Simulation training is an important component of medical education. In this study, researchers compared the impact of traditional clinical skills training with or without interactive virtual reality (VR) on human error among medical students performing arterial blood gas collection. Findings indicate that students who participated in VR-based clinical skills training were less likely to commit errors during simulated practical exam compared to students who did not participate in VR-based training.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment during after-hours care pose serious threats to patient safety. This case-control study compared missed acute coronary syndrome (ACS) cases to other cases with chest discomfort occurring during out-of-hours services in primary care. Predictors of missed ACS included the use of cardiovascular medication, non-retrosternal chest pain, and consultation of the supervising general practitioner.   

Providing patients access to their medical records can improve patient engagement and error identification. A survey of patients and families found that about half of adult patients and pediatric families who perceived a serious mistake in their ambulatory care notes reported it, but identified several barriers to reporting (e.g. no clear reporting mechanism, lack of perceived support).  

The COVID-19 pandemic increased delivery of virtual care through mechanisms such as remote triage and video consultation. This article describes the results of a multi-site study examining the impact of a virtual nursing care team on missed nursing care. Findings indicate the missed care and reasons for missed care remained consistent during pre- and post-implementation, and further research is necessary to explore the impact of virtual nursing.

Care transitions and handoffs represent a vulnerable time for patients, as failure to communicate important clinical information may occur with the potential for harm. In this pre–post study, researchers found that implementation of an electronic health record tool designed to improve the handoff between oncology clinic and infusion nurses was associated with a reduction in medication errors, shorter average patient waiting time, and better communication between nurses.

This pre–post study compared patients who received medication reconciliation that was usual care at the time of hospital discharge to patients in the intervention arm who had decision support for deprescribing. Although the intervention did lead to more discontinuation of potentially inappropriate medications, there was no difference in adverse drug events between groups. The authors suggest larger studies to elucidate the potential to address medication safety using deprescribing decision support.

Prior research has shown that when patients have access to clinicians' notes, they may identify relevant safety concerns. In this study, 9550 obstetrics and gynecology patients were provided with access to their outpatient visit documentation. Almost 70% of eligible patients read one or more notes during the study period, but only 3.2% shared feedback through 232 electronic reports. Of patients who provided feedback, 27% identified errors in the documentation; provider reviewers determined that 75% of these could impact care.

This pre–post study examined the effect of an electronic health record alert that required physicians to respond "yes" or "no" regarding whether tests were pending at the time of discharge from the emergency department. Investigators found that physician responses were often inaccurate, and the proportion of discharged patients with tests pending increased following the intervention, contrary to intentions.

Pharmacists are expanding their reach as stewards of medication safety into the front line of care. This project report describes the pilot testing of pharmacist involvement in development and review of medication orders in the discharge workflow. A substantive percentage of medication problems were prevented due to pharmacist engagement.

This direct observation study of hospitalist teams on rounds and conducting follow-up work examined the interaction between systems problems and cognitive errors in diagnosis. Researchers found that information gaps related to electronic health records, challenges with handoffs, and time constraints all contributed to difficulties in diagnostic cognition. The authors suggest considering both systems and cognitive challenges to diagnosis in order to promote safety.

This secondary data analysis of electronic health record (EHR) messages addressed to pathologists uncovered gaps in clinician-to-clinician communication. A range of clinicians used the EHR to ask clinical questions of pathologists, and pathologists largely did not use the EHR message inbox. The authors suggest that design and implementation of electronic tools should anticipate and address these potential safety problems.

Incomplete communication regarding patient information can diminish the safety of care delivery. This commentary describes how a quality improvement project applied plan–do–study–act cycles to enhance collection of patient data. Researchers developed, tested, and refined a ward round template in a United Kingdom urology service and increased compliance in the recording of patient care measures.

Failure to follow up abnormal test results can lead to a delayed or missed diagnosis. Using data from a single institution, researchers observed that while more than 99% of abnormal mammograms received appropriate follow-up, only 91% of abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears did. They suggest that improving workflow processes and ensuring appropriate use of health information technology can help optimize test result follow-up.

Incomplete follow-up of tests pending at hospital discharge is a persistent patient safety issue. This cluster-randomized trial used medical record review to assess whether an automated notification of test results to discharging hospitalist physicians and receiving primary care physicians improved follow-up compared with usual care. The intervention was focused on actionable test results, which constituted less than 10% of all pending tests. Even with the intervention, only 60% of tests deemed actionable had any documented follow-up in the medical record, and there was no significant difference compared to usual care. The authors conclude that automated clinician notification does not constitute a sufficient intervention to optimize management of tests pending at discharge. Previous WebM&M commentaries explored problems related to tests pending at discharge and how organizations can improve follow-up of abnormal test results.

Test results pending at the time of hospital discharge can lead to a delay in diagnosis and represent a significant patient safety risk. This systematic review found that certain electronic and educational interventions may improve documentation and awareness of pending test results. The authors suggest that further research is needed to understand how these interventions affect processes and outcomes.