scholarly journals Ameliorate Patient Care and Safety with Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-189
Author(s):  
Nasim Karim
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Errors ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Latin Word

The word “Patient” has been derived from the Latin word "Patior" which means "to suffer". It represents the sense of feeling pain as well as sense of forbearance.1Whereas patient care is defined as the prevention, treatment and management of diseases and the preservation of physical and mental wellbeing.2 This is attained by the services of health professionals. Patient safety is a discipline that emphasizes in through the prevention, reduction, reporting, and analysis of and other types of unnecessary harm that often lead to and even deaths by these medical errors.

Application of Quality Management in Promoting Patient Safety and Preventing Medical Errors

2017 ◽  
pp. 91-112
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad ◽  
Abraha Woldemichael
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Medical Errors ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Quality Health Care ◽  
Near Misses ◽  
Management Framework ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Health Institutions

The combination of healthcare professionals, processes and technologies bring significant benefits for patients. However, it also involves an inevitable risk of adverse events. Patients receiving health care in health institutions have the potential to experience some forms of medical errors. The word medical error commonly encompasses terms such as mistakes, near misses, active and latent errors. This signifies the complexity and multidimensional nature of the error. The consequences can be costly to the patients, the health professionals, the health care institutions, and the entire health care system. The costs may involve human, economic, and social aspects. Thus, ensuring quality health care can contribute to patients' safety by reducing potential medical errors in practice. This chapter aims to introduce a quality management framework for improving the quality and effectiveness of services, reducing medical errors and making the healthcare system safer for patients.

scholarly journals Patient safety culture in a district hospital in South Africa: An issue of quality

Curationis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine M. Mayeng ◽  
Jacqueline E. Wolvaardt
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Safety Culture ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
District Hospital ◽  
Patient Safety Culture ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Quality Patient Care ◽  
Quality Dimensions

Background: The Nursing Act 33 of 2005 holds nurse practitioners responsible for all acts and omissions in the delivery of quality patient care. But quality patient care is influenced by a number of factors beyond the control of nurse practitioners. Patient safety culture is one such factor and is seldom explored in hospitals in developing countries. This article describes the patient safety culture of a district hospital in South Africa.Objectives: The study identified and analysed the factors that influence the patient safety culture by using the Manchester Patient Safety Framework at the National District Hospital, Bloemfontein, Free State Province.Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted and included the total population of permanent staff; community service health professionals; temporarily employed health professionals and volunteers. The standard Manchester Patient Safety Framework questionnaire was distributed with a response rate of 61%.Results: Less than half of the respondents (42.4%; n = 61) graded their units as acceptable. Several quality dimensions were statistically significant for the employment profile: overall commitment to quality (p = 0.001); investigating patient incidents (p = 0.031); organisational learning following incidents (p < 0.001); communication around safety issues (p = 0.001); and team working around safety issues (p = 0.005). These same quality dimensions were also statistically significant for the professional profiles. Medical doctors had negative perceptions of all the safety dimensions.Conclusion: The research measured and described patient safety culture (PSC) amongst the staff at the National District Hospital (NDH). This research has identified the perceived inadequacies with PSC and gives nurse managers a clear mandate to implement change to ensure a PSC that fosters quality patient care.

Application of Quality Management in Promoting Patient Safety and Preventing Medical Errors

2017 ◽  
pp. 370-385
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad ◽  
Abraha Woldemichael
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Medical Errors ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Quality Health Care ◽  
Near Misses ◽  
Management Framework ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Health Institutions

The combination of healthcare professionals, processes and technologies bring significant benefits for patients. However, it also involves an inevitable risk of adverse events. Patients receiving health care in health institutions have the potential to experience some forms of medical errors. The word medical error commonly encompasses terms such as mistakes, near misses, active and latent errors. This signifies the complexity and multidimensional nature of the error. The consequences can be costly to the patients, the health professionals, the health care institutions, and the entire health care system. The costs may involve human, economic, and social aspects. Thus, ensuring quality health care can contribute to patients' safety by reducing potential medical errors in practice. This chapter aims to introduce a quality management framework for improving the quality and effectiveness of services, reducing medical errors and making the healthcare system safer for patients.

