Structural racism continues to perpetuate health disparities. As part of their study on how black patients with serious illness experience racism from providers, researchers conducted interviews with 21 providers to understand ways they address anti-Black racism in their practice. Providers felt unprepared to address racism with their patients, wanted to provide tools for patients to bring up their experiences while also acknowledging the additional burden this would place on Black patients, and thought patient- and provider-facing programs could facilitate discussions. Additionally, despite extensive research on the negative impacts of structural racism on health, participants cited the need for more data.

… with providers, and medical decision-making within a racialized health system. Study participants reported … own knowledge and experiences, and feeling isolated as a result. …

While the association between clinician burnout and patient safety are not new, the COVID-19 pandemic brought this safety concern back to the forefront. In this study conducted at 60 US Magnet hospitals, nurses and physicians reported high levels of burnout and rated their hospital unfavorably on patient safety. Increased nurse staffing was the top recommendation to reduce burnout with less emphasis on wellness and resilience programs.

… to implement and maintain. This research builds on a 2013 study , describing the quality improvement (QI) …

Cesarean delivery can lead to increased maternal morbidity and mortality. In this repeated cross-sectional study, physicians, nurses, and midwives were surveyed about their attitudes towards elective induction of labor before and after results were published from a large, randomized trial (Randomized Trial of Induction Versus Expectant Management, or ARRIVE) supporting elective inductions at 39 weeks to reduce the likelihood of a cesarean. Findings indicate that physician attitudes about induction shifted in favor of induction after ARRIVE, whereas nurse attitudes did not change. Qualitative analyses revealed four themes regarding attitudes towards induction- the importance of timing, identifying who should receive inductions, the need for clear protocols and more staff, and improvements to the induction of labor processes. 

Safety risks are present in oncology radiation therapy. This recommendation builds on existing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) standards to highlight the importance of interdisciplinary engagement, training, and technology implementation to ensure high quality, safe IMRT is delivered to patients.

… system level, not the individual level, and therefore uses a systems approach toward improving patient safety. A similar systems approach can be used by pharmacy programs …

Incorrect patient registration, application of the wrong label, and blood draw from the wrong patient can all cause blood transfusion errors. This systematic review identified six studies related to nursing and blood transfusion safety. Errors fell into two broad categories - human and environmental factors, and education. Initial and continuing education for all members of the team, including registration staff, should be considered to improve and maintain transfusion safety.

Minoritized and vulnerable people often experience delays in care due to systemic biases. This survey study examined the association between perceived discrimination at community pharmacies and foregoing or delaying picking up medications. Participants reported discrimination based on race, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, income, and prescription insurance; those participants were more likely to delay picking up their medications. There was no association with discrimination and foregoing medications.

Weight-based calculation errors and lack of weight documentation can lead to medication errors in pediatric patients. This analysis of Maryland emergency medical services (EMS) data including children who received a weight-based medication found that weight documentation was associated with a small but significantly lower rate of medication dose errors, particularly among infants and for epinephrine and fentanyl doses.

… high levels of satisfaction for surgeons and patients. … Xiao K,  Yeung JC, Bolger JC. The safety and acceptability of … for follow-up of patients following cancer surgery: a systematic review. Eur J Surg Oncol. …

Community-based pharmacists have a critical role in ensuring medication safety in community settings. In this narrative review, the authors explored how collaboration between community-based pharmacists and primary care providers can improve medication safety. The most common collaboration strategy was medication review. The authors identified barriers to collaboration from both the primary care provider and pharmacist perspectives.

… discharge to assess unmet nonmedication discharge needs (i.e., durable medical equipment, home health services, … hospital readmission or mortality within 90 days. … Bose S,  Groat D, Dinglas VD, et al for the Addressing …

Research into the impact of racism on health outcomes has increased in recent years, but there has been less emphasis on ageism or the intersection of ageism and racism. This commentary highlights the ways racism (e.g., clinical algorithms), ageism (e.g., proposed measures to ration care) and the intersection of the two (increased morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 on older people of color) impacts health outcomes. Recommendations for current clinicians and health profession educators are provided.

Electronic communication between patients and clinicians has been increasing, with a rapid expansion of its use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic review examined the types of online consultation available to patients in primary care and their impact on safety. Results reveal both positive and negative impacts, and the authors make recommendations to mitigate the negative impacts.

Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve patient safety but can also contribute to physician burnout. This qualitative study involving physicians and medical trainees found that distress most often occurred when physicians were prioritizing systems-based practice (e.g., EHR-required documentation) over other professional activities, such as patient care, communication, and practice-based learning.  

… department. It expands on the application of topics within a high-reliability framework focusing on leadership, … safe emergency care for children. … Joseph MM, Mahajan P, Snow SK, et al. Optimizing Pediatric Patient Safety in the …

Structural racism, from race-adjusted algorithms to biased machine learning, contributes to and exacerbates health inequities. This commentary calls for developing valid measures of structural racism and a publicly available data infrastructure for researchers. A related study examined the relationship between structural racism and birth outcomes between Black and white patients in Minnesota.