Analysis of human errors in the operation of various treatment planning systems over a 10-year period.

The present study aimed to summarize and report data on errors related to treatment planning, which were collected by medical physicists. The following analyses were performed based on the 10-year error report data: (1) listing of high-risk errors that occurred and (2) the relationship between the number of treatments and error rates, (3) usefulness of the Automated Plan Checking System (APCS) with the Eclipse Scripting Application Programming Interface and (4) the relationship between human factors and error rates. Differences in error rates were observed before and after the use of APCS. APCS reduced the error rate by ~1% for high-risk errors and 3% for low-risk errors. The number of treatments was negatively correlated with error rates. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the workload of medical physicists and error occurrence and revealed that a very large workload may contribute to overlooking errors. Meanwhile, an increase in the number of medical physicists may lead to the detection of more errors. The number of errors was correlated with the number of physicians with less clinical experience; the error rates were higher when there were more physicians with less experience. This is likely due to the lack of training among clinically inexperienced physicians. An environment to provide adequate training is important, as inexperience in clinical practice can easily and directly lead to the occurrence of errors. In any environment, the need for additional plan checkers is an essential factor for eliminating errors.

Surgical skill simulation training to proficiency reduces procedural errors among novice cardiac device implanters: a randomized study.

AIMS: In cardiac device implantation, having both surgical skills and ability to manipulate catheter/lead/wire is crucial. Few cardiologists, however, receive formal surgical training prior to implanting. Skills are mostly acquired directly on-the-job and surgical technique varies across institutions; suboptimal approaches may increase complications. We investigated how novel proficiency-based progression (PBP) simulation training impacts the surgical quality of implantations, compared to traditional simulation (SIM) training. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this international prospective study, novice implanters were randomized (blinded) 1:1 to participate in a simulation-based procedure training curriculum, with proficiency demonstration requirements for advancing (PBP approach) or without (SIM). Ultimately, trainees performed the surgical tasks of an implant on a porcine tissue that was video-recorded and then scored by two independent assessors (blinded to group), using previously validated performance metrics. Primary outcomes were the number of procedural Steps Completed, Critical Errors, Errors (non-critical), and All Errors Combined. Thirty novice implanters from 10 countries participated. Baseline experiences were similar between groups. Compared to SIM-trained, the PBP-trained group completed on average 11% more procedural Steps (P < 0.001) and made 61.2% fewer Critical Errors (P < 0.001), 57.1% fewer Errors (P = 0.140), and 60.7% fewer All Errors Combined (P = 0.001); 11/15 (73%) PBP trainees demonstrated the predefined target performance level vs. 3/15 SIM trainees (20%) in the video-recorded performance. CONCLUSION: Proficiency-based progression training produces superior objectively assessed novice operators' surgical performance in device implantation compared with traditional (simulation) training. Systematic PBP incorporation into formal academic surgical skills training is recommended before in vivo device practice. Future studies will quantify PBP training's effect on surgery-related device complications.

Minimizing Medical Error-Related Adverse Events With Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Protocolized Approach to Safety.

Platelet-rich concentrates (PRCs), derived from a patient's blood, are being used in various fields of medicine, including dermatology, for an increasing number of indications. Although considered a generally safe procedure for dermatologic indications, there have been reports in the last several years linking this treatment to cases of blood-borne infections including HIV and hepatitis.1 Patient safety should always be the primary focus for physicians and other health care professionals, and systems-based protocols should exist within care settings to minimize errors. Herein, we review our protocol to decrease the risk of complications related to transmission of blood-borne infections and other medical errors related to PRCs. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(9)790-791. doi:10.36849/JDD.8166.

