Case for antimicrobial stewardship pharmacy technicians in Australian hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 941
Author(s):  
Ron Cheah ◽  
Arjun Rajkhowa ◽  
Rodney James ◽  
Kym Wangeman ◽  
Sonia Koning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Career Advancement ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Pharmacy Department ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Improve Patient ◽  
Australian Hospital

The pharmacist’s role in hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs is known to improve patient safety and the quality of care. Despite this, many Australian hospitals struggle to provide adequate pharmacy AMS program resourcing and need to explore newer models of care. The Pharmacy Board of Australia’s Guidelines for Dispensing Medicines permit suitably qualified, competent and experienced pharmacy technicians to assist pharmacists in ‘tasks in a pharmacy department’. The pharmacy technician workforce is expanding, and there is growing interest in career advancement and expansion of the pharmacy technician role. We propose that the pharmacy technician, a well-integrated member of many Australian hospital pharmacy departments, can play an important role in hospital AMS programs. To bolster AMS initiatives in Australian hospitals, this paper explores the existing evidence for pharmacy technicians in AMS programs and describes how this role may be better supported in Australia.

Healthcare practitioner behaviours that influence unsafe use of hospital information systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 420-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizawati Salahuddin ◽  
Zuraini Ismail ◽  
Ummi Rabaah Hashim ◽  
Nor Haslinda Ismail ◽  
Raja Rina Raja Ikram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Hospital Information Systems ◽  
Healthcare Practitioner ◽  
Resultant Data ◽  
Quality Of Patient Care ◽  
Copy And Paste ◽  
Improve Patient

This study aims to investigate healthcare practitioner behaviour in adopting Health Information Systems which could affect patients’ safety and quality of health. A qualitative study was conducted based on a semi-structured interview protocol on 31 medical doctors in three Malaysian government hospitals implementing the Total Hospital Information Systems. The period of study was between March and May 2015. A thematic qualitative analysis was performed on the resultant data to categorize them into relevant themes. Four themes emerged as healthcare practitioners’ behaviours that influence the unsafe use of Hospital Information Systems. The themes include (1) carelessness, (2) workarounds, (3) noncompliance to procedure, and (4) copy and paste habit. By addressing these behaviours, the hospital management could further improve patient safety and the quality of patient care.

scholarly journals A prospective closed loop audit on the quality of the operative notes in a general surgical unit in a quaternary care centre

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Javid ◽  
Shanthi Ponnandai Swaminathan ◽  
Arun Victor Jebasingh ◽  
Manivannan Velayutham ◽  
Rajeswari Mani
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Audit ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Prospective Audit ◽  
Surgical Practice ◽  
Standards Of Practice ◽  
Operative Notes ◽  
Improve Patient ◽  
Surgical Unit

Background: Proper documentation of the surgery done in the form of operative notes is a very important aspect of surgical practice. The aim of this clinical audit was to identify the existing standard of the operative notes written in a general surgical unit in a quaternary care hospital; and to compare it with the recommendations given by Royal College of Surgeons, England (in Good Surgical Practice, 2014) and if needed, to improve the standard of practice.Methods: In the first loop of this prospective audit, 75 consecutive operative notes which were written were compared with the RCS guidelines and the areas which had missing data were identified. These areas were informed to the residents, who are primarily involved in the documentation of the operative notes. The second loop of the audit was conducted after a gap of 4 months involving 75 consecutive operative notes again.Results: The areas which were initially deficient were better documented when analysed in the second loop.Conclusions: Documentation of operative notes does not always comply with the set guidelines as highlighted in the first loop of our audit. But by employing a clinical audit it is possible to identify the existing deficiencies and thereby improving the standards of practice. Also, operative note writing should be taught as part of surgical training. Definitions should be clearly provided, and specific guidelines should be established to improve the quality of the operative notes and their use to improve patient safety.

scholarly journals Technovigilance and risk management as tools to improve patient safety in Colombian health care institutions

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Mauricio González Vargas ◽  
Ana María Sánchez Benavides ◽  
Andrés Felipe Betancourt Hernández ◽  
Carlos David Mantilla Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Health Care Institutions ◽  
Improve Patient

