Impact of Workplace Violence against Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: (1) understand the personal impact of workplace violence (WPV) on staff within a large multistate emergency medical services (EMS) agency, (2) describe the impact of WPV on subsequent patient interactions, examining how experiences of violence affect the quality of care provided by EMS clinicians, (3) examine the influence of WPV on perceived workplace safety among prehospital personnel and its correlation with retention in the EMS field, and (4) solicit recommendations from staff for the prevention and mitigation of WPV in the future.METHODS: We conducted virtual focus groups and individual interviews with 22 prehospital personnel using a descriptive qualitative design within a large multistate Midwest EMS agency between 4/5/2023-6/20/2023. Data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis to identify common perceptions among and across participants.RESULTS: Major themes of personal impact; impact on patient interactions; influence of WPV on career longevity/sustainability; and relationship between EMS culture and WPV were identified. Overall, participants shared the perception that WPV is "part of the job", and that verbal abuse was so common that they hadn't previously considered it as violence. Participants provided several examples of WPV and described how these experiences impacted them personally (e.g. hypervigilance) and impacted their subsequent interaction with patients (e.g. quicker to use restraints, loss of empathy). Participants shared the perception that EMS is no longer valued or respected by patients or communities. Several voiced concerns for the next generation of colleagues and nearly all participants reported the need for education and training in situational awareness, de-escalation, and self-defense tactics. Participants referenced desire for more coordination and communication with law enforcement, change in culture of abuse from patients without repercussions, and improved agency mental health support and peer support/mentoring following a violent event. Despite experiences with WPV, the majority reported plans to remain in EMS.CONCLUSIONS: Emergency Medical Services personnel are commonly traumatized by violence in their work and non-physical violence is underappreciated. Despite its impact on staff and subsequent patient interactions, most participants reported plans to remain within EMS. Multi-faceted system-focused efforts are needed to shift toward and support a zero-tolerance culture for WPV.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workplace violence at an academic emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 brought unique challenges; however, it remains unclear what effect the pandemic had on violence in healthcare. The objective of this study was to identify the impact of the pandemic on workplace violence at an academic emergency department (ED). METHODS: This mixed-methods study involved a prospective descriptive survey study and electronic medical record review. Within our hospital referral region (HRR), the first COVID-19 case was documented on 3/11/2020 and cases peaked in mid-November 2020. We compared the monthly HRR COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 people to the rate of violent incidents per 1000 ED visits. Multidisciplinary ED staff were surveyed both pre/early-pandemic (April 2020) and mid/late-pandemic (December 2020) regarding workplace violence experienced over the prior 6-months. The study was deemed exempt by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board. RESULTS: There was a positive association between the monthly HRR COVID-19 case rate and rate of violent ED incidents (r = 0.24). Violent incidents increased overall during the pandemic (2.53 incidents per 1000 visits) compared to the 3 months prior (1.13 incidents per 1000 visits, p < .001), as well as compared to the previous year (1.24 incidents per 1000 patient visits, p < .001). Survey respondents indicated a higher incidence of assault during the pandemic, compared to before (p = .019). DISCUSSION: Incidents of workplace violence at our ED increased during the pandemic and there was a positive association of these incidents with the COVID-19 case rate. Our findings indicate health systems should prioritize employee safety during future pandemics.