Error Management Training and Adaptive Expertise in Learning Computed Tomography Interpretation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Adaptive expertise helps physicians apply their skills to novel clinical cases and reduce preventable errors. Error management training (EMT) has been shown to improve adaptive expertise with procedural skills; however, its application to cognitive skills in medical education is unclear. Objective: To evaluate whether EMT improves adaptive expertise when learning the cognitive skill of head computed tomography (CT) interpretation. Design, Setting, and Participants: This 3-arm randomized clinical trial was conducted from July 8, 2022, to March 30, 2023, in 7 geographically diverse emergency medicine residency programs. Participants were postgraduate year 1 through 4 emergency medicine residents masked to the hypothesis. Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to a difficult EMT, easy EMT, or error avoidance training (EAT) control learning strategy for completing an online head CT curriculum. Both EMT cohorts received no didactic instruction before scrolling through head CT cases, whereas the EAT group did. The difficult EMT cohort answered difficult questions about the teaching cases, leading to errors, whereas the easy EMT cohort answered easy questions, leading to fewer errors. All 3 cohorts used the same cases. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was a difference in adaptive expertise among the 3 cohorts, as measured using a head CT posttest. Secondary outcomes were (1) differences in routine expertise, (2) whether the quantity of errors during training mediated differences in adaptive expertise, and (3) the interaction between prior residency training and the learning strategies. Results: Among 212 randomized participants (mean [SD] age, 28.8 [2.0] years; 107 men [50.5%]), 70 were allocated to the difficult EMT, 71 to the easy EMT, and 71 to the EAT control cohorts; 150 participants (70.8%) completed the posttest. The difficult EMT cohort outperformed both the easy EMT and EAT cohorts on adaptive expertise cases (60.6% [95% CI, 56.1%-65.1%] vs 45.2% [95% CI, 39.9%-50.6%], vs 40.9% [95% CI, 36.0%-45.7%], respectively; P < .001), with a large effect size (η2 = 0.19). There was no significant difference in routine expertise. The difficult EMT cohort made more errors during training than the easy EMT cohort. Mediation analysis showed that the number of errors during training explained 87.2% of the difficult EMT learning strategy's effect on improving adaptive expertise (P = .01). The difficult EMT learning strategy was more effective in improving adaptive expertise for residents earlier in training, with a large effect size (η2 = 0.25; P = .002). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, the findings show that EMT is an effective method to develop physicians' adaptive expertise with cognitive skills. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05284838.

Nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture and adverse events in Hail City, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional approach to improving healthcare safety.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture (PSC) and its relationship with adverse events in Hail City, Saudi Arabia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 August 2023 and the end of November 2023 at 4 governmental hospitals and 28 primary healthcare centres. SETTING: Hail City, Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from 336 nurses using 3 instruments: demographic and work-related questions, PSC and adverse events. RESULTS: Nurses had positive responses in the dimensions of 'teamwork within units' (76.86%) and 'frequency of events reported' (77.87%) but negative responses in the dimensions of 'handoffs and transitions' (18.75%), 'staffing' (20.90%), 'non-punitive response to errors' (31.83%), 'teamwork across units' (34.15%), 'supervisor/manager expectations' (43.22%) and 'overall perception of patient safety' (43.23%). Significant associations were found between nationality, experience, current position and total safety culture, with p values of 0.015, 0.046 and 0.027, respectively. Nurses with high-ranking perceptions of PSC in 'handoffs and transitions,' 'staffing' and 'teamwork across hospital units' reported a lower incidence of adverse events than those with low-ranking perceptions, particularly in reporting pressure ulcers (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.94, OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.94 and OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.99, respectively) (p<0.05). Nurses with high-ranking perceptions of PSC in UK 'handoffs and transitions' reported a lower incidence of patient falls. Similarly, those with high-ranking perceptions in both 'handoffs and transitions' and 'overall perception of patient safety reported a lower incidence of adverse events compared with those with low-ranking perceptions, especially in reporting adverse drug events (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.91 and OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.92, respectively) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: From a nursing perspective, hospital PSCs have both strengths and weaknesses. Examples include low trust in leadership, staffing, error-reporting and handoffs. Therefore, to improve staffing, communication, handoffs, teamwork, and leadership, interventions should focus on weak areas of low confidence and high rates of adverse events.

The Challenges of Implementing a Safety Culture.

This article provides an update on patient safety data recently reviewed by and recommendations of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Tech - nology. This article attempts to capture the impact of the eroding ability of the nursing workforce to perform its traditional role of blocking errors before they harm patients. Some strategies, tactics, and practice examples to assist in renewing this protective capacity in today's challenging environment are presented. Finally, acknowledging the variability of substantive support for maintaining a safety culture provided by individual health care organizations, this article encourages and applauds the personal courage of nephrology nurses and other health care providers as they engage and assist their clinical and quality improvement teams in addressing the persistence of what Hughes (2008) termed the "everydayness of errors" (p. 1-7).

Analysis of the costs of adverse events in the public healthcare system of the Lombardy Region over five-year period 2016-2021.