This paper presents the results of a survey about technovigilance carried out in 21 clinical institutions from the southwest of Colombia. It also provides an analysis of how these programs take into account different risk management methodologies in order to create awareness of the importance of patient safety in all members of the staff and improve the quality of the health services provided.

scholarly journals Beliefs, perceptions and practices of chiropractors and patients about mitigation strategies for benign adverse events after spinal manipulation therapy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Funabashi ◽  
Katherine A. Pohlman ◽  
Rachel Goldsworthy ◽  
Alex Lee ◽  
Anthony Tibbles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Spinal Manipulative Therapy ◽  
Mitigation Strategy ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Tissue Therapy ◽  
Teaching Clinics ◽  
Improve Patient

Abstract Background: Approximately 50% of patients who receive spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) experience some kind of adverse event (AE), typically benign and transient in nature. Regardless of their severity, mitigating benign AEs is important to improve patient experience and quality of care. The aim of this study was to identify beliefs, perceptions and practices of chiropractors and patients regarding benign AEs post-SMT and potential strategies to mitigate them.Methods: Clinicians and patients from two chiropractic teaching clinics were invited to respond to an 11-question survey exploring their beliefs, perceptions and practices regarding benign AEs post-SMT and strategies to mitigate them. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: A total of 39 clinicians (67% response rate) and 203 patients (82.9% response rate) completed the survey. Most clinicians (97%) believed benign AEs occur, and 82% reported their own patients have experienced one. For patients, 55% reported experiencing benign AEs post-SMT, with the most common symptoms being pain/soreness, headache and stiffness. While most clinicians (61.5%) reported trying a mitigation strategy with their patients, only 21.2% of patients perceived their clinicians had tried any mitigation strategy. Clinicians perceived that patient education is most likely to mitigate benign AEs, followed by soft tissue therapy and/or icing after SMT. Patients perceived stretching was most likely to mitigate benign AEs, followed by education and/or massage.Conclusions: This is the first study comparing beliefs, perceptions and practices from clinicians and patients regarding benign AEs post-SMT and strategies to mitigate them. This study provides an important step towards identifying the best strategies to improve patient safety and improve quality of care.

scholarly journals Introduction to the Rule Book of Pancreatobiliary Endoscopy Certification

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-232
Author(s):  
Won Suk Park
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Endoscopic Retrograde ◽  
Endoscopic Procedures ◽  
Certification System ◽  
Systematic Training ◽  
Level Of Difficulty ◽  
Improve Patient ◽  
Biliary Endoscopy

An endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure requires the highest level of difficulty among endoscopic procedures and the complications related to the procedure is relatively high, and fatal. Training in ERCP requires the development of technical, cognitive, and integrative skills well beyond those needed for standard endoscopic procedures. Therefore, a system that certifies qualifications through objective and systematic training and examination is needed to improve patient safety and quality of medical services. This manuscript introduces a set of rules that contain all the necessary matters for the certification system of pancreatic and biliary endoscopy.

scholarly journals Design and implementation of the asthma treat smart system in a pediatric institution

2015 ◽  
pp. 353-366
Keyword(s):  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coordinated Care ◽  
Asthma Care ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Provider Training ◽  
Evidence Based Guideline ◽  
And Control ◽  
Improve Patient

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, affecting an estimated 7 million children (9.4%) in the United States. Asthma care is complex and dynamic requiring temporal, multi-faceted, and coordinated care. The purpose of the Asthma Treat Smart (ATS) application was to help providers provide evidence-based, guideline-compliant care to patients presenting to the pulmonary clinic for treatment of asthma. The application guides the providers through collecting the necessary information to classify the patient’s severity and control and suggests appropriate medications according to the classification, age, and guidelines. The application helps to improve patient safety, healthcare provider training, and improves the quality of care patients receive by helping to align their chronic asthma care with national guidelines.

