Still a long way to go on patient safety.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, looks at the findings of a parliamentary review into progress on safety proposals and encourages nurses to be part of the culture change.

Impacto de la implementación de un método de traspaso de información estandarizada interdisciplinar en sala de partos y unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios / Impact of the implementation of a standardised interdisciplinary information transfer method in the Delivery room and Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit

Objetivo Este estudio tiene como objetivo describir la implementación de la metodología estandarizada en la transferencia de información en sala de partos y unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios en un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona e identificar el impacto de esta implementación en los factores que actúan como facilitadores y barreras en el procedimiento. Método Estudio cuasiexperimental tipo pretest-postest sin grupo control en la unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios y sala de partos del servicio de Medicina Maternofetal de un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona. El personal sanitario autocumplimentó un cuestionario ad hoc antes y después de implementar la metodología estandarizada IDEAS en el servicio durante 2019 y 2020. Se evaluó la autopercepción personal en el procedimiento de transferencia de información. El test de Wilcoxon por pares se utilizó para la comparación antes y después. Resultados El uso de una metodología estandarizada ha mostrado un impacto en la mejora de la transmisión de la información. Se detectaron diferencias significativas antes y después de la intervención en las siguientes dimensiones: ubicación, personas implicadas, periodo de tiempo del procedimiento, estructurada ordenada y clara y tiempo suficiente para preguntas (p<0,001); mientras que no se observaron diferencias en transmisión al profesional referente, actuaciones bien definidas y realización de un resumen. Conclusiones Existen factores, como aspectos estructurales, organizativos y falta de tiempo, que dificultan la comunicación efectiva, por tanto, actúan como barreras en la transferencia de información. La implementación de una metodología con las personas implicadas, el tiempo y el espacio adecuado permite mejorar aspectos en la comunicación en el equipo multiprofesional y, por tanto, la seguridad del paciente. (AU)

Aim This study aims to describe the implementation of the standard methodology for information transfer in the labour ward and Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit and to identify the impact of this implementation on the factors that act as facilitators and barriers in the procedure. Method Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study without a control group in an Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit and delivery room of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Service of a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Healthcare staff self-completed an ad hoc questionnaire before and after implementing the standardised IDEAS methodology in the service during 2019 and 2020. Personal self-perception in the information transfer procedure was assessed. The Wilcoxon pairwise test was used for comparison before and after. Results The use of a standardised methodology has shown an impact on improving the transmission of information. Significant differences were detected before and after the intervention in the following dimensions: location, people involved, time period of the procedure, structured, orderly and clear, and sufficient time for questions (p<0.001); while no differences were observed in: transmission to the referring professional, well-defined actions, and completion of a summary. Conclusions There are factors such as structural and organisational aspects and lack of time that hinder effective communication and therefore act as barriers to the transfer of information. The implementation of a methodology with the health professionals involved, the time and the appropriate space allows for the improvement of communication aspects in the multiprofessional team and, therefore, patient safety. (AU)

Improving patient safety through mandatory quality improvement (QI) education in a family medicine residency programme.

Although the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that medical trainees acquire competencies in patient safety and quality improvement (QI), no standard curriculum exists. We envisaged that a sustainable QI curriculum would be a pragmatic way to improve residents' skills and competence in patient safety. Our aim was to develop and evaluate a patient safety-oriented QI curriculum in an established family medicine residency programme. A patient safety curriculum fulfilling ACGME requirements was developed and implemented in a family residency programme. The curriculum comprised didactics, self-paced online modules, experiential learning through individual QI projects, and mortality and morbidity conferences. The programme was evaluated using a survey at the end of its first year. We assessed knowledge on patient safety and QI, confidence in discussing safety concerns with peers, and ability to recognise safety gaps and initiate corrective actions. We also assessed the perception of the programme's relevance to the residents' training. All 36 residents participated, 19 completed the evaluation survey. Fifteen (79%) respondents reported learning more about the causes of medical errors, 42% could report safety concerns and 26% could recognise quality gaps. In addition, 58% felt the curriculum increased their confidence in discussing patient safety concerns with peers while 74% found the curriculum very relevant to their training. Some participants described the programme as 'very productive'. Embedding a QI curriculum into the ongoing residency training may be a realistic approach to training family medicine residents with no prior formal QI training.