Clinical Cybersecurity Training Through Novel High Fidelity Simulations (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Dameff ◽  
Jordan Selzer ◽  
Jonathan Fisher ◽  
James Killeen ◽  
Jeffrey Tully
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Devices ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Protected Health Information ◽  
Patient Harm ◽  
Security Vulnerabilities ◽  
Clinical Simulations ◽  
Medical Infrastructure

BACKGROUND Cybersecurity risks in healthcare systems have traditionally been measured in data breaches of protected health information but compromised medical devices and critical medical infrastructure raises questions about the risks of disrupted patient care. The increasing prevalence of these connected medical devices and systems implies that these risks are growing. OBJECTIVE This paper details the development and execution of three novel high fidelity clinical simulations designed to teach clinicians to recognize, treat, and prevent patient harm from vulnerable medical devices. METHODS Clinical simulations were developed which incorporated patient care scenarios with hacked medical devices based on previously researched security vulnerabilities. RESULTS Clinician participants universally failed to recognize the etiology of their patient’s pathology as being the result of a compromised device. CONCLUSIONS Simulation can be a useful tool in educating clinicians in this new, critically important patient safety space.

scholarly journals 179 Evaluating a Clinical Pharmacist Service in a Residential Care Unit

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii1-iii16
Author(s):  
Claire Kavanagh ◽  
Eimear O'Dwyer ◽  
Róisín Purcell ◽  
Niamh McMahon ◽  
Morgan Crowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Clinical Pharmacist ◽  
Comparative Evaluation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Pharmacist Interventions ◽  
Medication Reviews

Abstract Background This study assessed the pharmacist role in an 80 bed residential care unit by: Quantifying the number and type of pharmacist interventions made and their acceptance rate.Assessing impact of pharmacist interventions on patient care.Assessing staff attitudes towards the clinical pharmacist service. Methods This was a non-blinded, non-comparative evaluation of the existing clinical pharmacist service in the unit. All residents were included. All pharmacist interventions over a 10-week period were recorded, then graded according to the Eadon scale1 by a consultant gerontologist and an experienced pharmacist to assess their impact on patient care. Results There were 615 pharmacist interventions. The most common interventions were: Drug Therapy Review, 34% (n=209) Technical Prescription, 26.5% (n=163) Administration, 15.3% (n=94) Drug Interaction, 10.4% (n=64) Medication Reconciliation, 8.5% (n=52) 98% (n=596) of interventions were rated as having significance to patient care, of which: 48.4% (n=298) and 41.8% (n=257) of the interventions rated as ‘significant and resulting in an improvement in the standard of care’1% (n=6) and 0.5% (n=3) rated as ‘very significant and preventing harm’. There was a statistically significant agreement between the evaluators, κw = 0.231 (95% CI, 0.156 to 0.307), p < .0005. The strength of agreement was fair. Of interventions requiring acceptance by medical team (n=335), 89.9% (n=301) were accepted. 95% (n=36) of staff who responded agreed or strongly agreed that improved patient safety resulted from the pharmacist’s involvement in multidisciplinary medication reviews. Over 92% (n=35) agreed or strongly agreed that their experience of the pharmacist was positive. Conclusion The pharmacist has an important role in our residential care unit. Their involvement in the medicines optimisation process positively impacts patient outcomes and prevents harm. Staff perceived a positive impact of the clinical pharmacist service provided on patient care and patient safety.

Quality improvement in hospitals: barriers and facilitators

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick E. Zoutman ◽  
B. Douglas Ford
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Acute Care Hospitals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Staff Engagement ◽  
Positive Impacts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine quality improvement (QI) initiatives in acute care hospitals, the factors associated with success, and the impacts on patient care and safety. Design/methodology/approach An extensive online survey was completed by senior managers responsible for QI. The survey assessed QI project types, QI methods, staff engagement, and barriers and factors in the success of QI initiatives. Findings The response rate was 37 percent, 46 surveys were completed from 125 acute care hospitals. QI initiatives had positive impacts on patient safety and care. Staff in all hospitals reported conducting past or present hand-hygiene QI projects and C. difficile and surgical site infection were the next most frequent foci. Hospital staff not having time and problems with staff prioritizing QI with other duties were identified as important QI barriers. All respondents reported hospital leadership support, data utilization and internal champions as important QI facilitators. Multiple regression models identified nurses’ active involvement and medical staff engagement in QI with improved patient care and physicians’ active involvement and medical staff engagement with greater patient safety. Practical implications There is the need to study how best to support and encourage physicians and nurses to become more engaged in QI. Originality/value QI initiatives were shown to have positive impacts on patient safety and patient care and barriers and facilitating factors were identified. The results indicated patient care and safety would benefit from increased physician and nurse engagement in QI initiatives.

scholarly journals The Concept of Surgical Assessment: Part 3 – Characteristics of the Ideal Assessment Tool