Implementation and evaluation of sepsis surveillance and decision support in medical ICU and emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the timely diagnosis and treatment of sepsis many institutions implemented automated sepsis alerts. Poor specificity, time delays, and a lack of actionable information lead to limited adoption by bedside clinicians and no change in practice or clinical outcomes. We aimed to compare sepsis care compliance before and after a multi-year implementation of a sepsis surveillance coupled with decision support in a tertiary care center. DESIGN: Single center before and after study. SETTING: Large academic Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Emergency Department (ED). POPULATION: Patients 18 years of age or older admitted to *** Hospital MICU and ED from 09/4/2011 to 05/01/2018 with severe sepsis or septic shock. INTERVENTIONS: Electronic medical record-based sepsis surveillance system augmented by clinical decision support and completion feedback. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 1950 patients admitted to the MICU with the diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock during the study period. The baseline characteristics were similar before (N = 854) and after (N = 1096) implementation of sepsis surveillance. The performance of the alert was modest with a sensitivity of 79.9%, specificity of 76.9%, positive predictive value (PPV) 27.9%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 97.2%. There were 3424 unique alerts and 1131 confirmed sepsis patients after the sniffer implementation. During the study period average care bundle compliance was higher; however after taking into account improvements in compliance leading up to the intervention, there was no association between intervention and improved care bundle compliance (Odds ratio: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.89; p-value 0.554). Similarly, the intervention was not associated with improvement in hospital mortality (Odds ratio: 1.55; 95% CI: 0.95 to 2.52; p-value: 0.078). CONCLUSIONS: A sepsis surveillance system incorporating decision support or completion feedback was not associated with improved sepsis care and patient outcomes.

Changes in all-cause and cause-specific mortality during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota: population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented increases in mortality in the U.S. and worldwide. To better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality in the state of Minnesota, U.S.A., we characterize the changes in the causes of death during 2020 (COVID-19 period), compared to 2018-2019 (baseline period), assessing for differences across ages, races, ethnicities, sexes, and geographic characteristics. METHODS: Longitudinal population-based study using Minnesota death certificate data, 2018-2020. Using Poisson regression models adjusted for age and sex, we calculated all-cause and cause-specific (by underlying causes of death) mortality rates per 100,000 Minnesotans, the demographics of the deceased, and years of life lost (YLL) using the Chiang's life table method in 2020 relative to 2018-2019. RESULTS: We identified 89,910 deaths in 2018-2019 and 52,030 deaths in 2020. The mean daily mortality rate increased from 123.1 (SD 11.7) in 2018-2019 to 144.2 (SD 22.1) in 2020. COVID-19 comprised 9.9% of deaths in 2020. Other categories of causes of death with significant increases in 2020 compared to 2018-2019 included assault by firearms (RR 1.68, 95% CI 1.34-2.11), accidental poisonings (RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.37-1.61), malnutrition (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.17-1.87), alcoholic liver disease (RR, 95% CI 1.14-1.40), and cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.09-1.50). Mortality rates due to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 causes were higher among racial and ethnic minority groups, older adults, and non-rural residents. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 17% increase in the death rate in Minnesota relative to 2018-2019, driven by both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 causes. As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, it is imperative to examine and address the factors contributing to excess mortality in the short-term and monitor for additional morbidity and mortality in the years to come.

Using a Potentially Aggressive/Violent Patient Huddle to Improve Health Care Safety.

BACKGROUND: Unexpected situations of workplace violence are occurring in the United States at increasing rates in health care environments, warranting increased attention to processes supporting safety for health care workers. At a large, academic hospital, two patient safety incidents had occurred in a two-year period in which a patient had become violent at the time of admission from the emergency department (ED) to the medical unit. METHODS: A multidisciplinary quality improvement (QI) team was formed to address the risk of violent patient events. Using two iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, the QI team designed and tested a huddle handoff communication tool, the Potentially Aggressive/Violent Huddle Form. An ED nurse would initiate the huddle process by informing the admitting unit that a patient at risk for violence was being admitted. The admitting care team would then call the ED team so that both teams participated in the handoff call together. The huddle process occurred for 21 transfers in the first PDSA cycle and for 18 transfers in the second. RESULTS: RNs from the ED and the six medical units reported feeling safe during the transfer process 100% of the time during both tests of change PDSAs (vs. 54.7% at baseline). In the ED, from the first test of change to the second test of change, satisfaction with the process improved from 53.3% to 75.0%. CONCLUSION: The huddle handoff communication tool and other methods to facilitate the transfer of potentially violent patients have the potential to decrease the number and severity of violent incidents in the health care workplace.

Attitudes, Beliefs, Practices, and Concerns Among Clinicians Prescribing Opioids in a Large Academic Institution.

