Promoting patient safety and improving the quality of patient care
Category: Must Reads
People can make a difference in patient safety and to improve healthcare. No message could be stronger than in the following articles:
Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety Dec. 11, 2017”
This week’s must reads focus on patient safety tools.
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS announced our position that all patients receiving opioids must be monitored with capnography. From around the web, the American Journal of Nursing summarized venous thromboembolism (blood clots) guidelines from American College of Chest Physicians, Ontario released a dataset and tool to explore opioid-related morbidity and mortality, and Pain Medicine News discussed a researcher’s exploration of alternatives to opioids. Continue reading “Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads (June 3, 2017)”
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS archived select articles that we were able to get featured on Advance for Nurses. From around the web, Italy’s lawmakers recognized patient safety as a fundamental right, Health Quality Ontario released a report on opioids in the Canadian province, and research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows earlier is better when it comes to sepsis treatment. Continue reading “Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads (May 27, 2017)”
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS offered a look at the differences in anesthesiology standards between hospital and outpatient settings. From around the web, an infographic on blood clots, a look at how medical students are trained on the opioid crisis, and an alert in a small Canadian town experiencing the worst of the opioid epidemic. Continue reading “Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads (May 20, 2017)”
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS called for a coordinated public health response to improve patient safety and drive the collective work. From around the web, nasal obstructions and OIRD, WHO announces medication error initiative, and a study examines the association between patient outcomes and high opioid doses. Continue reading “Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads (May 6, 2017)”
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS featured a new report by the Respiratory Compromise Institute on preventing respiratory compromise. From around the web, a study shows voluntary participation in checklists can reduce post-surgery deaths, a look at the demographics of opioid use, and a look at challenges faced by CIOs in improving opioid safety. Continue reading “Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads (April 29, 2017)”
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS offered a response to a question about whether a patient is right to be worried about receiving opioids after surgery. From around the web, a study in JAMA Surgery on when long-term opioid use starts, a doctor offers advice on how to have difficult conversations about opioids, and a look at the leading role played by nurses in patient safety.
Opioid Safety After Surgery. “I’m going to have surgery soon and I have been told I will be given an opioid medication to control the pain after the operation. But I see stories of people getting hooked on opioids all over the news, and I’m scared to take them. Am I right to be worried?” Read our response.
Long-Term Opioid Use Can Start After Surgery, New Study Shows. A study in JAMA Surgery suggests that many people start long-term opioid use after doctors prescribe them the drugs to relieve post-surgical pain.
Prescribing opioids safely: How to have difficult patient conversations. Building a strong doctor-patient rapport can help facilitate conversations with patients about opioid prescriptions and reduce risks that could lead to malpractice suits, says the author.
Nurses Drive Change in Patient Safety Improvements. A look at nurses as changemakers for patient safety at hospitals.
Great news–our video last week was watched over 25,000 times! Let’s keep working to transform that awareness into progress for patient safety.
This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS Founder and Executive Director Michael Wong, JD, penned an article for Healthcare Business Today on what makes “good” hospital leadership. From around the web, a study looks at the relationship between readmission rates and caregiver involvement in discharge discussions. Another study looks at factors associated with alarm response time. And a doctor asks if her peers have noticed an increase in inquiries about NSAIDs with growing awareness of the opioid epidemic.
“Good” Hospitals Require Real Leaders. How can you tell the difference between a “good” hospital and a “bad” one?
Study: To reduce readmissions, involve caregivers in discharge planning. A study finds that involving caregivers in discharge discussions was associated with a 25% reduction in the likelihood of an elderly patient being readmitted to the hospital within 90 days of discharge.
Video Analysis of Factors Associated With Response Time to Physiologic Monitor Alarms in a Children’s Hospital. Nurses who responded faster included those who were earlier in their shifts, had less than 1 year of experience, previously responded to an alarm requiring intervention, were caring for only 1 patient, and were responding to an alarm for lethal arrhythmia.
More information on NSAIDs & CV risk. A doctor looks at research on the cardiovascular risks of NSAIDs as patients appear to ask about them more frequently.
This week in #patientsafety, we released a video that summarizes experiences of clinicians in improving opioid safety in their hospital or healthcare facility, and reminds us of the tragic consequences of adverse events and deaths that may ensue if clinicians and healthcare executives are not proactive in promoting safety. From around the web, a look at alarm fatigue, pre-surgical counselling on opioid use, and reactions to a sepsis awareness campaign.
Nine Minutes to Improving Opioid Safety: PPAHS Releases Patient Safety Video. Over 10 hours of in-depth interviews released by PPAHS in 2016 distilled into 9 minutes.
How Redesigning The Abrasive Alarms Of Hospital Soundscapes Can Save Lives. Alarm fatigue continues to be a problem at hospitals.
Here’s something that curbs opioid use: Pre-surgical counseling. This surgeon shows a video on opioid safety to patients before undergoing surgery, and says it works at reducing opioid use.
Sepsis awareness campaigner reacts to health board responses. Health boards in the UK are working on reducing sepsis, but some are wary of a widower’s awareness campaign.
This week in #patientsafety, we took a step back to develop more substantial pieces that will be published in the near future. From around the web, Dr. Pronovost describes the results of a peer-to-peer hospital review program; Healthy Canadians, a collaborative initiative by a number of agencies within the Government of Canada, is re-promoting a 2015 video about prescription drug abuse; and, an article on how to use pain medication more safely.
Nothing this week.
How peer-to-peer review helps hospitals. In light of last week’s article on the impact of inspections on patient safety, this article by Peter Pronovost, MD, who served on the PPAHS PCA Safety Panel, is particularly timely.
Jordan’s Story. In this YouTube video, listen to Jordan’s story and how his dependence on pain medication led to tragedy.
How to Avoid Opioid Addiction When You’re Prescribed Pain Medication. This article provides suggestions to make opioid use safer, such as knowing your risk factors, taking meds only as prescribed, and seeking non-opioid pain management treatments.