Of the seemingly endless stream of statistics concerning the state of health care here in the U.S., none is perhaps more discouraging than those relating to the rates of preventable medical errors. For instance, did you know that over 400,000 people lose their lives because of preventable medical errors every year, making it the third […]
The next time you go to the local grocery store to pick up a few items for dinner, ride the bus home from work or stop to fill up your gas tank, take a careful look around you. Chances are very good that you’ll see someone clad in the unmistakable garb of health care workers […]
When hospitals are negligent and make mistakes, patients get hurt and often have legitimate medical malpractice claims against the hospital, clinic, or medical professional who was responsible. Experts say that most of the medical mistakes that are made in hospitals across the United States are avoidable. Because of this, many hospital administrations are beginning new […]
In today’s post, we’ll wrap up our discussion of the ECRI Institute’s report on the Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2015, a 30-page publication that will more than likely guide much of the conversation about hospital safety over the next 12 months. 7. Dose creep While this may sound like a made-up medical term, […]
This week, we’ve been exploring the Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2015 as found by the Pennsylvania-based ECRI Institute. It’s worth noting that at least four of the dangers identified in the report are actually holdovers from 2014, including one we’ll explore in today’s post. 4. Inadequate reprocessing of endoscopes/surgical instruments It’s almost impossible […]
Last week, we discussed how the Pennsylvania-based ECRI Institute recently released its Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report outlining the dangers that hospitals must pay attention to and, if necessary, take steps to rectify in 2015. In today’s post, we’ll start to take a closer look at the first three hazards outlined in the 30-page […]
It’s hard to put into words just how much technological developments have changed our lives over the last decade, as what was once thought impossible can now be accomplished in just a few keystrokes or swipes of the finger. Indeed, from a health perspective we can now use our smartphones for everything from accessing volumes […]
Last time, our blog discussed the importance of hospitals having good interpreters at the ready to help accurately translate arcane medical information between the patient and provider. To summarize, good interpreters — meaning those with extensive training — can help eliminate the risks posed by having family members serve as the primary mode of communication, […]
If you’ve been to the airport, DMV or even the local shopping mall lately, chances are that you’ve noticed signs posted in multiple languages from English and Spanish to Chinese and Russian, just to name a few. While this makes good sense given the changing demographics of many U.S. communities, there is a least one […]
By now, most hospital officials are all too aware of the threat to patient safety posed by the spread of potentially deadly bacteria and the accompanying infections. Unfortunately, while many facilities have tried to implement comprehensive sterilization measures in an attempt to combat the spread of pathogens — i.e., strict hand washing, wardrobe and room […]