2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-2 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Okoro ◽  
C Sirianni ◽  
D Brigden
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Medical Errors ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Technical Competence ◽  
Operating Room Efficiency ◽  
European Working ◽  
Teaching Faculty ◽  
The Ideal

Adequate documentation of technical competence in surgery has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. The stipulation in the European Working Time Regulations of a 48-hour working week, an emphasis on operating room efficiency and concerns about medical errors and patient safety may limit the ability of a teaching faculty to provide graded responsibility with adequate skill acquisition in a surgical training programme.

scholarly journals Adjustment of oxygen use by means of pulse oximetry: an important tool for patient safety

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Telma de Almeida Busch Mendes ◽  
Paola Bruno de Araújo Andreoli ◽  
Leny Vieira Cavalheiro ◽  
Claudia Talerman ◽  
Claudia Laselva
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Pulse Oximetry ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Severe Damage ◽  
Margin Of Error

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess patient's level of oxygenation by means of pulse oximetry, avoiding hypoxia (that causes rapid and severe damage), hyperoxia, and waste. Methods: Calculations were made with a 7% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval. Physical therapists were instructed to check pulse oximetry of all patients with prescriptions for physical therapy, observing the scheduled number of procedures. Results: A total of 129 patients were evaluated. Hyperoxia predominated in the sectors in which the patient was constantly monitored and hypoxia in the sectors in which monitoring was not continuous. Conclusions: Professionals involved in patient care must be made aware of the importance of adjusting oxygen use and the risk that non-adjustment represents in terms of quality of care and patient safety.

scholarly journals Importance of safety climate, teamwork climate and demographics: understanding nurses, allied health professionals and clerical staff perceptions of patient safety

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e000433
Author(s):  
Shahram Zaheer ◽  
Liane R Ginsburg ◽  
Hannah J Wong ◽  
Kelly Thomson ◽  
Lorna Bain
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Safety Climate ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Leadership Support ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThere is growing evidence regarding the importance of contextual factors for patient/staff outcomes and the likelihood of successfully implementing safety improvement interventions such as checklists; however, certain literature gaps still remain—for example, lack of research examining the interactive effects of safety constructs on outcomes. This study has addressed some of these gaps, together with adding to our understanding of how context influences safety.PurposeThe impact of staff perceptions of safety climate (ie, senior and supervisory leadership support for safety) and teamwork climate on a self-reported safety outcome (ie, overall perceptions of patient safety (PS)) were examined at a hospital in Southern Ontario.MethodsCross-sectional survey data were collected from nurses, allied health professionals and unit clerks working on intensive care, general medicine, mental health or emergency department.ResultsHierarchical regression analyses showed that perceptions of senior leadership (p<0.001) and teamwork (p<0.001) were significantly associated with overall perceptions of PS. A non-significant association was found between perceptions of supervisory leadership and the outcome variable. However, when staff perceived poorer senior leadership support for safety, the positive effect of supervisory leadership on overall perceptions of PS became significantly stronger (p<0.05).Practice implicationsOur results suggest that leadership support at one level (ie, supervisory) can substitute for the absence of leadership support for safety at another level (ie, senior level). While healthcare organisations should recruit into leadership roles and retain individuals who prioritise safety and possess adequate relational competencies, the field would now benefit from evidence regarding how to build leadership support for PS. Also, it is important to provide on-site workshops on topics (eg, conflict management) that can strengthen working relationships across professional and unit boundaries.

scholarly journals Alarm fatigue and the implications for patient safety

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 3035-3040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Elisa Carcereri de Oliveira ◽  
Adrielle Barbosa Machado ◽  
Edson Duque dos Santos ◽  
Érika Bicalho de Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Professional Conduct ◽  
Alarm Fatigue ◽  
Adult Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Professional Category ◽  
Morning Shift

ABSTRACT Objective: To measure the response time of health professionals before sound alarm activation and the implications for patient safety. Method: This is a quantitative and observational research conducted in an Adult Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital. Three researchers conducted non-participant observations for seven hours. Data collection occurred simultaneously in 20 beds during the morning shift. When listening the alarm activation, the researchers turned on the stopwatches and recorded the motive, the response time and the professional conduct. During collection, the unit had 90% of beds occupied and teams were complete. Result: We verified that from the 103 equipment activated, 66.03% of alarms fatigued. Nursing was the professional category that most provided care (31.06%) and the multi-parameter monitor was the device that alarmed the most (66.09%). Conclusion: Results corroborate the absence or delay of the response of teams, suggesting that relevant alarms might have been underestimated, compromising patient safety.

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