The monitoring of litigation (i.e., claims received by the public healthcare system of the Lombardy Region) is started following the implementation of the "Circolare 46/SAN/2004" by evaluating the risk management activities carried out over a five-year period (2016-2021) and following a systematic approach by the regional risk management coordination group. The paper presents a risks analyzed belong to the following 4 categories: Clinical Risk, Worker Risk Facility Accidental Damage. The trend of the Average Settled (cash analysis) shows an increase of the amounts over the years. The average amount paid is from about €45k in 2017 to over €71k in 2021, with a 16% decrease in the average amount paid in 2021 compared to the previous year (2020). The trend of the average amounts paid (analysis by accrual) shows a significant natural decrease over the years. The average amount settled is from about €74K in 2016 to almost 30K in 2021, recording a 30% decrease in the average amount liquidated in 2021 compared to the previous year (2020). As presented in the paper, the analysis shows a decrease in the magnitude of claims over time, as a positive factor that could be explained by the centralization and continuous monitoring of financial statement data, and the presence of claims evaluation committees (CVS) that includes different skills, such as: broker, loss adjuster, risk manager, medical examiner, lawyers, company management , etc., and the insurance expertise that works in the revaluation of reserves linked to the budget reform.

Rates Of Patient Safety Indicators In Belgian Hospitals Were Low But Generally Higher Than In US Hospitals, 2016-18.

More than two decades ago, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed its Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) to monitor potentially preventable and severe adverse events within hospitals. Application of PSIs outside the US was explored more than a decade ago, but it is uncertain whether they remain relevant within Europe, as no up-to-date assessments of overall PSI-associated adverse event rates or interhospital variability can be found in the literature. This article assesses the nationwide occurrence and variability of thirteen adverse events for a case study of Belgium. We studied 4,765,850 patient stays across all 101 hospitals for 2016-18. We established that although adverse event rates were generally low, with an adverse event observed in 0.1 percent of medical hospital stays and in 1.2 percent of surgical hospital stays, they were higher than equivalent US rates and were prone to considerable between-hospital variability. Failure-to-rescue rates, for example, equaled 23 percent, whereas some hospitals exceeded nationwide central line-associated bloodstream infection rates by a factor of 8. Policy makers and hospital managers can prioritize PSIs that have high adverse event rates or large variability, such as failure to rescue or central line-associated bloodstream infections, to improve the quality of care in Belgian hospitals.

Quantifying Efficacy of Video Interventions about Adverse Events in Medical Student Education.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic catalyzed a rapid shift toward remote learning in medicine. This study hypothesized that using videos on adverse events and patient safety event reporting systems could enhance education and motivation among healthcare professionals, leading to improved performance on quizzes compared with those exposed to standard, in-person lectures. METHODS: Participants were randomly assigned to a group both watching the video and attending an in-person lecture or a group that received only the in-person lecture in this study performed in 2022. Surveys gathered demographic information, tested knowledge, and identified barriers to reporting adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 83 unique participants responded to the survey out of the 130 students enrolled (64%; 83/130). Among the students completing all of the surveys, the group who watched the Osmosis video had a higher average quiz score (6.46/7) than the lecture group (6.31/7) following the first intervention. Only 25% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they knew what to include in a patient safety report and only 10% agreed or strongly agreed that they knew how to access the reporting system. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests virtual preclass video learning can be a beneficial tool to complement traditional lecture-based learning in medical education. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of long-term video interventions in adverse events.

Patient perspectives on adverse event investigations in health care.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade attention has grown to give patients and next of kin (P/N) more substantial roles in adverse event investigations. Adverse event investigations occur after adverse events that resulted in death or severe injury. Few studies have focused on patient perspectives on their involvement in such investigations. The present study sets out to investigate how P/N and patient representatives (client councils and the Patient Federation Netherlands) view the involvement of P/N in adverse event investigations, particularly whether and why they want to involved, and how they want to shape their involvement. METHODS: The study features qualitative data on three levels: interviews with P/N (personal), focus groups with representatives of client councils (institutional), and an interview with the Patient Federation Netherlands (national). Researchers used inductive, thematic analysis and validated the results through data source triangulation. RESULTS: The initiative taken by the hospitals in this study provided P/N with the space to feel heard and a position as legitimate stakeholder. P/N appreciated the opportunity to choose whether and how they wanted to be involved in the investigation as stakeholders. P/N emphasized the need for hospitals to learn from the investigations, but for them the investigation was also part of a more encompassing relationship. P/N's views showed the inextricable link between the first conversation with the health care professional and the investigation, and the ongoing care after the investigation was finalized. Hence, an adverse event investigation is part of a broader experience when understood from a patient perspective. CONCLUSIONS: An adverse event investigation should be considered as part of an existing relationship between P/N and hospital that starts before the investigation and continues during follow up care. It is crucial for hospitals to take the initiative in the investigation and in the involvement of P/N. P/N motivations for involvement can be understood as driven by agency or communion. Agentic motivations include being an active participant by choice, while communion motivations include the need to be heard.