Objectives: Opioid treatment of chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) adds complexity and uncertainty to patient interactions. We sought to assess clinician attitudes, beliefs, practice styles, and concerns around opioid prescribing following the release of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain. Methods: E-mailed electronic survey to clinicians at a large academic medical institution. Results: A total of 961 clinicians responded to the survey (response rate = 40%), 720 of whom prescribed opioids and were not in training. Sixty-five percent were physicians, and 35% were nurse practitioners or physician assistants, with a mean age of 47 years (SD ± 11.4 years). Eighty-two percent were reluctant to prescribe opioids for CNCP, and only 47% expressed confidence in their care for CNCP patients. Sixty-seven percent were aware of the CDC guideline, 55% were enrolled in the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), and 2% always or frequently prescribed naloxone to patients on opioids. Guideline awareness was associated with increased confidence in caring for CNCP patients. Clinicians having knowledge of a patient overdose were 31% more likely to be enrolled in the PDMP (relative rate= 1.31, 95% confidence interval = 1.14-1.52, chi-square = 11.00, P <0.01). Clinicians who knew of a patient overdose event were also more likely to express concern about patient opioid dependence and addiction. Conclusions: Opportunities exist to increase awareness of the CDC guideline and to increase clinician confidence in opioid prescribing. Knowledge of an overdose event may influence clinician behavior and concerns about dependence and addiction.

Improving Survival From Cardiac Arrest: A Review of Contemporary Practice and Challenges.

Cardiac arrest is a common and lethal condition frequently encountered by emergency medicine providers. Resuscitation of persons after cardiac arrest remains challenging, and outcomes remain poor overall. Successful resuscitation hinges on timely, high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The optimal method of providing chest compressions and ventilator support during cardiac arrest remains uncertain. Prompt and effective defibrillation of ventricular arrhythmias is one of the few effective therapies available for treatment of cardiac arrest. Despite numerous studies during several decades, no specific drug delivered during cardiac arrest has been shown to improve neurologically intact survival after cardiac arrest. Extracorporeal circulation can rescue a minority of highly selected patients with refractory cardiac arrest. Current management of pulseless electrical activity is associated with poor outcomes, but it is hoped that a more targeted diagnostic approach based on electrocardiography and bedside cardiac ultrasonography may improve survival. The evolution of postresuscitation care appears to have improved cardiac arrest outcomes in patients who are successfully resuscitated. The initial approach to early stabilization includes standard measures, such as support of pulmonary function, hemodynamic stabilization, and rapid diagnostic assessment. Coronary angiography is often indicated because of the high frequency of unstable coronary artery disease in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest and should be performed early after resuscitation. Optimizing and standardizing our current approach to cardiac arrest resuscitation and postresuscitation care will be essential for developing strategies for improving survival after cardiac arrest.

The Team Is Not Okay: Violence in Emergency Departments Across Disciplines in a Health System.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers, particularly those in the emergency department (ED), experience high rates of injuries caused by workplace violence (WPV). OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to establish the incidence of WPV among multidisciplinary ED staff within a regional health system and assess its impact on staff victims. METHODS: We conducted a survey study of all multidisciplinary ED staff at 18 Midwestern EDs encompassing a larger health system between November 18-December 31, 2020. We solicited the incidence of verbal abuse and physical assault experienced and witnessed by respondents over the prior six months, as well as its impact on staff. RESULTS: We included responses from 814 staff (24.5% response rate) for final analysis with 585 (71.9%) indicating some form of violence experienced in the preceding six months. A total of 582 (71.5%) respondents indicated experiencing verbal abuse, and 251 (30.8%) indicated experiencing some form of physical assault. All disciplines experienced some type of verbal abuse and nearly all experienced some type of physical assault. One hundred thirty-five (21.9%) respondents indicated that being the victim of WPV has affected their ability to perform their job, and nearly half (47.6%) indicated it has changed the way they interact with or perceive patients. Additionally, 132 (21.3%) indicated experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and 18.5% reported they have considered leaving their position due to an incident. CONCLUSION: Emergency department staff suffer violence at a high rate, and there is no discipline that is spared. As health systems seek to prioritize staff safety in violence-prone areas such as the ED, it is imperative to recognize that the entire multidisciplinary team is impacted and requires targeted efforts for improvement in safety.

