters and the use of surgical safety checklists to improve communication and prevent surgical complications.
WebM&M Cases
Robin Aldwinckle, MD and Edmund Florendo, MD |
A 78-year-old woman with macular degeneration presented for a pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) with an eye block. At this particular hospital, eye cases under MAC are typically performed with an eye block by the surgeon after the anesthesiologist has administered some short-acting sedation, commonly with remifentanil. On this day, there was a shortage of premixed remifentanil and the resident – who was unfamiliar with the process of drug dilution – incorrectly diluted the remifentanil solution. Shortly after receiving sedation, the patient became unresponsive, and a code was called. The commentary addresses the challenges of drug dilution and strategies to reduce dilutional errors and prioritize patient safety.
WebM&M Cases
Spotlight Case
Florence Tan, PharmD, Karnjit Johl, MD and Mariya Kotova, PharmD |
This case describes multiple emergency department (ED) encounters and hospitalizations experienced by a middle-aged woman with sickle cell crisis and a past history of multiple, long admissions related to her sickle cell disease. The multiple encounters highlight the challenges of opioid prescribing for patients with chronic, non-cancer pain. The commentary discusses the limitations of prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data for patients with chronic pain, challenges in opioid dose conversions, and increasing patient safety through safe medication prescribing and thorough medication reconciliation.
This Month’s Perspectives
Interview
Georgia Galanou Luchen, Pharm. D., is the Director of Member Relations at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). In this role, she leads initiatives related to community pharmacy practitioners and their impact throughout the care continuum. We spoke with her about different types of community pharmacists and the role they play in ensuring patient safety.
Interview
Alison Stuebe, MD, MSc, is a professor and Division Director for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and the co-director of the Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health. Kristin Tully, PhD, is a research assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC Chapel Hill and a member of the Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health. We spoke with them about their work in maternal and infant care and what they are discovering about equitable care and its impact on patient safety.
Stay Updated!
PSNet highlights the latest patient safety literature, news, and expert commentary, including Weekly Updates, WebM&M, and Perspectives on Safety. Sign up today to get weekly and monthly updates via emails!
