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Organization finds patient safety risks in the ED

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, March 16, 2005

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The Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation (EMPSF) promoted National Patient Safety Awareness Week by publishing its preliminary emergency department (ED) patient safety risk assessment findings, according to a Business Wire press release.

EMPSF performed 32 ED risk assessments, through which it identified major factors affecting patient safety, including:

• policies and procedures
• charting and documentation
• patient satisfaction
• group leadership and administration
• loss prevention activities
• interdepartmental support and ancillary services
• communication
• facility provisions

Policies and procedures-specifically for admissions, discharges, patient handoffs, treatment guidelines, new hire orientation, staffing ratios, and credentialing-accounted for 40% of risk factors. Charting and documentation systems accounted for 12% of patient safety risk factors.

EMPSF is developing patient safety and educational programs for physicians and patients, and is building an emergency resource directory.

For more information, visit EMPSF at www.empsf.org.

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