Retrospective validation of acute heart failure risk stratification in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Heart Failure (HF) is a primary diagnosis for hospital admission from the Emergency Department (ED), although not all patients require hospitalization. The Emergency Heart Failure Mortality Risk Grade (EHMRG) estimates 7-day mortality in patients with acute HF in ED settings, but further validation is needed in the United States (US). OBJECTIVES: To validate EHMRG scores by risk-stratifying patients with acute HF in a large tertiary healthcare center in the US and analyze outcome measures to determine if EHMRG risk scores safely identify low-risk groups that may be discharged or managed in ED observation units (EDOUs). METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of 304 patients with acute HF presenting to an ED at a large, tertiary healthcare center was completed. EHMRG scores were calculated to stratify patients according to published thresholds. Mortality and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates were analyzed. RESULTS: No deaths occurred in very low and low-risk EHMRG groups at 7 days post discharge. 30-day mortality was significantly less in the lower risk groups (3.1%) when compared to all other patients (11.1%). MACE rates at 30 days in the very low risk group (15%) were significantly less when compared to all other patients (31.3%). Hospitalizations occurred in 23.4% of patients in lower risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: ED risk stratification with EHMRG differentiates high-risk patients requiring hospitalization from lower risk patients who can be safely managed in alternative settings with good outcomes. Data supports improved pathways for patients with acute HF during a time of high hospital volumes.

DJ-1 enhances cell survival through the binding of Cezanne, a negative regulator of NF-kappaB.

Heightened DJ-1 (Park7) expression is associated with a reduction in chemotherapeutic-induced cell death and poor prognosis in several cancers, whereas the loss of DJ-1 function is found in a subgroup of Parkinson disease associated with neuronal death. This study describes a novel pathway by which DJ-1 modulates cell survival. Mass spectrometry shows that DJ-1 interacts with BBS1, CLCF1, MTREF, and Cezanne/OTUD7B/Za20d1. Among these, Cezanne is a known deubiquitination enzyme that inhibits NF-κB activity. DJ-1/Cezanne interaction is confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation of overexpressed and endogenous proteins, maps to the amino-terminal 70 residues of DJ-1, and leads to the inhibition of the deubiquitinating activity of Cezanne. Microarray profiling of shRNA-transduced cells shows that DJ-1 and Cezanne regulate IL-8 and ICAM-1 expression in opposing directions. Similarly, DJ-1 enhances NF-κB nuclear translocation and cell survival, whereas Cezanne reduces these outcomes. Analysis of mouse Park7(-/-) primary cells confirms the regulation of ICAM-1 by DJ-1 and Cezanne. As NF-κB is important in cellular survival and transformation, IL-8 functions as an angiogenic factor and pro-survival signal, and ICAM-1 has been implicated in tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis; these data provide an additional modality by which DJ-1 controls cell survival and possibly tumor progression via interaction with Cezanne.

Workplace Violence in the Emergency Department: Case Study on Staff and Law Enforcement Disagreement on Reportable Crimes.

Violence in the emergency department (ED) remains underreported. Patient factors are often cited as a source of confusion in determining the culpability of perpetrators and whether to proceed with incident reporting. This study's objective was to determine how ED staff at one academic medical center perceive certain clinical scenarios and how this compares to local law enforcement officers (LEO). An anonymous survey with 4 scenarios was sent to multidisciplinary ED staff at our academic medical center, as well as local LEO and inquired whether respondents considered any of the scenarios to be reportable as a crime. Chi-square analysis was used for comparison. The study was deemed exempt by the Institutional Review Board. A total of 261 ED staff and 77 LEO completed the survey. Both groups were equally likely to believe that a reportable crime occurred in Scenario 1, where a patient with dementia punches a nurse (LEO: 26.0% vs. ED: 31.4%, p = 0.44), and in Scenario 2, where an intoxicated patient spits at a phlebotomist (LEO: 97.4% vs. ED: 95.0%, p = 0.56). However, the two groups differed in Scenario 3, in which a patient with delirium makes verbal threats to a doctor (LEO: 20.8% vs. ED: 42.9%, p < 0.001), and Scenario 4, in which a patient's parent throws a chair at a medical student (LEO: 66.2% vs. ED: 81.2%, p = 0.009). As health systems seek to improve workplace safety, it is important to consider the barriers to reporting violent incidents, including staff's understanding of what acts may constitute reportable violence, as well as LEO understanding of the unique ED environment and patient responsibilities.