Cuidados de enfermagem no banho de aspersão em instituição de longa permanência: revisão integrativa / Nursing care in the spray bath in a long-term care institution: integrative review

Identificar os cuidados de enfermagem necessários para o banho de aspersão seguro para idosos no quotidiano de uma instituição de longa permanência. Método: Revisão Integrativa da literatura, recorte entre 2001 e 2022. Os dados dos estudos incluídos resultaram em uma síntese descritiva, fundamentada na Teoria das Necessidades Humanas Básicas. Resultados: Obteve-se 13 estudos sobre cuidados no banho com e sem auxílio, envolvendo o equilíbrio psicobiológico, psicossocial e psicoespiritual, remoção de barreiras ambientais, adaptação domiciliar, maneiras de abordagem, musicoterapia e cuidados com a integridade da pele, oportunizando segurança e qualidade nas ações prestadas. Conclusões: Os cuidados precisam estar integrados às necessidades humanas básicas, respeitando as peculiaridades do processo de envelhecimento e as fragilidades dos idosos mais vulneráveis. A qualificação dos profissionais de enfermagem/cuidadores formais visa a padronização da execução do procedimento e a redução de ocorrência de desvios de procedimento.(AU)

To identify the nursing care necessary for safe spray baths for elderly people in daily life in a long-term care institution. Method: Integrative literature review, cut between 2001 and 2022. Data from the included studies resulted in a descriptive synthesis, based on the Theory of Basic Human Needs. Results: 13 studies were obtained on bath care with and without assistance, involving psychobiological, psychosocial and psychospiritual balance, removal of environmental barriers, home adaptation, approaches, music therapy and care for the integrity of the skin, providing safety and quality in the actions provided. Conclusions: Care needs to be integrated with basic human needs, respecting the peculiarities of the aging process and the weaknesses of the most vulnerable elderly people. The qualification of nursing professionals/formal caregivers aims to standardize the execution of the procedure and reduce the occurrence of procedural deviations.(AU)

Identificar los cuidados de enfermería necesarios para baños de aspersión seguros para personas mayores en la vida diaria en una institución de cuidados a largo plazo. Método: Revisión integrativa de la literatura, cortada entre 2001 y 2022. Los datos de los estudios incluidos resultaron en una síntesis descriptiva, basada en la Teoría de las Necesidades Humanas Básicas. Resultados: Se obtuvieron 13 estudios sobre cuidados del baño con y sin asistencia, involucrando equilibrio psicobiológico, psicosocial y psicoespiritual, remoción de barreras ambientales, adaptación domiciliaria, abordajes, musicoterapia y cuidado de la integridad de la piel, brindando seguridad y calidad en las acciones. proporcionó. Conclusiones: Los cuidados deben integrarse con las necesidades humanas básicas, respetando las peculiaridades del proceso de envejecimiento y las debilidades de las personas mayores más vulnerables. La calificación de los profesionales de enfermería/cuidadores formales tiene como objetivo estandarizar la ejecución del procedimiento y reducir la ocurrencia de desviaciones procesales.(AU)

Impact of Medication Reconciliation in Oncology Early Phase Studies: A Drug-Drug Interaction Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the impact of medication reconciliation (MR) conducted by pharmacists before patient enrollment and the initiation of investigational treatments. By implementing MR, the primary objective is to evaluate the extent to which the inclusion of patients with prohibited or not recommended concomitant medications in clinical trials can be significantly reduced. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included all patients who participated in clinical trials and underwent MR between September 1, 2015, and September 1, 2020. To identify prohibited or monitored drugs, protocols and investigator's brochures provided by the sponsor were meticulously reviewed and taken into consideration. RESULTS: MR was performed for 501 patients, uncovering 35% of the medications they were currently taking. Through the pharmaceutical analysis, a total of 346 drug-drug interactions (DDIs) were identified, of which 188 required monitoring and 158 were strictly prohibited. More than half of the prohibited medications were herbal drugs. A significant portion of these prohibited drugs were discontinued, with only 6% being replaced by suitable alternatives. The implementation of MR played a crucial role in the identification of 51% of the prohibited or monitored drugs that were initially overlooked by oncologists. CONCLUSION: MR is a highly effective measure aimed at reducing the risk of DDIs with investigational drugs, thereby minimizing protocol deviations and enhancing patient care. Sponsors of clinical trials value its implementation and recognize the substantial benefits it brings to the entire trial process. Consequently, many sponsors willingly provide funding to investigational sites that adopt MR as part of their standard practice, acknowledging its critical role in ensuring patient safety and maintaining data integrity throughout the course of clinical research studies.

