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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 1773 Results

Massachusetts Protection and Advocacy. Boston, MA:  Disability Law Center; May 8, 2023.

Behavioral health patients present unique challenges in their care that can contribute to unintended harm. The analysis examines a delayed diagnosis, referral, and treatment of skin cancer that contributed to the death of a patient. Suggestions for improvement included conducting a root cause analysis to identify systemic problems, use of photography to track skin lesion progression, and implementation of a warm handoff process to improve staff communication.
Rainer T, Lim JK, He Y, et al. Hosp Pediatr. 2023;13:461-470.
Structural racism and implicit biases can affect clinical judgement and impede the delivery of effective mental health care. Based on a case of an adolescent Black girl navigating through the pediatric behavioral health system, this article discusses how structural racism and health disparities in behavioral health care contributed to misdiagnosis and poor care. The authors outline several actions at the structural, institutional, and interpersonal levels to address racism’s impact on pediatric mental and behavioral healthcare.

Freedman DH.  Newsweek Magazine. May 12, 2023.

The unintended consequences of reductions in access to prescription opioids can result in poor addiction care and ineffective pain management. This article discusses precursors to the system failure affecting these patients and treatment options that work given access and supply constraints.
Kirwan G, O’Leary A, Walsh C, et al. Eur J Hosp Pharm. 2023;30:86-91.
Patients are particularly vulnerable to medication errors during transitions of care, such as hospital discharge. Based on clinical judgement from four experts assessing 81 cases involving medication errors at discharge, the authors estimated that between 61-85% would result in additional healthcare utilization (e.g., additional prescriptions, primary care or ED visits, hospital or ICU admissions) and additional costs.
May 4, 2023
The implementation of effective patient safety initiatives is challenging due to the complexity of the health care environment. This curated library shares resources summarizing overarching ideas and strategies that can aid in successful program execution, establishment, and sustainability.
Zaranko B, Sanford NJ, Kelly E, et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2023;32:254-263.
Poor nurse staffing has long been recognized as a patient safety issue. This analysis of three UK National Health Service hospitals examined the differences in in-hospital deaths among different nursing team sizes and compositions. Researchers identified higher inpatient mortality with higher nurse staffing and seniority levels (i.e., more registered nurses [RNs]) but no changes in mortality related to health care support workers (HCSW). Authors surmised that HCSWs may not be a substitute for RNs.

Muoio D. Fierce Healthcare. April 21, 2023.

Notable problems have occurred during the testing of the new electronic health records (EHR) system being designed for use in Veterans Affairs hospitals. This news article discusses the temporary halt of the project as the Department reassesses issues that have arisen during test rollouts in several United States hospitals.
Krevat S, Samuel S, Boxley C, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6:e238399.
The majority of healthcare providers use electronic health record (EHR) systems but these systems are not infallible. This analysis used closed malpractice claims from the CRICO malpractice insurance database to identify whether the EHR contributes to diagnostic error, the types of errors, and where in the diagnostic process errors occur. EHR contributed to diagnostic error in 61% of claims, the majority in outpatient care, and 92% at the testing stage.

Health and Human Services. June 27, 2023. 2:00-3:00pm (eastern).

Work toward zero harm in health care is gaining national attention in the United States. This webinar aligns with efforts by the National Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety. The session will explore the importance of preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings. This is the second in a series of offerings from the Alliance supporting its work to improve safety.

Lovelace B, Jr, Kopf M. NBC. April 11, 2023.

Shortages of life-saving cancer drugs have been a problem for many years and were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This news article reports that low profitability of manufacturing generic drugs contributes to this shortage. Until these cancer drugs are available, many patients will receive no treatment, or treatment that is less than ideal.
Zavalkoff S, O’Donnell S, Lalani J, et al. Can J Anaesth. 2023;Epub Mar 29.
Lack of timely identification and referral of potential organ donors and poor communication can lead to missed opportunities for life-saving organ transplants. This analysis of data from Canadian organ donation organizations estimates that there were 354 potentially missed transplants between 2016 and 2018.
Barger LK, Weaver MD, Sullivan JP, et al. BMJ Medicine. 2023;2:e000320.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the United States limits resident physicians' workweek to 80 hours. Several studies have investigated the association between first year residents (i.e., interns, PGY1), worked hours and patient safety. This study includes residents beyond the first year (i.e., PGY2+). Nearly 5,000 PGY2+ residents reported the number of hours worked, patient safety outcomes, and resident health and outcomes. Working more than 60 hours in a week significantly increased the risk of a medical error resulting in patient death. The authors suggest weekly workweek limits should be significantly reduced, such as they are in the United Kingdom.

Washington, DC: VA Office of the Inspector General; March 29, 2023. Report no. 21-03680-80.

Care systems for alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients are suboptimal. This report examines the case of a patient with AUD whose emergency care was mismanaged, uncoordinated, and incomplete, contributing to his death two days after discharge. The safety recommendations shared include improving discharge planning, assessment, and consideration of mental health conditions when caring for AUD patients.

Boswell B. KCET: April 2023.

Increasing attention is being placed on addressing inequities in maternal health care. This video shares stories of mothers experiencing harm during pregnancy and steps being taken to minimize the impact of implicit biases and lack of access to care to generate improvement.
Keers RN, Wainwright V, McFadzean J, et al. PLOS One. 2023;18:e0282021.
Prisons present unique challenges in providing, as well as in measuring, safe patient care. This article describes structures and processes within prison systems that may contribute to avoidable harm, such as limited staffing and security to travel to healthcare appointments. The result is a two-tier definition taking into consideration the unique context of prison healthcare.
Grenon V, Szymonifka J, Adler-Milstein J, et al. J Patient Saf. 2023;19:211-215.
Large malpractice claims databases are increasingly used as a proxy to assess the frequency and severity of diagnostic errors. More than 5,300 closed claims with at least one diagnostic error were analyzed. No singular factor was identified; instead multiple contributing factors were implicated along the diagnostic pathway.

D'Ambrosio A. MedPage Today. March 31, 2023.

Maternal health is challenged across social strata but notably amongst populations of color, economic disparity, and social minority. This article discusses barriers mothers face trying to manage substance use disorders during pregnancy and after birth due to system problems and stigma.