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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 439 Results
WebM&M Case March 29, 2023

This patient with recently diagnosed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus underwent esophagoscopy with endoscopic ultrasound, which was complicated by thoracic esophageal perforation. The perforation was endoscopically closed during the procedure. However, there was a lack of clear communication regarding the operator’s confidence in the success of endoscopic closure and their recommendations for the modality and timing of follow-up imaging, which ultimately led to significant delays in patient care.

Suclupe S, Kitchin J, Sivalingam R, et al. J Patient Saf. 2023;19:117-127.
Patient identification mistakes can have serious consequences. Using the Systems Engineering for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework, this qualitative study explored systems factors contributing to patient identification errors during intrahospital transfers. The authors found that patient identification was not completed according to hospital policy during any of the 60 observed patient transfer handoffs. Miscommunication and lack of key patient information were common factors contributing to identification errors.
Patient Safety Innovation March 29, 2023

With increasing recognition that health is linked to the conditions in which a patient lives, health systems are looking for innovative ways to support recently discharged patients in their lives outside of the hospital. In a recent innovation, Prime Healthcare Services, Inc., which includes a network of 45 hospitals, provided social needs assessments and strengthened its partnerships with community agencies to support the health of high-needs patients after their discharge from the hospital.

Gjøvikli K, Valeberg BT. J Patient Saf. 2023;19:93-98.
Closed-loop communication prevents confusion and ensures the healthcare team is operating under a shared mental model. In order to investigate closed-loop communication in real-life care (as opposed to simulations), researchers observed 60 interprofessional teams, including 120 anesthesia personnel. The number of callouts, check-backs, and confirmations were analyzed, revealing only 45% of callouts resulted in closed-loop communication.
WebM&M Case March 15, 2023

A 72-year-old man was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and ileus, and admitted to a specialized COVID care unit. A nasogastric tube (NGT) was placed, supplemental oxygen was provided, and oral feedings were withheld. Early in his hospital stay, the patient developed hyperactive delirium and pulled out his NGT. Haloperidol was ordered for use as needed (“prn”) and the nurse was asked to replace the NGT and confirm placement by X-ray. The bedside and charge nurses had difficulty placing the NGT and the X-ray confirmation was not done.

WebM&M Case March 15, 2023

A 71-year-old man presented to his physician with rectal bleeding and pain, which was attributed to radiation proctitis following therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. He subsequently developed a potentially life-threatening complication of sepsis while awaiting follow up care for a spontaneous rectal perforation. The commentary addresses the importance of early identification and timely intervention in the event of treatment failure and the post-discharge follow-up programs to improve care coordination and communication during transitions of care.

Terregino CA, Jagpal S, Parikh P, et al. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11:599.
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed healthcare delivery and impacted the ways healthcare teams function. Using interprofessional focus groups, this study explored the perspectives of medical intensive care unit (MICU) team members on the role of TeamSTEPPS® during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants discussed how TeamSTEPPS® impacted teamwork and communication through shared mental models, trust, role definition, and effective briefing/debriefing and transitions of care strategies. Participants also identified several challenges to TeamSTEPPS® implementation related to the MICU environment, the ongoing pandemic, power dynamics, and patient acuity.
Kuzma N, Khan A, Rickey L, et al. J Hosp Med. 2023;Epub Feb 14.
I-PASS, a structured hand-off tool, can reduce preventable adverse events during transitions of care. Previously published studies have shown that Patient and Family-Centered (PFC) I-PASS rounds reduced preventable and non-preventable adverse events (AE) in hospitalized children. This study presents additional analysis, comparing AE rates in children with complex chronic conditions (CCC) to those without. Results show a reduction in AE in both groups, with no statistically significant differences between the groups, suggesting PFC I-PASS may be generalizable to broader groups of patients without needing modification.
Bose S, Groat D, Dinglas VD, et al. Crit Care Med. 2023;51:212-221.
Medication discrepancies at discharge are a known contributor to hospital readmission, but nonmedication needs may also contribute. In this study, 200 survivors of acute respiratory failure were followed up 7-28 days post discharge to assess unmet nonmedication discharge needs (i.e., durable medical equipment, home health services, follow-up medical appointments). Nearly all patients had at least one unmet need, but this was not associated with hospital readmission or mortality within 90 days.
Baluyot A, McNeill C, Wiers S. Patient Safety. 2022;4:18-25.
Transitions from hospital to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) remain a patient safety challenge. This quality improvement (QI) project included development of a structured handoff tool to decrease the wait time for receipt of controlled medications and intravenous (IV) antibiotics and time to medication administration. The project demonstrated significant improvements in both aims and can be replicated in other SNFs.
Curated Libraries
January 19, 2023
The Primary-Care Research in Diagnosis Errors (PRIDE) Learning Network was a Boston-based national effort to improve diagnostic safety. Hosted by the State of Massachusetts’ Betsy Lehman Center, it was led by the Harvard Brigham and Women’s Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. ...
Perspective on Safety November 16, 2022

