This week in #patientsafety, we shine the spotlight on respiratory therapists for all the work they do in keeping patients safe. We also look at whether bundled payments for hip and knee replacements are potentially risky when it comes to safe care. From around the web, we feature a great article highlighting stories of patients found “dead in bed”, possibly from providing too much pain medication (long-time PPAHS supporters will be familiar with most of these stories).

From PPAHS:

Respiratory Therapists Are Integral to Reducing Opioid-Related Adverse Events. In light of our recent interview with Harold Oglesby, RRT, from St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System (SJ/C), we wanted to illuminate the important role that RTs play in patient safety.

Why Bundled Payments for Joint Replacement May Be Risky for Patients. Published on The Doctor Weighs In, we take a closer look at the patient safety implications of bundled payments for hip and knee replacement surgeries.

From Around the Web:

Dead in bed: A deadly hospital secret. KSHB highlights the stories of Amanda Abbiehl, Leah Coufal, and near-miss Matt Whitman in this investigative piece looking at the role of opioids in patient deaths after successful surgery.

How to prevent 440,000 yearly deaths due to medical errors. Northwestern University introduces what it says is the country’s first Ph.D. program focused on patient safety.

I am a doctor, but I didn’t cause the opioid epidemic. An interesting look at whether doctors are actually to blame for the opioid epidemic.

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