Tag: quality improvement

Why All Medical Schools Must Incorporate Quality Improvement and Patient Safety into Their Curriculums

By Molly Siegel (Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine)

Before starting medical school, I imagined medicine was what I saw on television: I would save lives by poring through textbooks to diagnose an obscure parasite, or by dissecting a rare tumor away from the carotid artery. But quickly I learned that healthcare is more than Dr. Meredith Grey or Gregory House’s heroic efforts. Yes, sometimes patients do have rare and bizarre conditions, and extraordinary levels of diagnostic and surgical skills are required for their care. But often in the hospital, patients are admitted for a diagnosable, manageable illness- and what endangers them is not their disease, but the systems issues they’re susceptible to while admitted for life-saving treatment. Continue reading “Why All Medical Schools Must Incorporate Quality Improvement and Patient Safety into Their Curriculums”

10 ways to reduce alarm fatigue

10 ways to reduce alarm fatigue

by Gina Pugliese (Vice President, Premier Safety Institute)

In my post yesterday, I discussed the dangers of alarm fatigue. Alarm fatigue is considered the leading health technology hazard, according to the ECRI Institute’s top 10 health technology hazards.

And with 19 out of 20 hospitals (surveyed by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) ranking alarm fatigue as a top patient safety concern, it’s become an issue we need to address. And fast.

Continue reading “10 ways to reduce alarm fatigue”

Sounding the Alarm on Alarm Fatigue

by Gina Pugliese (Vice President, Premier Safety Institute)

(Editor’s note: Gina Pugliese recently joined the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety advisory board. We are pleased and honored to have her expertise and counsel.)

Alarms are a serious matter in busy hospitals and ERs.

Think about all of the devices used in patient care – infusion pumps, cardiac monitors, pulse oximetry devices, blood pressure monitors, bedside telemetry and ventilators. All of these devices have alarms. Collectively, the devices in use on a single patient can produce hundreds of alarms every day. Some alarms are inconsequential. Some are malfunctions. Others signal impending crisis. Many are simply not heard.

Continue reading “Sounding the Alarm on Alarm Fatigue”