Delays and mistakes in health care for distinct patient populations hold improvement lessons for the broader system. This news story highlights problems in correctional system cancer diagnoses and treatment that may indicate other types of prison care delivery problems.
Nurses play a critical role in patient safety through their constant presence at the patient's bedside. However, staffing issues and suboptimal working conditions can impede a nurse’s ability to detect and prevent adverse events.
Incomplete nursing care is known to affect care quality and safety. This special issue documents the global problem of missed or rationed nursing care in a variety of settings and countries. Articles featured in this special issue examine systemic issues, explore interventions, and evaluate measurement tools.
Vyas DA, Eisenstein LG, Jones DS. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(9):874-882.
Physicians commonly use diagnostic algorithms and practice guidelines to individualize risk assessment and guide clinical decisions. The authors discuss the possible dangers of using race-adjusted algorithms due to their potential to lead to diagnostic errors and delays in care.
This Primer provides an overview of the history and current status of the patient safety field and key definitions and concepts. It links to other Patient Safety Primers that discuss the concepts in more detail.
Müller M, Jürgens J, Redaèlli M, et al. BMJ Open. 2018;8:e022202.
Standardized handoff tools are increasingly implemented to improve communication between health care providers. Although this systematic review identified several studies supporting the use of SBAR as a communication tool to improve patient safety, the authors suggest the evidence is moderate and that further research is needed.
Darrah NJ, O'Connor NR. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2016;51:959-962.e2.
Hospice providers often lack access to patient records, which can hinder patient transitions in this setting. This project report outlines an effort to develop curriculum associated with hospital-to-hospice handoffs to enhance transition practices and communication needs unique to palliative care.
This supplement discusses Australian efforts to improve handover safety with emphasis on flexible standardization, communication improvement, and information sharing tactics.
Boling PA. Clin Geriatr Med. 2009;25:135-48, viii.
This article reviews the literature on transitions of care, discusses interventions, and suggests that transitional care processes supported by effective home care programs can reduce rehospitalization.