The PSNet Collection

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.

Fragmented: A Doctor's Quest to Piece Together American Health Care.

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Yurkiewicz I. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, Inc; 2023. ISBN: 9780393881196.

Disjointed health care processes contribute to missed test results, incomplete communication, and care omissions that harm patients. This book shares a personal account of how broken care processes serve as a core deterrent in one clinician’s ability to provide the safest care possible.

Diagnostic Safety Across Transitions of Care Throughout the Healthcare System: Current State and a Call to Action.

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Santhosh L, Cornell E, Rojas JC, et al. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; June 2023. AHRQ Publication No. 23-0040-1-EF.

Care transitions present opportunities for errors. This issue brief highlights the risk of diagnostic errors during transitions in care, such as from the emergency department to the inpatient floor or from inpatient to outpatient care. The brief describes strategies to prevent and reduce these errors, such as diagnostic feedback or structured handoff tools.

Clinical Investigation Booking Systems Failures: Written Communications in Community Languages.

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Farnborough, UK: Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch; April 2023.

Gaps in patient information processes can result in missed care opportunities that contribute to harm. This report examines language discordance in National Health Service written scheduling communications and its contribution to patients being lost to follow up. The primary improvement recommendation is to enhance the ability of providers to recognize primary languages of patients and provide written instructions accordingly.

Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Summary Report: Evaluation of Care Coordination in Veterans Health Administration Facilities, Fiscal Year 2021.

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Washington, DC: VA Office of the Inspector General; September 15, 2022. Report no. 22-00815-232.

Care coordination failures reduce the effectiveness of communication, information transfer, and patient monitoring to the determent of safety. This report examines the current state of interfacility transfers in 45 veteran facilities to find that, while process requirements were basically met, improvements could be made to medication list transfer, nursing communication, and general service evaluation.

Curated Libraries

Diagnostic Safety

October 10, 2022

Selected PSNet materials for a general safety audience focusing on improvements in the diagnostic process and the strategies that support them to prevent diagnostic errors from harming patients.

Curated Libraries

Maternal Safety

September 13, 2021

Ensuring maternal safety is a patient safety priority. This library reflects a curated selection of PSNet content focused on improving maternal safety. Included resources explore strategies with the potential to improve maternal care delivery and outcomes, such as high reliability, collaborative initiatives, teamwork, and trigger tools.

Unlocking Solutions in Imaging: Working Together to Learn from Failings in the NHS.

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London, UK: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; 2021. ISBN 9781528627016.

Lack of appropriate follow up of diagnostic imaging can result in care delays, patient harm, and death. This report summarizes an investigation of 25 imaging failures in the British National Health Service (NHS). The analysis identified communication and coordination issues resulting in lack of action and reporting of unanticipated findings to properly advance care. Recommendations to improve imaging in the NHS include use of previous analyses to enhance learning from failure.

The Life and Death of Elizabeth Dixon: A Catalyst for Change.

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Kirkup B. London, England: Crown Copyright; 2020. ISBN 9781528622714.

Missed diagnosis of a dangerous condition in utero, treatment errors, lack of response to concerns raised, and inadequate clinician expertise were among the contributing factors identified in this analysis of the death of a special needs infant at home. The 12 recommendations stemming from the investigation include improvements in disclosure support, clinician communication across facilities, and assignment of accountability when false and misleading statements are made during investigations.

The Economics of Patient Safety Part III: Long-term Care: Valuing Safety for the Long Haul.

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de Bienassis K, Llena-Nozal A, Klazinga N for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Paris, France: OECD Publishing; 2020. OECD Health Working Papers, No. 121.

Adverse events in long term care facilities are acerbated due to staffing, training and financial challenges. This report examined the costs of avoidable problems in long term care and suggests prevention strategies that center on workforce skill development and safety culture improvement.

Investigation into Detection of Retained Vaginal Swabs and Tampons Following Childbirth.

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Farnborough, UK; Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch; December 18, 2019.

Maternal care during and after childbirth is at risk for never events including retained foreign objects. This analysis of a sentinel event involving a retained surgical tampon after childbirth discusses communication, fatigue, and process factors that contributed to the incident. The report suggests improved handoffs as one improvement strategy.

Nurse Staffing Levels, Missed Vital Signs and Mortality in Hospitals: Retrospective Longitudinal Observational Study.

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Griffiths P, Ball JE, Bloor K, et al. Southampton, UK: NIHR Journals Library; 2018.

Missed nursing care has been linked to safety problems, but ensuring reliable levels of nurse staffing remains challenging. This report provides the results of a 3-year investigation into whether tracking of vital signs by nursing staff could serve as a viable measure for safe patient coverage. The report identified correlations between low staffing, missed vital sign observation, length of stay, and likelihood of mortality. However, record review found no direct relationship between safety and staffing levels. A PSNet perspective examined the relationship between missed nursing care and patient safety.

Silence Kills: The Seven Crucial Conversations for Healthcare.

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Maxfield D, Grenny J, McMillan R, Patterson K, Switzler A. Provo, UT: VitalSmarts, L.C; 2005.

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) commissioned VitalSmarts to conduct a study exploring communication difficulties experienced by health care personnel that may contribute to medical error. Areas of concern include broken rules, mistakes, lack of support, incompetence, poor teamwork, disrespect, and micromanagement.

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