Accuracy checking of dispensed medications by a pharmacy technician: a hospital case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Centaine L. Snoswell ◽  
Melynda Flor ◽  
Cameron Tessier ◽  
Sunita Ratanjee ◽  
Andrew Hale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Technical Accuracy ◽  
Pharmacy Profession ◽  
International Data ◽  
Accuracy Check ◽  
Australian Case ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Efficiency Data ◽  
Australian Hospital

Medication order accuracy checking is an integral and time-consuming component of the current Australian pharmacist’s role. However, the pharmacy profession internationally has moved towards separating the checking task into two parts: a clinical check performed by the registered pharmacist and a technical accuracy check delegated to an appropriately trained pharmacy technician. This case study demonstrates that in an Australian hospital pharmacy context, appropriately trained pharmacy technicians have the potential to be more proficient and time efficient than pharmacists when undertaking accuracy checking of dispensed medications. What is known about the topic?International data have shown that appropriately trained pharmacy technicians can be more precise than pharmacists when performing accuracy checking. What does this paper add?This paper reports the findings of an Australian case study reallocating the accuracy checking task to trained pharmacy technicians and evaluating the time efficiency data, which has not previously been reported. What are the implications for practitioners?These findings provide support for the potential to safely delegate checking tasks to an appropriately trained accuracy checking pharmacy technician.

Partners Advancing Clinical Excellence: Building Professional Councils for Quality Improvement at Six Community Hospitals

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Ann Sakowski ◽  
Lynda Hooper ◽  
Thomas Holton ◽  
Abraham A. Brody
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
Clinical Excellence ◽  
Central Line ◽  
Community Hospitals ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Improve Patient

Engaging bedside clinicians, especially nurses, is essential for the success of sustainable process improvement programs and thus for improving the quality of health care. Studies have shown that properly implemented professional councils can be effective in engaging and empowering bedside clinicians to create lasting and meaningful improvements. This case study describes a 5-year program to implement and operate staff-led councils to lead evidence-based practice (EBP) quality improvement initiatives at 6 community hospitals. The outcomes presented in this case study demonstrate that staff-led councils have the potential to improve patient safety and quality of care as evidenced by observed reductions in ventilator-associated pneumonias, central line–associated bloodstream infections, and mortality from acute myocardial infarction and severe sepsis.

scholarly journals Bloody Good! The Impact of eLearning on Medical and Nursing Practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Peterson ◽  
Tracey Clark ◽  
Richard Sprod ◽  
Trudi Verrall ◽  
Louise English ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Transfusion Practice ◽  
Medical Procedure ◽  
Reliable Knowledge ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Improve Patient

<p class="Abstract">Blood transfusion is a commonly-performed medical procedure that improves and saves the lives of patients. However, this procedure also has significant risks, is sometimes used inappropriately and has substantial costs associated with the collection, testing, processing and distribution of blood and blood products.</p><p class="Abstract">BloodSafe eLearning Australia (BEA) (<a href="/index.php/i-jac/author/saveSubmit/www.bloodsafelearning.org.au">www.bloodsafelearning.org.au</a>) is an education program for Australian doctors, nurses and midwives, designed to improve the safety and quality of clinical transfusion practice. Courses are interactive and include case studies, videos, and best-practice tips. Successful completion of a multiple-choice assessment provides learners with a certificate of completion. To date there are more than 400,000 registered learners, from more than 1500 organisations, who have completed more than 765,000 courses.</p><p class="Abstract">Stakeholder feedback shows that the program: provides credible, consistent education across Australia; is cost effective; reduces duplication; is ‘best-practice’ elearning that is readily accessible; allows institutions to focus on practical aspects of transfusion education; results in change to clinical practice; and supports the broader implementation of a blood management strategy in Australia.</p><p class="Abstract">User evaluation shows that the courses have a positive impact, with 89% of respondents stating they had gained additional knowledge of transfusion practice, processes and/or policy and more than 87% reporting they will make, or have made, changes to their work practices which will improve patient safety and outcomes.</p>The BloodSafe eLearning Australia program provides education to a large number of health professionals across Australia. Evaluation demonstrates that these courses provide users with a consistent and reliable knowledge base that translates into changes to practice and improved patient outcomes.

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