Estimating the Effect of Disclosure of Patient Safety Incidents in Diagnosis-Related Patient Safety Incidents: A Cross-sectional Study Using Hypothetical Cases.

BACKGROUND: Disclosure of patient safety incidents (DPSIs) is a strategic measure to reduce the problems of patient safety incidents (PSIs). However, there are currently limited studies on the effects of DPSIs on resolving diagnosis-related PSIs. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the effects of DPSIs using hypothetical cases, particularly in diagnosis-related PSIs. METHODS: A survey using 2 hypothetical cases of diagnosis-related PSIs was conducted in 5 districts of Ulsan Metropolitan City, Korea, from March 18 to 21, 2021. The survey used a multistage stratified quota sampling method to recruit participants. Multiple logistic regression and linear regression analyses were performed to determine the effectiveness of DPSIs in hypothetical cases. The outcomes were the judgment of a situation as a medical error, willingness to revisit and recommend the hypothetical physician, intention to file a medical lawsuit and commence criminal proceedings against the physicians, trust score of the involved physicians, and expected amount of compensation. RESULTS: In total, 620 respondents, recruited based on age, sex, and region, completed the survey. The mean age was 47.6 (standard deviation, ±15.1) years. Multiple logistic regression showed that DPSIs significantly decreased the judgment of a situation as a medical error (odds ratio [OR], 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.79), intention to file a lawsuit (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.42-0.66), and commence criminal proceedings (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.34-0.55). It also increased the willingness to revisit (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 2.37-4.55) and recommend the physician (OR, 8.21; 95% CI, 4.05-16.66). Meanwhile, the multiple linear regression demonstrated that DPSIs had a significantly positive association with the trust score of the physician (unstandardized coefficient, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03-1.41) and a significantly negative association with the expected amount of compensation (unstandardized coefficient, -0.18; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.06). CONCLUSIONS: DPSIs reduces the possibility of judging the hypothetical case as a medical error, increases the willingness to revisit and recommend the physician involved in the case, and decreases the intent to file a lawsuit and commence a criminal proceeding. Although this study implemented hypothetical cases, the results are expected to serve as empirical evidence to apply DPSIs extensively in the clinical field.

"Learn from Errors": Post-traumatic growth among second victims.

BACKGROUND: Second victims, defined as healthcare providers enduring emotional and psychological distress after patient safety incidents (PSIs). The potential for positive transformation through these experiences is underexplored but is essential for fostering a culture of error learning and enhancing patient care. OBJECTIVE: To explore the level and determinants of post-traumatic growth (PTG), applying the stress process model. METHODS: The study was conducted at a tertiary general hospital in Chongqing, China. A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 474 s victims were included. An online survey was conducted in November 2021 to assess various factors related to the second victim experience. These factors included PSIs (considered as stressors), coping styles, perceived threats, and social support (acting as mediators), as well as the outcomes of second victim syndrome (SVS) and PTG. Statistical description, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were utilized for the data analysis. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: The participants reported moderate distress (SVS = 2.84 ± 0.85) and PTG (2.72 ± 0.85). The total effects on SVS of perceived threat, negative coping, social support, positive coping, and PSIs were 0.387, 0.359, -0.355, -0.220, and 0.115, respectively, accounting for 47% of the variation in SVS. The total effects of social support, positive coping, and PSIs on PTG were 0.355, 0.203, and - 0.053, respectively, accounting for 19% of the variation in PTG. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides novel insights into the complex interplay between perceived threats, coping styles, and social support in facilitating PTG among second victims. By bolstering social support and promoting adaptive coping strategies, the adverse effects of PSIs can be mitigated, transforming them into opportunities for resilience and growth, and offering a fresh perspective on managing PSIs in healthcare settings.

Second victim phenomenon among healthcare students: A scoping review.

AIM: This study aims to explore the "second victim" phenomenon in healthcare professions students following an adverse event. BACKGROUND: In healthcare settings, adverse events affect not only patients but also the involved healthcare personnel, who experience a wide range of physical and psychological responses, a situation known as the second victim phenomenon. This phenomenon also extends to students in health-related professions during their clinical training, yet there needs to be more research specifically addressing this group. DESIGN: A scoping review METHODS: This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. In December 2023, we conducted a comprehensive database search in PubMed, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, Web of Science (WoS), Scopus and the Virtual Health Library (VHL). The review included original research studies of any design that focused on the second victim phenomenon among students, published in English, Spanish, German or Portuguese, with no restrictions on the publication date. The review was reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. RESULTS: Seven studies were selected, primarily involving nursing and medical students. Common triggers of the second victim phenomenon in students were medication errors, patient falls and procedural errors. Described symptoms ranged from emotional distress, such as stress and hypervigilance, to physical symptoms, like sleep disturbances. Among the factors that influenced how this "second victim" phenomenon manifested in students were the reactions of their peers and the lack of support from supervisors. Contrary to the three possible outcomes described for professionals as second victims (surviving, thriving, or leaving), students are only described with two: giving up or moving on. CONCLUSION: The studies highlighted the crucial role of peer and supervisor support in managing such difficult situations. The results suggest that additional research is necessary in other healthcare disciplines. Educational and healthcare institutions should improve their preventive and management strategies to address the phenomenon's impact on students.

