In busy healthcare practices, the number of tests and consultations that healthcare providers order can be staggering. From a risk management perspective, it is essential that ordering providers review the results of tests, examinations, and consultations and act on them — even if that only involves assuring patients that their results came back negative.
Read moreOver the past 25 years, a shift has occurred in both public opinion related to using marijuana for medical purposes (“medical marijuana”1) and state laws that address this issue. Since 1996, 37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted laws that permit marijuana for medicinal purposes.2 However, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act — thus, it is illegal.
Read moreMedication errors and adverse drug events are areas of high risk across the healthcare spectrum. Despite a diverse range of interventions over the years, issues related to medication safety still prove challenging for healthcare organizations. For home healthcare organizations and providers, these issues are particularly complex for numerous reasons, including the care setting and the patient population.
Read moreData suggest that the majority of hospitals outsource some or all of their compounded sterile preparations (CSPs), and most rely on more than one vendor to meet their needs.1 The reasons for outsourcing are numerous. For example, healthcare organizations might outsource compounding services if they:
Read moreChild abuse is an abhorrent, but not uncommon, problem in society. Stories abound in the media about children who have suffered maltreatment at the hands of parents, family members, caregivers, or strangers. Maltreatment might involve physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, or neglect — and children often are victims of more than one type of abuse.
Read moreInformed consent is a pillar of patient engagement and patient-centered care. It helps patients gain a full understanding of the benefits and risks of proposed procedures and treatments, thus allowing them to make educated decisions. But what happens when patients are infants, children, or adolescents?
Read moreSpeaking up about risks, concerns, and errors in patient care is crucial for patient safety. Although voicing concerns may seem like a reflexive response for healthcare providers and staff, barriers can prevent it from happening. Fear, intimidation, lack of confidence, power differentials, and other factors can thwart individuals’ efforts to assert concerns. These issues can permeate healthcare organizations that permit or do not constructively address disruptive behavior, bullying, workplace incivility, retaliation, and blame.
Read moreSuccessful communication among healthcare providers has long been a critical element of patient safety. Yet, in recent years, the importance of good communication has become even more pivotal with the growing emphasis on collaborative and team-based care. As healthcare delivery has evolved and caring for the patient population has become more complicated, the paradigm of the solo practitioner has given way to more complex healthcare systems and multidisciplinary teams that include doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists, surgeon assistants, clinical nurse specialists, and other clinical and nonclinical roles.
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