Remote Assessment of Real-World Surgical Safety Checklist Performance Using the OR Black Box: A Multi-Institutional Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Large-scale evaluation of surgical safety checklist performance has been limited by the need for direct observation. The operating room (OR) Black Box is a multichannel surgical data capture platform that may allow for the holistic evaluation of checklist performance at scale. STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective cohort study, data from 7 North American academic medical centers using the OR Black Box were collected between August 2020 and January 2022. All cases captured during this period were analyzed. Measures of checklist compliance, team engagement, and quality of checklist content review were investigated. RESULTS: Data from 7,243 surgical procedures were evaluated. A time-out was performed during most surgical procedures (98.4%, n = 7,127), whereas a debrief was performed during 62.3% (n = 4,510) of procedures. The mean percentage of OR staff who paused and participated during the time-out and debrief was 75.5% (SD 25.1%) and 54.6% (SD 36.4%), respectively. A team introduction (performed 42.6% of the time) was associated with more prompts completed (31.3% vs 18.7%, p < 0.001), a higher engagement score (0.90 vs 0.86, p < 0.001), and a higher percentage of team members who ceased other activities (80.3% vs 72%, p < 0.001) during the time-out. CONCLUSIONS: Remote assessment using OR Black Box data provides useful insight into surgical safety checklist performance. Many items included in the time-out and debrief were not routinely discussed. Completion of a team introduction was associated with improved time-out performance. There is potential to use OR Black Box metrics to improve intraoperative process measures.

Caregivers' Perspectives on Ethical Challenges and Patient Safety in Tele-Palliative Care: An Integrative Review.

Tele-palliative care enables people with a life-limiting illness to consult with palliative care staff without having to leave their homes but requires commitment from all stakeholders, particularly on ethical challenges and patient safety issues. When using telecommunications and virtual technology, ethical challenges and patient safety aspects must be taken into account. The aim was to describe formal and informal caregivers' opportunities in tele-palliative care and the associated ethical and safety challenges using a Whittemore and Knafl integrative review method. Ethical and patient safety perspectives were extracted from studies reporting on tele-palliative care interventions. Content on ethically considerable information on the intervention was coded, categorized, and summarized into a matrix developed in advance from literature on socio-technical arrangements and eHealth applications. Nine studies from experimental and nonexperimental research were included. Four studies reported exclusively on the perspective of formal caregivers, 3 studies addressed the perspective of patients and informal caregivers, and 2 studies covered the perspectives of both. Studies of tele-palliative care interventions implicate effects on patient-caregiver relationships but also show that technology is not seen as a replacement of holistic palliative care. However, the authors do not address other relevant ethical issues (eg, sustainability) or consider aspects of patient safety. There is a need for further research to assess privacy, data security, and patient safety in tele-palliative care from the perspective of caregivers as telehealth becomes increasingly important.

