When a medical error occurs, the investigation should start with why the mistake happened and examine the systems and processes before asking who made the mistake. While there does need to be accountability if standard practices were not followed, healthcare systems must...
Someone’s always checking for compliance when it comes to fire safety, especially in healthcare facilities. Naturally, that includes several regulatory agencies: CMS, The Joint Commission (TJC), Department of Health, and the local fire department, just to name a few. They will all be looking for...
Although healthcare has always been fast-paced and complex, the pandemic has amplified these challenges and introduced dynamics that can put patient safety and quality care at risk. Mounting staff shortages due to unprecedented levels of burnout are forcing hospitals and health systems to care...
Some safety professionals are lucky enough to be able to constantly focus on their safety program. But in many organizations, managing safety is not a full-time job. Often, safety professionals must oversee the safety program while managing other day-to-day operations and programs. Either way,...
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in its March 2022 cybersecurity newsletter reported that throughout 2020 and 2021, hackers have targeted the healthcare industry...
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a great many things for healthcare, but it may have a particularly lasting impact on infection prevention programs. As the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology commented in a statement, “The pandemic has highlighted the need to strengthen infection prevention and...
For many people, forgetting a daily dose of an ADHD, allergy, or other drug might be disruptive but not life threatening. However, for millions of Americans, taking the right medicine at the right time—for diabetes, heart disease, or seizures—can be a matter of life and death. For patients...
A high reliability organization (HRO) is one that works with complex and hazardous systems every day and still retains a highly safe and error-free environment. The first recognized HROs were the United States Navy nuclear aircraft carriers, the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic...
Ask any healthcare executive to name the biggest issue that will demand their attention in 2022, and the response will be staffing shortages and their impact on patient safety. Those focused on improving care quality might consider how key trends will play out and the impact of current industry...
