HCPro.com: Briefings on Patient Safety

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February 2008 (Volume 9, Issue 2)	view entire issue

Moving forward with medication reconciliation
Medication reconciliation, arguably one of the tougher standards The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) has imposed in the past five years, continues to trouble hospitals. At a forum in December 2007, speakers stressed that although National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) #8 was and still is a difficult goal, it remains challenging because facilities are using poor practices.

Family activation: The next generation of rapid response
Implementing a rapid response team (RRT) requires an understanding among staff members that putting an RRT into action is best for patient safety. However, introducing family-activated rapid response to a hospital requires a greater social change. "Healthcare professionals are not very good at giving up control; it's very scary for some people. They have a lot of issues to deal with," says Sharon Garretson, RN, MSN, manager of orthopedic and surgical services at University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center (UHRMC) in Richmond Heights, OH. "We automatically assume when patients enter the hospital that we know more than they do."

Contributors to human error and how to lower rates of committing error
Editor's note: The following is the fourth in a series about human error and its role in medical error. This month, Latino discusses human error and how it is viewed by those involved, those on the outside, and those investigating the error. Go to www.proactforhealthcare.com to visit the Reliability Center Web site. What does it take to complete a task error-free? This seems like an easy question to answer, yet its roots can be as complex as human beings themselves. To accomplish error-free work, staff members must possess three components: qualifications, energy, and effort.

Other recently-published articles from Briefings on Patient Safety:

Family-activated RRTs stress involvement

Early warning system to be surveyed in January

WalkRounds involve senior leaders with frontline staff

Infection control-related NPSG not new to field

The fundamentals of accountability

Three keys to ensuring your anticoagulant therapy program is ready

Pennsylvania association promotes standardized wristbands to prevent errors

Latest Sentinel Event Alert exposes disruptive behavior among staff members

Evolving titles in patient safety: Medication safety officer

Increased documentation added to 2009 NPSGs

California hospital team takes aim on VTE

Experts urge hospitals to identify disparities in healthcare

Distractive environments: Mitigating complacency

Building a culture of safety into your patient safety plan

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