Interprofessional diagnostic management teams: a scoping review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic errors are a major problem in healthcare. In 2015, the report "Improving Diagnosis in Health Care" by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) stated that it is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. The report suggests implementing diagnostic management teams, including patients and their relatives, diagnosticians, and healthcare professionals who support the diagnostic process, to limit diagnostic error and improve patient safety. Implementing interprofessional diagnostic management teams (IDMT), however, is not an easy task due to the complexity of the diagnostic processes and the traditional organization of healthcare with divided departments and healthcare professional who operate in different geographic locations. As this topic is still emerging, a scoping review is ideal to determine the scope of the body of literature on IDMT, indicate the volume of literature and studies available and identify any gaps in knowledge. In a long-term perspective, this scoping review will contribute to prevent diagnostic errors and improve patient safety, for adults and children with physical health issues. METHODS: We will conduct this scoping review in accordance with the JBI methodology and report it based on the PRISMA-ScR. We will systematically search six databases (EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, SCOPUS and Web of Science) for papers published between 1985 and 2023 that describe the use of interprofessional diagnostic management teams. The participants included will be adults and children seeking diagnostic care for physical health issues. The concept studied will be interprofessional diagnostic management teams, and the context will be the diagnostic process in the healthcare system. Studies examining the diagnostic process in psychiatry, odontology or complementary medicine will be excluded. Data extraction, including key study characteristics and findings, will be done by two reviewers independently. Any disagreement will be resolved by discussion and eventually by including the two remainder reviewers. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, this will be the first scoping review regarding IDMT and the derived effects on diagnostic safety and can therefore be a very important contribution to improve patient safety significantly during the diagnostic process. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The project is registered at Open Science Framework (OSF) with ID: osf.io/kv2n6.

Multidisciplinary Teamwork Perceptions When Mobilizing Ventilated Neurosurgery Patients.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Multidisciplinary teamwork is essential in delivering holistic care to critically ill populations, including ventilated neurosurgery patients. Although it is considered a safe and feasible aspect of patient care, mobilization is often missed in this population because of negative healthcare provider perceptions regarding barriers and patient safety. Nurse-led teamwork has been suggested to overcome these barriers and to achieve earlier mobilization for patients, as well as positive provider perceptions, which may affect the culture and frequency of mobilization on neurointensive care units. Quantitative studies analyzing multidisciplinary teamwork perceptions to mobilize ventilated neurosurgery patients with or without a nurse-led protocol have not been previously conducted. Analyzing such perceptions may provide insight to team-related barriers related to missed mobility. This pilot quasi-experimental study aimed to determine whether the use of a nurse-led mobility protocol affects teamwork perceptions when mobilizing ventilated neurosurgery patients. METHODS: A sample of multidisciplinary teams, composed of nurses, patient care technicians, and respiratory therapists, mobilized ventilated neurosurgery patients according to either standard of care (for the control group) or a nurse-led mobility protocol (for the interventional group). Teamwork perceptions were measured via the reliable and valid Nursing Teamwork Survey tool. RESULTS: Linear mixed model analyses revealed that multidisciplinary teams in the nurse-led mobility protocol group had significantly higher levels of overall perceived teamwork than those in the control group, t3 = -3.296, P = .038. Such differences were also noted for teamwork variables of team leadership and mutual trust. CONCLUSION: Nurse-led mobility protocols should be considered to increase teamwork when performing multidisciplinary teamwork-based mobility for ventilated neurosurgery patients. Future studies should continue to evaluate teamwork perceptions after nurse-led mobility.

Bromelain-based enzymatic burn debridement: A systematic review of clinical studies on patient safety, efficacy and long-term outcomes.

In 2012 the European Medicines Agency approved a pineapple stem-derived Bromelain-based debridement concentrate of proteolytic enzymes (NexoBrid®, MediWound Ltd, Yavne, Israel) for adult deep burns. Over 10 000 patients have been successfully treated with NexoBrid® globally, including in the US. The aim of our study is to perform a systematic review of the current literature on Nexobrid® outcomes. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, and other search engines (2013-2023). The online screening process was performed by two independent reviewers with the Covidence tool. The protocol was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses, and it was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews of the National Institute for Health Research. We identified 103 relevant studies of which 34 were found eligible. The included studies report the positive effects of Nexobrid® on burn debridement, functional and cosmetic outcomes, scarring, and quality of life. Also, they validate the high patient satisfaction thanks to enhanced protocols of analgosedation and/or locoregional anaesthesia during Bromelain-based debridement. Two studies investigate potential risks (coagulopathy, burn wound infection) which concluded there is no strong evidence of these adverse events. NexoBrid® is a safe, selective, non-surgical eschar removal treatment modality. The benefits of Bromelain-based debridement are faster debridement and healing times, reduced operations, length of stay, cases of sepsis, blood transfusions, and prevention of compartment syndrome. Existing evidence suggests that the indications and the role of Bromelain-based debridement are expanding to cover "off-label" cases with significant benefits to the global healthcare economy.

