Updates | News | Press
Putting Patient Safety First
On Sep 01, 2011 | CommentsMedical Dealer, September 1, 2011
Despite detailed guidelines and recommendations by the Joint Commission, CDC and the WHO, patient safety risks during surgery have not significantly diminished in the last few years. The chief OR nurse can be an excellent advocate for patient safety, however a team effort is needed for conditions to improve considerably. More…
Aging Gracefully?Patient Safety Advocates Call for Ongoing Skills Assessments for Older Physicians
On Sep 01, 2011 | CommentsAnnals of Emergency Medicine, September 2011
In an era focused on quality measures, it has become common to compare medicine with aviation. The air industry’s practices, from checklists during procedures to training exercises for entire teams, seem to offer lessons for medical institutions still struggling with errors and health care–associated infections.
Some patient advocates are asking whether medicine—and especially emergency medicine, a specialty that, like flying, runs on adrenaline and relies on quick decisionmaking—should adopt another aviation practice: a mandatory retirement age. More…
How to Fundamentally Improve Performance (Without Harming Patients)
On Aug 16, 2011 | CommentsHospitals & Health Networks, August 16, 2011
Clinical competency requires lots of practice. Learning on a live patient however, is not without its risks. For that reason, many hospitals and schools are beginning to use medical simulation as an advanced training tool, finding that it offers many opportunities for learning without compromising the quality of patient care. More…
Atul Gawande, MD, MPH To Speak at Lucian Leape Institute Forum & Gala
On Aug 16, 2011 | Comments|
Boston, MA, Aug. 16, 2011 – The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation has announced the program for the fourth annual Forum & Gala to be held in Boston on Thursday, September 22, 2011. An interactive afternoon dialogue with members of the Institute will be followed by an evening program featuring guest speaker, Atul Gawande, MD, MPH. Dr. Gawande, a general and endocrine surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is known for his writing on topics in medicine, health care quality, and health reform. A staff writer at the New Yorker magazine since 1998, Dr. Gawande has authored three books that have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list, the most recent of which, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, examines the use of checklists to perform complex work. Read More→ |
AHA and NPSF Select 2011–12 Comprehensive Patient Safety Leadership Fellows
On Jul 12, 2011 | CommentsHey, Doc, Are You Listening?
On Jul 08, 2011 | CommentsChicago Tribune, LA Times, July 8, 2011
Effective medical care depends on more than just the competency of the staff. For patients to be at their healthiest—and safest—good communication with providers is key. More…
The Work of Patient Safety
On Jun 30, 2011 | CommentsADVANCE for Nurses, June 30, 2011
One of the greatest achievements of the patient safety movement has been establishing patient safety and healthcare quality as a legitimate discipline within healthcare and related fields. In order to help healthcare professionals achieve recognition in this field and remain knowledgeable about patient safety issues, NPSF established the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety. Diane Pinakiewicz, president of NPSF, explains the mission and work of ASPPS. More…
Three Questions Hospital Staff Should Ask the CEO
On Jun 07, 2011 | CommentsHospitals & Health Systems, June 7, 2011
Many hospital staffers, in both clinical and nonclinical roles, feel overworked and undervalued. Leaders need to encourage their employees to speak up about both disruptive behavior and new ideas. More…
Truth Telling: Can Your Hospital Handle it?
On May 31, 2011 | CommentsHospitals & Health Networks, May 31, 2011
It is clear that hospitals are under more pressure than ever to provide the public with transparency. What’s not clear is what form this transparency will take, and if hospitals will be able to handle disclosing information that is potentially unflattering without losing the trust of patients and their families. More…
VA infection issue leads to 113,000 veterans’ tests
On May 29, 2011 | CommentsAP, May 29, 2011
Despite clear protocols for hand washing and equipment sterilization, the biggest obstacle to prevention of hospital-acquired infections is noncompliance with infection-control procedures. More…