Dr. Pascale Carayon, PhD, is a professor emerita in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the founding director of the Wisconsin Institute for Healthcare Systems Engineering (WIHSE). Dr. Nicole Werner, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Health and Wellness Design at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. We spoke with both of them about the role of human factors engineering has in improving healthcare delivery and its role in patient safety.

Starmer AJ, Spector ND, O'Toole JK, et al. J Hosp Med. 2023;18:5-14.
I-PASS is a structured handoff tool to enhance communication during patient transfers and improve patient safety. This study found that I-PASS implementation at 32 hospitals decreased major and minor handoff-related adverse events and improved key handoff elements (e.g., frequency of handoffs with high verbal quality) across provider types and settings.
Patient Safety Innovation November 16, 2022

Appropriate follow-up of incidental abnormal radiological findings is an ongoing patient safety challenge. Inadequate follow-up can contribute to missed or delayed diagnosis, potentially resulting in poorer patient outcomes. This study describes implementation of an electronic health record-based referral system for patients with incidental radiologic finding in the emergency room. 

WebM&M Case October 27, 2022

A 47-year-old man underwent a navigational bronchoscopy with transbronchial biospy under general anesthesia without complications. The patient was transferred to the post-acute care unit (PACU) for observation and a routine post-procedure chest x-ray (CXR). After the CXR was taken, the attending physician spoke to the patient and discussed his impressions, although he had not yet seen the CXR. He left the PACU without communicating with the bedside nurse, who was caring for other patients. The patient informed the nurse that the attending physician had no concerns.

Alagoz E, Saucke M, Arroyo N, et al. J Patient Saf. 2022;18:711-716.
Patients transferring between hospitals have poorer outcomes than directly admitted patients, even when adjusting for other risk factors. In this study, transfer center nurses (TCN) described communication challenges that may influence patient outcomes. Themes included referring clinicians providing incomplete information, competing clinical demands, or fear of the transfer request being denied.
Hebballi NB, Gupta VS, Sheppard K, et al. J Patient Saf. 2022;18:e1021-e1026.
Handoffs from one care team to another present significant risks to the patient if essential patient information is not shared or understood by all team members. Stakeholders at this children’s hospital developed a structured tool for handoff between surgery and pediatric or neonatal intensive care units. Transfer of information and select patient outcomes improved, handoff time was unchanged, and attendance by all team members increased.
WebM&M Case September 28, 2022

This case describes a 20-year-old woman was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and occlusive thrombus in the right brachial vein surrounding a  peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line (type, gauge, and length of time the PICC had been in place were not noted). The patient was discharged home but was not given any supplies for cleaning the PICC line, education regarding the signs of PICC line infection, or referral to home health services.

Stenquist DS, Yeung CM, Szapary HJ, et al. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2022;6:e22.00079.
The I-PASS structured handoff tool has been widely implemented to improve communication during handoffs and patient transfers. In this study, researchers modified the I-PASS tool for use in orthopedic surgery and assessed the impact on adverse clinical outcomes. After 18 months, there was sustained adherence to the tool and the quality of handoffs improved, but no notable changes in clinical outcomes were identified.