The PSNet Collection: All Content

The AHRQ PSNet Collection comprises an extensive selection of resources relevant to the patient safety community. These resources come in a variety of formats, including literature, research, tools, and Web sites. Resources are identified using the National Library of Medicine’s Medline database, various news and content aggregators, and the expertise of the AHRQ PSNet editorial and technical teams.

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 4122 Results

When Taking an SGLT2 inhibitor, Remember To SSTOP (Stop SGLT2 Inhibitor Three days bef-O-re Procedures)!

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WebM&M Case November 30, 2023

A 67-year-old man with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus underwent elective cardiac resynchronization and defibrillator device (CRT-D) implantation. The procedure was successful and he was discharged the next day with instructions to resume his prior medications, including empagliflozin. He presented to the emergency department the following day where he was diagnosed with euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (eDKA) and he was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for insulin infusion.

Patient safety incidents in endoscopy: a human factors analysis of non-procedural significant harm incidents from the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS).

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Ravindran S, Matharoo M, Rutter MD, et al. Endoscopy. 2023;Epub Sept 18.

Understanding the influence of human factors on team and system performance can help safety professionals identify opportunities for improvement. In this study, researchers used a large, centralized incident reporting database in the United Kingdom to examine the human factors contributing to non-procedural endoscopy-related patient safety incidents. Based on Human Factors Analysis and Classification System coding, decision-based errors were the most common factor contributing to incidents, but other contributing factors were also identified, including lack of resources and ineffective team communication.

Overnight stay in the emergency department and mortality in older patients.

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Roussel M, Teissandier D, Yordanov Y, et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2023;Epub Nov 6.

Overcrowding in the emergency department (ED) can result in long wait times to be seen or admitted, as well as placing patients at increased risk of adverse events. In this prospective study, researchers compared the risk of in-hospital mortality among older patients who spent a night in the ED waiting for admission to the hospital versus older patients who were admitted to the hospital before midnight. Findings indicate that patients who spent an overnight in the ED had a higher in-hospital mortality rate, increased risk of adverse events, and longer length of stay; this risk was exacerbated for patients with limited functional status.

The Risks of a Malpositioned Gastrostomy Tube and Poor Communication

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WebM&M Case November 29, 2023

This case describes a 55-year-old woman who sustained critical injuries after a motor vehicle crash and had a lengthy hospitalization. On hospital day 30, a surgeon placed a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube in the intensive care unit (ICU) after computed tomography (CT) scan showed no interposed bowel between the stomach and the anterior abdominal wall. After the uncomplicated PEG placement, the surgeon cleared the patient’s team to advance tube feeds as tolerated.

The complexities of communication at hospital discharge of older patients: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals' views.

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Cam H, Wennlöf B, Gillespie U, et al. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23:1211.

When patients are discharged from the hospital, they (and their informal caregivers) are given copious amounts of information that must also be communicated to their primary care provider. This qualitative study of primary care and hospital physicians, nurses, and pharmacists highlights several barriers to complete and effective communication between levels of care, particularly regarding geriatric medication safety. Barriers include the large number of complex patients and incongruent expectations of responsibility of primary and hospital providers. Support systems, such as electronic health records, can both enable and hinder communication.

Talking about falls: a qualitative exploration of spoken communication of patients' fall risks in hospitals and implications for multifactorial approaches to fall prevention.

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McVey L, Alvarado N, Healey F, et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2023;Epub Nov 8.

Reducing or preventing inpatient falls is a common focus of patient safety improvement efforts in hospitals. This study in three orthopedic and three geriatric wards describes multidisciplinary communication about falls prevention strategies. Risk assessments and categorization (e.g., high- or low-risk) were discussed in conjunction with strategies to focus on modifiable risk factors.

Artificial intelligence-supported screen reading versus standard double reading in the Mammography Screening with Artificial Intelligence trial (MASAI): a clinical safety analysis of a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority, single-blinded, screening accuracy study.

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Lång K, Josefsson V, Larsson A-M, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2023;24:936-944.

Retrospective studies have shown artificial intelligence (AI) to be at least as accurate as radiologists in detecting breast cancer in screening mammograms. This prospective randomized trial similarly demonstrated that AI readings were as accurate as double readings by radiologists, but with a significantly reduced workload.

Informatics tools in deprescribing and medication optimization in older adults: development and dissemination of VIONE methodology in a high reliability organization.

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Winter SG, Sedgwick C, Wallace-Lacey A, et al. Clin Ther. 2023;45:928-934.

The VIONE (Vital, Important, Optional, Not indicated, and Every medication has an indication) tool is used to reduce polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescribing. This article provides an overview of VIONE implementation and dashboards used to track VIONE implementation and its impact on prescribing across over 130 Veterans Health Administration medical centers. Since implementation in 2016, VIONE has led to the discontinuation of over 1.6 million medication orders by more than 15,000 providers.

Using stakeholder intervention refinement teams to develop approaches for real-time integration of patient-reported safety information during older adults’ hospital-to-home-health care transitions.

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Arbaje AI, Greyson S, Keita Fakeye M, et al. J Patient Saf Risk Manag. 2023;28:201-207.

Older adult patients and family caregivers face numerous safety challenges when transitioning from the hospital to skilled home health (HH). This article describes how older adults and their family caregivers, HH frontline providers, HH leadership, and HH hospital-based transition coordinators, were engaged to identify best practices to implement the Hospital-to-Home Health Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index. This participatory co-design process identified ways patients, caregivers, and staff differ in how and when to administer the H3TQ Index, confirming the importance of engaging a wide range of stakeholders in design processes.