Promoting patient safety using electronic medical records in nursing/midwifery undergraduate curricula: Discussion paper.

This discussion paper highlights the importance of Australian nursing and midwifery students' lack of exposure to electronic medical records during their undergraduate programs. There is pressure on universities offering nursing and midwifery programs to provide students with opportunities to learn to use patient electronic medical records. This will provide authentic rehearsal with the digital technology prior to clinical placements and increase graduate work readiness. Informed by contemporary literature, we describe the benefits of implementing electronic medical records (eMR) in health organisations and identify the challenges and barriers to implementing and integrating the education of electronic records into undergraduate nursing and midwifery programs. Undergraduate students who had not experienced eMR as part of on-campus learning felt unprepared and lacked confidence when commencing clinical practice. Some international nursing and midwifery programs have found that student's skills improve in decision-making and documenting patient observations when eMR is integrated into their university education program. Successful integration of an eMR program should consider academic/teaching staff skills and confidence in technology use, initial and ongoing costs and technical support required to deliver the program. In conclusion, Australian universities need to embed eMR learning experiences into the nursing and midwifery undergraduate curricula to increase students work-readiness with a focus on patient safety.

Reasons for supply side driven drug shortages - A mixed-methods study on first-level, higher-level, and root causes from the perspective of marketing authorization holders.

BACKGROUND: Drug shortages impact multiple stakeholders and are detrimental to patient safety. Additionally, drug shortages are an extensive financial burden. In Germany, drug shortages, according to data from the federal ministry for drug and medical products (BfArM), have been increasing by 18% between 2018 and 2021. Studies show that shortages are most frequently supply side driven and that often reasons remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to develop a holistic understanding of supply side causes for drug shortages in Germany from marketing authorization holders' perspectives and to derive implications for shortage mitigation. METHODS: A mixed-methods research design, with a grounded theory approach based on a structured literature review, BfArM data analysis, and semi-structured interviews, was used. RESULTS: Input factor supply issues, manufacturing issues, logistics issues, product recalls, and product discontinuations were identified as first-level causes. Furthermore, a theory on their connection to higher-level causes related to business decision-making, as well as root causes linked to regulations, company values, internal processes, market dynamics, external shocks, and macroeconomic factors, was developed. CONCLUSION: Actions to mitigate drug shortages in Germany (e.g., improving business processes, diversifying tender criteria) were derived. These may thus increase patient safety and decrease the financial burden on the healthcare system.

Approaches to improving patient safety in integrated care: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review aimed to establish the approaches employed to improving patient safety in integrated care for community-dwelling adults with long-term conditions. DESIGN: Scoping review. SETTING: All care settings. SEARCH STRATEGY: Systematic searches of seven academic and grey literature databases for studies published between 2000 and 2021. At the full-text review stage both the first and second reviewer (SW) independently assessed full texts against the eligibility criteria and any discrepancies were discussed. RESULTS: Overall, 24 studies were included in the review. Two key priorities for safety across care boundaries for adults with long-term conditions were falls and medication safety. Approaches for these priorities were implemented at different levels of an integrated care system. At the micro-level, approaches involved care primarily in the home setting provided by multi-disciplinary teams. At the meso-level, the focus was on planning and designing approaches at the managerial/organisational level to deliver multi-disciplinary care. At the macro-level, system-wide approaches included integrated care records, training and education and the development of care pathways involving multiple organisations. Across the included studies, evaluation of these approaches was undertaken using a wide range of process and outcome measures to capture patient harm and contributory factors associated with falls and medication safety. CONCLUSIONS: For integrated care initiatives to fulfil their promise of improving care for adults with long-term conditions, approaches to improve patient safety need to be instituted across the system, at all levels to support the structural and relational aspects of integrated care as well as specific risk-related safety improvements.

