Patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with suicidal ideation can benefit from ED-initiated interventions, but interventions can be difficult to implement and maintain. This research builds on a 2013 study, describing the quality improvement (QI) methods used to implement the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation 2 (ED-SAFE 2) trial. The QI approach was successful in reducing death by suicide and suicide-related acute care during the study period.

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.

Reconciling medication lists at transitions of care is a widely recognized safety strategy; however, other parts of the electronic health record (EHR) - allergies and problem lists - also need reconciliation. This article describes an academic medical system's quality improvement project to increase rates of complete reconciliation of problems, medications, and allergies in the EHR. Twenty-six cycles of Plan-Do-Study-Act increased completion rates from 20% to 80%.

Although direct-acting oral anti-coagulants (DOACs) are considered safer than warfarin, DOAC dosing is complex and can lead to medication errors. This narrative review discusses the clinical consequences of potentially inappropriate inpatient prescribing of DOACs and how pharmacists and anticoagulant stewardship programs can optimize inpatient DOAC treatment.

Standard precautions, including hand hygiene and sharps safety, keep patients and staff safe, but adherence is suboptimal. An earlier systematic review shows an association between standard precaution compliance and overall safety climate. This study aimed to determine if adherence to standard precautions and safety climate were associated with healthcare associated infection (HAI) rates. Adherence rates were low (64%) and associated with HAI and healthcare worker needlesticks.

The Enhancing Quality of Prescribing Practices for Older Adults in the Emergency Department (EQUIIPPED) program is a multicomponent intervention intended to reduce potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) prescribing among older adults who are discharged from the emergency department (ED). This cluster-randomized trial set at eight Veterans Health Administration (VA) EDs compared the impact of two approaches to the audit and feedback component of the intervention – active provider feedback using academic detailing (i.e., educational outreach visits to improve clinical decision making) versus passive provider feedback using dashboard based on the Beers criteria. Researchers found that academic detailing significantly improved PIM prescribing compared to sites using the dashboard, but noted that dashboard-based audit and feedback may be a reasonable strategy EDs with limited resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many changes to the delivery of healthcare. Using data submitted to one Patient Safety Organization, this study examined patient safety events and concerns related to proning patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues identified included medical device-related pressure injuries and device dislodgement, concerns with care delivery, staffing levels, and acuity issues.

High-reliability organizations are able to achieve safety despite organizational changes or other hazardous conditions. This article describes the implementation of a new electronic health record (EHR) system at one academic health system in Canada and provides examples of how high-reliability principles informed activities to prevent patient harm during this organizational change.

Quality improvement and patient safety programs implement numerous improvement projects over time, and understanding their overall success and long-term sustainability is important. This article describes the impact of improvement toolkits in the labor and delivery ward on a Norwegian hospital since the 1990s. Fourteen tools (e.g., databases, leadership seminars) and their results are described.

Safety-II is a proactive approach to improving patient safety by focusing on what goes right in healthcare. This study describes the use of a novel tool and activity, One Safe Act (OSA), to capture activities performed by perioperative staff that keep patients safe. Eight themes emerged, with the most common theme being routines the staff “always” performed, followed by confirming resource availability.