Detection rates of mild cognitive impairment in primary care for the United States Medicare population.

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Liu Y, Jun H, Becker A, et al. J Prev Alz Dis. 2023;Epub Oct 24.

Persons with dementia are at increased risk for adverse events compared to those without dementia, highlighting the importance of a timely diagnosis. In this study, researchers estimate approximately 20% of primary care patients aged 65 and older are expected to have a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia; however, only 8% have received such a diagnosis. Missed diagnosis prevents patients from receiving appropriate care, including newly FDA-approved medications to slow cognitive decline.

Systematic workup of transfusion reactions reveals passive co-reporting of handling errors.

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Nitsche E, Dreßler J, Henschler R. J Blood Med. 2023;14:435-443.

Transfusion errors can lead to serious patient harm. In this retrospective analysis of transfusion medical records and related documentation, researchers examined transfusion incident characteristics and logistical errors associated with incidents. Common logistical errors included elevated hemoglobin, inadequate bedside tests, inadequate patient identification, and laboratory errors.

Impact of hospital-acquired pneumonia on the Medicare program.

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Baker DL, Giuliano KK, Desmarais M, et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023;Epub Oct 25.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections in the United States. In this case-control retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries, patients with HAP were 2.8 times more likely to die than patients without HAP. Length of stay and overall cost were also significantly higher in the HAP group. The authors suggest quality improvement efforts like the Keystone ICU project could decrease HAP rates, saving lives and money.

Innovative approaches to analysing aged care falls incident data: International Classification for Patient Safety and correspondence analysis.

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Seaman K, Meulenbroeks I, Nguyen A, et al. Int J Qual Health Care. 2023;35:mza080.

Patients in long-term or residential care facilities are at high risk of falls. In this study, researchers applied the International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) criteria to categorize types of falls occurring in residential aged care facilities in Australia. Falls requiring hospitalization more often occurred in residents’ bedrooms or communal areas. Resident pre-existing psychological or physical health were the most common contributing factor in falls that required a hospitalization.

Hospital Safety Grade.

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Leapfrog Group

Drawing from data reported by the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this website provides grades for hospitals in the United States based on their safety. The Fall 2023 hospital safety grade results, documenting a reduction in both patient satisfaction scores and healthcare associated infection rates to pre-pandemic levels, are available.

CUSP Implementation Training.

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Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.

The comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) approach emphasizes improving safety culture through a continuous process of reporting and learning from errors, improving teamwork, and engaging staff at all levels in safety efforts. Available on demand and live, this session covers how to utilize CUSP, including understanding and addressing challenges to implementation. The next virtual session will be held January 16, 2024.

Voices from frontline nurses on care quality and patient safety during COVID-19: an application of the Donabedian Model.

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Pogorzelska-Maziarz M, de Cordova PB, Manning ML, et al. Am J Infect Control. 2023;Epub Aug 23.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted systemic weaknesses in the healthcare system. This survey of 3,067 registered nurses working in New Jersey used the Donabedian framework to identify challenges related to providing safe care during the pandemic. Respondents identified several organizational factors, including inadequate resources and staffing, which adversely impacted their ability to adhere to patient safety and infection prevention and control protocols during the pandemic.

Adverse drug event prevention and detection in older emergency department patients.

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Koehl JL. Clin Geriatr Med. 2023;39:635-645.

Older adults are at increased risk of medication errors due to medical complexity and polypharmacy. This article discusses medication safety and adverse drug events specific to a geriatric population and highlights prescribing and deprescribing tools that can contribute to safer prescribing practices.

The hospital ran out of her child's cancer drug. Now she's fighting to end shortages.

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Noguchi Y. Health Shots and All Things Considered. National Public Radio. October 23, 2023.

Drug shortages, while often discussed as a system failure, demonstrate harm at an individual level. This story highlights the work of a patient activist who was inspired by the threat to her daughter’s care posed by a lack of chemotherapy availability, to provide needed medications during system disruptions to keep patients safe.

Intervention of pharmacist included in multidisciplinary team to reduce adverse drug event: a qualitative systematic review.

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Zaij S, Pereira Maia K, Leguelinel-Blache G, et al. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23:927.

An increasing strategy to reduce adverse drug events (ADE) is pharmacist medication review, typically involving other members of the care team. This qualitative review summarizes randomized studies of interventions with multidisciplinary care teams to reduce ADE. Most interventions were time-intensive (1- to 2-hours), including four steps (data collection, appraisal report, multidisciplinary medication review, follow up). Most teams consisted of a pharmacist, physician, and nurse, although some included other providers such as psychologists or social workers.

Medication safety events after acute myocardial infarction among veterans treated at VA versus non-VA hospitals.

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Weeda ER, Ward R, Gebregziabher M, et al. Med Care. 2023;Epub Oct 4.

Fragmentation of care between inpatient and outpatient settings can lead to poor patient outcomes. Based on a cohort of veterans ages 65 years or older who had a myocardial infarction, this study examined the use of outpatient medications for secondary prevention (e.g., beta blockers, statins) in the preceding 30 days among patients treated at Veterans Health Administration (VA) versus non-VA hospitals. The researchers found that medication omissions, duplications and delays in prescribing of secondary prevention medications were more common among patients treated at non-VA hospitals.

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