Segurança do paciente cirúrgico pediátrico: uma revisão integrativa / Pediatric surgical patient safety: an integrative review / Seguridad del paciente quirúrgico pediátrico: una revisión integradora

No cuidado de enfermagem ao paciente cirúrgico pediátrico o checklist de cirurgia segura deve ser empregado, contribuindo para que as etapas do preparo e promoção de cirurgia segura sejam realizadas. O objetivo deste estudo foi conhecer a produção científica nacional de enfermagem sobre cirurgia segura do paciente pediátrico. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa. A coleta de dados ocorreu nos meses de agosto e setembro de 2022, por meio da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde e da base de dados Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). É crescente a publicação sobre o tema. Pesquisas sobre a elaboração e validação de lista de verificação predominaram na amostra selecionada. O estudo revela que a implementação do checklist em cirurgias pediátricas merece destaque nas instituições de saúde que prestam atendimento ao paciente perioperatório. Este instrumento proporciona a verificação dos pontos críticos da assistência durante o processo cirúrgico, incorporando as boas práticas na rotina da equipe multidisciplinar.

In nursing care for pediatric surgical patients, the safe surgery checklist should be used, contributing to the steps of safe surgery preparation and promotion. The objective of this study was to know the national scientific nursing production on safe surgery for pediatric patients. This is an integrative review. Data collection took place in August and September 2022, through the Virtual Health Library and the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) database. There is a growing number of publications on the subject. Research on the creation and validation of checklists predominated in the selected sample. The study reveals that the implementation of the checklist in pediatric surgeries should be highlighted in health institutions providing perioperative patient care. This instrument provides verification of the critical points of assistance during the surgical process, incorporating good practices into the routine of the multidisciplinary team.

En el cuidado de enfermería al paciente quirúrgico pediátrico, se debe utilizar la lista de verificación de cirugía segura, que contribuye a los pasos de preparación y promoción para que se realice la cirugía segura. El objetivo fue conocer la producción científica nacional de enfermería sobre cirugía segura para pacientes pediátricos. Es una revisión integradora. La recolección de datos ocurrió en agosto y septiembre de 2022, a través de la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud y la base de datos Scientific Electronic Library Online. Es creciente el número de publicaciones sobre el tema. En la muestra predominó la investigación sobre la creación y validación de listas de cotejo. La implementación de la lista de verificación en las cirugías pediátricas merece ser destacada en las instituciones de salud que brindan atención al paciente. Lo que permite revisar puntos críticos de asistencia durante el proceso quirúrgico, incorporando las buenas prácticas a la rutina del equipo multidisciplinario.

QI initiative to reduce the number of inpatient falls in an acute hospital Trust.

Inpatient falls are one of the most frequent concerns to patient safety within the acute hospital environment, equating to 1700 falls per year in an 800-bed general hospital. They are predicted to cost approximately £2600 per patient, however, this estimate does not capture the costs and impact that inpatient falls have on the wider health and social care system. It also does not take into the account loss of confidence and delays in functional recovery.This report shares the learning from a quality improvement (QI) initiative that took place in a District General Hospital (DGH) in the UK. The initiative started in February 2020, was paused November 2020 due to wave 2 of the pandemic and restarted in March 2021. Improvement was achieved in January 2021.Data for falls within the Trust identified that falls were within common cause variation. A system change was needed to achieve an improvement.A QI project was commenced with the aim to achieve a 5% reduction in falls per 1000 bed days in a care of the elderly ward.Two primary drivers were identified: recognising patients at high risk of falls and preventing them from falling. Change ideas to address these primary drivers were tested using Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles. Changes tested included: the development of an assessment tool to identify patients at high risk of falls, use of a wristband to identify patients at high risk of a fall, and increased observation.Change ideas achieved some success with the process measures but did not achieve an improvement with the outcome measures. A Trust wide change idea relating to the falls prevention service did lead to a sustained improvement in falls reduction.The barriers to the improvement included changing Trust priorities during the pandemic, and limited opportunities to fully engage the ward-based team with systems thinking and changing mental models.

