5 Areas More Hospitals Are Refining to Improve Patient Safety
From human errors to system failures, mistakes and oversights in healthcare are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. According to hospital safety advocate, the Leapfrog Group, 440,000 Americans die each year because of hospital errors that could have been prevented. Patient safety has been a growing concern for hospitals around the world since 1999, but progress has been slow. Most healthcare facilities are focusing on 5 key areas to improve their safety scores.
#1: Patient Identification
‘Wrong patient’ scenarios are responsible for a significant portion of the adverse events caused by hospital errors. When a patient isn’t correctly identified, a number of safety concerns arise. More hospitals are adopting electronic medical records, along with either bar code technology or radio frequency identification systems to prevent misidentification issues associated with blood transfusions, surgical procedures, and general care practices.
#2: Drug Administration
Medication errors happen every day in the healthcare industry, usually several times a day, and account for more than 7,000 patient deaths each year. These errors include giving patients the wrong medicine, administering the wrong dosage, or giving the medication at the wrong time. Many electronic identification systems offer features that help healthcare facilities improve the way medications are verified and administered.
#3: Patient Safety Risks
Overlooked safety risks can result in allergic reactions, falls, or even suicide, depending on the situation. More hospitals are integrating automated alerts into their electronic medical records to notify staff of potential interactions between patient medications, foods, and other factors. The Joint Commission encourages healthcare facilities to identify and note any possible suicide risks for all patients, along with other relevant medical background information.
#4: Prevention of Infections
According to the CDC, about 1.7 million US patients contract hospital-acquired infections, or HAIs, each year. Urinary tract infections are most common and are usually the result of unsatisfactory catheter procedures. Better guidelines would also reduce post-surgery infections, eliminating as many as 340,000 hospital-acquired infections every year. Central line bloodstream infections are another concern that can be minimized by following proper procedures. Many hospitals are refining hand washing procedures and placing greater importance on infection prevention techniques.
#5: Employee Safety
A recent study by Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) and Gallup Research found a significant correlation between the safety and well-being of the medical staff and the safety of healthcare consumers. Overstressed, overworked employees are much more likely to make mistakes and to take shortcuts. More hospitals are adopting shorter shift durations and scheduling more personnel to create a safer environment for patients and staff members. Better communication between doctors, nurses, and other medical staff is another area of focus.
Many different things can affect the safety of hospital patients. Hospitals around the world are implementing strategies to make sure their facilities deliver the best possible healthcare experience. A comprehensive electronic record system can improve patient safety in many areas, but hospitals must examine their internal policies and procedural guidelines as well.
Above Image Source: Flickr/Creative Commons/Jerry Pank