Impact of chloride-rich crystalloids on sepsis-associated community-acquired acute kidney injury recovery in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: The use of chloride-rich crystalloids for resuscitation is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to explore the impact of resuscitation with chloride-rich crystalloids compared to balanced crystalloids on kidney function recovery in patients presenting with sepsis-associated community-acquired AKI (SACA-AKI). METHODS: This is a single-center, historical cohort study of the adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with  sepsis-associated community-acquired-AKI at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, from January 2011 to April 2018. We divided the cohort into two groups based on the primary type of crystalloids they received in the ED and the first 48-h of ICU. The first group received primarily normal saline with < 25% balanced solutions, and the second group received at least ≥ 25% balanced crystalloids during the initial volume resuscitation. RESULTS: Among the 732 enrolled patients [mean age: 64 ± 17, males: 461(63%)], 255 (35%) were in the second group and were found to have higher positive fluid balance during the first 48-h of admission compared to the first group [median + 2.3 (IQR: 0.4; 4.5) vs. + 1.1 (IQR: - 0.8; + 2.9) L, p < 0.001]. The second group had a higher rate of kidney function recovery by multivariate logistic regression after adjustments for known recovery risk factors (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.05-2.04, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The use of balanced crystalloids during the initial resuscitation is associated with higher odds of kidney function recovery in AKI patients with sepsis-associated community-acquired AKI.

Effectiveness of automated alerting system compared to usual care for the management of sepsis.

There is a large body of evidence showing that delayed initiation of sepsis bundle is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis. However, it is controversial whether electronic automated alerts can help improve clinical outcomes of sepsis. Electronic databases are searched from inception to December 2021 for comparative effectiveness studies comparing automated alerts versus usual care for the management of sepsis. A total of 36 studies are eligible for analysis, including 6 randomized controlled trials and 30 non-randomized studies. There is significant heterogeneity in these studies concerning the study setting, design, and alerting methods. The Bayesian meta-analysis by using pooled effects of non-randomized studies as priors shows a beneficial effect of the alerting system (relative risk [RR]: 0.71; 95% credible interval: 0.62 to 0.81) in reducing mortality. The automated alerting system shows less beneficial effects in the intensive care unit (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.73-1.11) than that in the emergency department (RR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51-0.90) and ward (RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61-0.82). Furthermore, machine learning-based prediction methods can reduce mortality by a larger magnitude (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.39-0.80) than rule-based methods (RR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.63-0.85). The study shows a statistically significant beneficial effect of using the automated alerting system in the management of sepsis. Interestingly, machine learning monitoring systems coupled with better early interventions show promise, especially for patients outside of the intensive care unit.

Collaborative improvement on acute opioid prescribing among diverse health systems.

BACKGROUND: Despite broad awareness of the opioid epidemic and the understanding that patients require much fewer opioids than traditionally prescribed, improvement efforts to decrease prescribing have only produced modest advances in recent years. METHODS AND FINDINGS: By using a collaborative model for shared expertise and accountability, nine diverse health care systems completed quality improvement projects together over the course of one year to reduce opioid prescriptions for acute pain. The collaborative approach was flexible to each individual system's goals, and seven of the nine participant institutions definitively achieved their desired results. CONCLUSIONS: This report demonstrates the utility of a collaborative model of improvement to bring about real change in opioid prescribing practices and may inform quality improvement efforts at other institutions.