Ten years of online incident reporting and learning using CPiRLS: implications for improved patient safety.

BACKGROUND: Safety incident (SI) reporting and learning via incident reporting systems (IRSs) is used to identify areas for patient safety improvement. The chiropractic patient incident reporting and learning system (CPiRLS) is an online IRS that was launched in the UK in 2009 and, from time to time, has been licensed for use by the national members of the European Chiropractors' Union (ECU), members of Chiropractic Australia and a Canada-based research group. The primary aim of this project was to analyse the SIs submitted to CPiRLS over a 10-year period to identify key areas for patient safety improvement. METHOD: All SIs reported to CPiRLS between April 2009 and March 2019 were extracted and analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe: (1) the frequency of SI reporting and learning by the chiropractic profession, and (2) the character of reported SIs. Key areas for patient safety improvement were developed following a mixed methods approach. RESULTS: A total of 268 SIs were recorded on the database over the 10-year period, 85% of which originated from the UK. Evidence of learning was documented in 143 (53.4%) SIs. The largest subcategory of SIs related to post-treatment distress or pain (n = 71, 26.5%). Seven key areas for patient improvement were developed including: (1) patient trip/fall, (2) post treatment distress/pain, (3) negative effects during treatment, (4) significant post-treatment effects, (5) syncope, (6) failure to recognize serious pathology, and (7) continuity of care. CONCLUSION: The low number of SIs reported over a 10-year period suggests significant under-reporting, however, an upward trend was identified over the 10-year period. Several key areas for patient safety improvement have been identified for dissemination to the chiropractic profession. Improved reporting practice needs to be facilitated to improve the value and validity of reporting data. CPiRLS is important in identifying key areas for patient safety improvement.

Comparison of physicians' and dentists' incident reports in open data from the Japan Council for Quality Health Care: a mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety is associated with patient outcomes. However, there is insufficient evidence of patient safety in the dental field. This study aimed to compare incidents reported by dentists and physicians, compare the type of errors made by them, and identify how dentists prevent dental errors. METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted using open data from the Japan Council for Quality Health Care database. A total of 6071 incident reports submitted for the period 2016-2020 were analyzed; the number of dentists' incident reports was 144, and the number of physicians' incident reports was 5927. RESULTS: The percentage of dental intern reporters was higher than that of medical intern reporters (dentists: n = 12, 8.3%; physicians: n = 180, 3.0%; p = 0.002). The percentage of reports by dentists was greater than that by physicians: wrong part of body treated (dentists: n = 26, 18.1%; physicians: n = 120, 2.0%; p < 0.001), leaving foreign matter in the body (dentists: n = 15, 10.4%; physicians: n = 182, 3.1%; p < 0.001), and accidental ingestion (dentists: n = 8, 5.6%; physicians: n = 8, 0.1%; p < 0.001), and aspiration of foreign body (dentists: n = 5, 3.4%; physicians: n = 33, 0.6%; p = 0.002). The percentage of each type of prevention method utilized was as follows: software 27.8% (n = 292), hardware (e.g., developing a new system) 2.1% (n = 22), environment (e.g., coordinating the activities of staff) 4.2% (n = 44), liveware (e.g., reviewing procedure, double checking, evaluating judgement calls made) 51.6% (n = 542), and liveware-liveware (e.g., developing adequate treatment plans, conducting appropriate postoperative evaluations, selecting appropriate equipment and adequately trained medical staff) 14.3% (n = 150). CONCLUSION: Hardware and software and environment components accounted for a small percentage of the errors made, while the components of liveware and liveware-liveware errors were larger. Human error cannot be prevented by individual efforts alone; thus, a systematic and holistic approach needs to be developed by the medical community.

¿Los medicamentos homeopáticos provocan agravación o efectos adversos dependientes de los fármacos? / Do homeopathic medicines cause aggravation or drug-dependent adverse effects?