Unheard Victims: Multidisciplinary Incidence and Reporting of Violence in an Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Workplace violence in the emergency department (ED) is a serious threat to staff and is likely to go unreported. We sought to identify the incidence of violence among staff at our academic ED over a six-month period. METHODS: An anonymous survey was sent to all ED staff, asking whether respondents had experienced verbal abuse or physical assault over the prior six months and whether they had reported it. Those working in the department <6 months were excluded from analysis. We used chi-squared comparison to analyze the results. RESULTS: We analyzed 242 responses. Overall, 208 (86%) respondents indicated being verbally abused in the preceding six months, and 90 (37%) indicated being physically assaulted. Security officers had the highest incidence of verbal abuse (98%), followed by nursing (95%), patient care assistants (PCA) (90%) and clinicians (90%), phlebotomists (75%), care team assistants (73%), registration staff (50%) and electrocardiogram (ECG)/radiology technicians (50%). Security also had the highest incidence of physical assault (73%), followed by nursing (49%), PCAs (30%), clinicians (24%), phlebotomists (17%), and ECG/radiology technicians (13%). A total of 140 (69%) non-security personnel indicated that they never report incidents of violence. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that violence in the ED affects more than just nurses and doctors. As health systems seek to improve the safety of their employees in violence-prone areas, it is imperative that they direct initiatives to the entire healthcare team as no one group is immune.

The Elevated High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Pilot: Diagnoses and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the diagnoses and outcomes associated with elevated high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) compared with the 4th-generation troponin T and to validate the Mayo Clinic hs-cTnT myocardial infarction algorithm cutoff values. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Consecutive blood samples of patients presenting to the emergency department between July 2017 and August 2017, who had 4th-generation troponin T, were also analyzed using the hs-cTnT assay. Troponin T values, discharge diagnoses, comorbidities, and outcomes were assessed. In addition, analyses of sex-specific and hs-cTnT cutoff values were assessed. RESULTS: Of 830 patients, 32% had an elevated 4th-generation troponin T, whereas 64% had elevated hs-cTnT. With serial sampling, 4th-generation troponin missed a chronic myocardial injury pattern and acute myocardial injury pattern in 64% and 16% of patients identified with hs-cTnT, respectively. Many of these "missed" patients had discharge diagnoses associated with cardiovascular disease, infection, or were postoperative. Five of the 6 patients with unstable angina ruled in for myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: There were many increases in hs-cTnT that were missed by the 4th-generation cTnT assay. Most new increases are not related to acute cardiac causes. They were more consistent with chronic myocardial injury. High-sensitivity cTnT did reclassify most patients with unstable angina as having non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Older age, more comorbidities, and lower hemoglobin were associated with elevated hs-cTnT. Our data also support the use of our sex-specific cutoff values.

A Comprehensive Departmental Care Review Model: Requirements, Structure, and Flow.

BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine, the National Patient Safety Foundation, and The Joint Commission have advocated for increased systematic care review to inform future quality improvement. Developing a system to efficiently gather meaningful feedback, review care, and identify areas for improvement can take years to construct. Yet, these systems are vital to reducing future medical error. CONTEXT, HISTORY, AND DEVELOPMENT: In this article, the authors present a refined intradepartmental system of retrospective care review. The team created and iteratively improved this model for more than 10 years. Herein, key aspects and benefits of the system are described. CARE REVIEW SYSTEM: A successful care review system should include a broad catchment for cases to review, direct input from multidisciplinary staff involved in each case, a standardized evaluation and feedback process, a system to translate identified gaps into practice improvement, and development of a psychologically safe space for discussions to occur. Resources required to build this system include a quality specialist, a panel of physician and nurse reviewers, and administrative assistance. Blinding cases and electronic blinded polling technology can enhance participation and reduce bias in case assessment. CONCLUSION: The authors believe that this process for care review can help hospital systems of varying resource levels produce high-quality case review and thereby activate practice improvement to prevent downstream medical errors.