La valoración crítica de la seguridad de los medicamentos homeopáticos se ha desarrollado recientemente. Esta cuestión es relevante para la toma de decisiones de los médicos, pacientes y dependencias regulatorias de fármacos. A pesar de la aparente inverosimilitud de la acción de los medicamentos homeopáticos debido a los procesos farmacotécnicos de la dilución y agitación empleados para su preparación, existen reportes en la literatura médica convencional sobre la toxicidad de los medicamentos homeopáticos, incluyendo eventos que aparentemente ponen en riesgo la vida. Las revisiones sistemáticas de estudios clínicos controlados aleatorizados muestran que los medicamentos homeopáticos provocan más efectos adversos que el placebo, aunque leves y transitorios. El establecimiento de un sistema de monitoreo en línea para la recolección de datos sobre los efectos adversos de los medicamentos homeopáticos, herbolarios o convencionales, es relevante para una evaluación no sesgada de la información reunida a partir de los consumidores y proveedores de atención médica.

Critical appraisal of the safety of homeopathic medicines developed recently. This matter is relevant for decision making by doctors, patients and drug regulatory agencies. Despite the apparent implausibility of the action of homeopathic medicines due to the pharmacotechnical processes of dilution and agitation used for their preparation, there are reports in the conventional medical literature on the toxicity of homeopathic medicines, including apparently life-threatening events. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials show that homeopathic medicines cause more adverse effects than placebo, albeit mild and transient. Establishing an online monitoring terapéusystem for collection of data on the adverse effects of homeopathic, herbal or conventional medicines is relevant for non-biased assessment of the information gathered from consumers and health care providers.

The benefits and clinical application of the digital rectal exam in trauma populations: Towards enhancing patient safety and quality outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Current literature contains an extensive number of analyses on the diagnostic value and utilization of the direct rectal exam in trauma patients. Presently, ATLS recommends the application of the digital rectal exam in trauma patients following a primary assessment of traumatic injuries. We aim to assess the validity and diagnostic value of the digital rectal exam in trauma populations. METHODS: PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, ProQuest, and CINAHL databases were searched for studies from the date of database conception to August 6th, 2022. Studies that assessed the validity of the digital rectal exam performed in the emergency department or trauma bay, in both adult and pediatric trauma patients were included. Study outcomes and measurements of validity were summarized and compared. RESULTS: A total of 9 studies met inclusion criteria for both adult and pediatric trauma populations. The sensitivity of the digital rectal exam in detecting both spinal cord and urethral injuries in adult trauma populations ranged from 0 to 50%, while the sensitivity in detecting gastrointestinal injuries ranged from 0% to 51%. When compared to other clinical indicators, the digital rectal exam was consistently worse at detecting injuries. Within the pediatric trauma populations, the digital rectal exam resulted in high false negative rates ranging from 66% to 100%, failing to detect all urethral and gastrointestinal injuries and pelvic fractures. CONCLUSION: The use of digital rectal exams in trauma patients illustrates limited to no validity and reliability in assessing pertinent injuries and does not influence the management of injuries. Trauma societies should consider creating guidelines and algorithms to clarify the use of digital rectal exams in specific situations and injury types.

[National health target on patient safety]. / Nationales Gesundheitsziel Patientensicherheit.

Improving patient safety is key to better health and nursing care. The Association for the Continuous Development of the National Health Target Process, health-targets.de (gesundheitsziele.de), has defined two focus areas, each with six goals, to jointly initiate significant progress in patient safety in Germany and achieve the health target of the same name. It is based on the "Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030" of the World Health Organization (WHO) and contributes to its implementation on a national level.The national health target addresses all players in healthcare and highlights the role of patients. Strengthening patient safety culture and expanding patient safety competence are at the center of the target process.For patient safety culture, a systemic approach is crucial. Individual-related factors as well as structural and process-oriented variables are looked at. A cooperation that focusses on the wellbeing of patients is essential.Patient safety competence spotlights knowledge on security related aspects in healthcare. At the same time, it focuses on the ability of all those involved to influence care in a positive way-thereby being open to the capabilities of patients.