A review of incidents related to health information technology in Swedish healthcare to characterise system issues as a basis for improvement in clinical practice.

This study examined health information technology-related incidents to characterise system issues as a basis for improvement in Swedish clinical practice. Incident reports were collected through interviews together with retrospectively collected incidents from voluntary incident databases, which were analysed using deductive and inductive approaches. Most themes pertained to system issues, such as functionality, design, and integration. Identified system issues were dominated by technical factors (74%), while human factors accounted for 26%. Over half of the incidents (55%) impacted on staff or the organisation, and the rest on patients - patient inconvenience (25%) and patient harm (20%). The findings indicate that it is vital to choose and commission suitable systems, design out "error-prone" features, ensure contingency plans are in place, implement clinical decision-support systems, and respond to incidents on time. Such strategies would improve the health information technology systems and Swedish clinical practice.

Supporting the Episodic Application of Clinical Guidelines over Significant Time Periods.

Medical errors contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality, emphasizing the critical role of Clinical Guidelines (GLs) in patient care. Automating GL application can enhance GL adherence, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs. However, several barriers exist to GL implementation and real-time automated support. Challenges include creating a formalized, machine-comprehensible GL representation, and an episodic decision-support system for sporadic treatment advice. This system must accommodate the non-continuous nature of care delivery, including partial actions or partially met treatment goals. We describe the design and implementation of an episodic GL-based clinical decision support system and its retrospective technical evaluation using patient records from a geriatric center. Initial evaluation scores of the e-Picard system were promising, with a mean 94% correctness and 90% completeness based on 50 random pressure ulcer patients. Errors were mainly due to knowledge specification, algorithmic issues, and missing data. Post-corrections, scores improved to 100% correctness and a mean 97% completeness, with missing data still affecting completeness. The results validate the system's capability to assess guideline adherence and provide quality recommendations. Despite initial limitations, we have demonstrated the feasibility of providing, through the e-Picard episodic algorithm, realistic medical decision-making support for noncontinuous, intermittent consultations.

Medical Professionals' Responses to a Patient Safety Incident in Healthcare.

Objectives: Patient safety incidents (PSIs) are common in healthcare. Open communication facilitated by psychological safety in healthcare could contribute to the prevention of PSIs and enhance patient safety. The aim of the study was to explore medical professionals' responses to a PSI in relation to psychological safety in Slovak healthcare. Methods: Sixteen individual semi-structured interviews with Slovak medical professionals were performed. Obtained qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the conventional content analysis method and the consensual qualitative research method. Results: We identified eight responses to a PSI from medical professionals themselves as well as their colleagues, many of which were active and with regard to ensuring patient safety (e.g., notification), but some of them were passive and ultimately threatening patients' safety (e.g., silence). Five superiors' responses to the PSI were identified, both positive (e.g., supportive) and negative (e.g., exaggerated, sharp). Conclusion: Medical professionals' responses to a PSI are diverse, indicating a potential for enhancing psychological safety in healthcare.

Is patient safety in the NHS fundamentally broken?

John Tingle, Associate Professor, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses the state of patient safety in the NHS and several key reports.

[Mispositioned central line with catheterization of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return]. / Voie centrale mal positionnée avec cathétérisme d'un retour veineux pulmonaire anormal partiel.

Central venous access is common practice in intensive care, anesthesia and emergency departments. It is, however, a delicate technical procedure, prone to complications. We present a case report on the placement of a left jugular central venous line in the emergency room, which was thought to be a routine procedure. However, the operator observed arterial blood during sampling, and the central line was described as poorly positioned on the control X-ray. After verification and other examinations, the existence of a vertical vein was discovered in this patient, connecting the left superior pulmonary vein to the brachiocephalic trunk. A poorly positioned central venous line can therefore lead to the discovery of asympomatic congenital vascular anomalies, unrelated to the clinical context. This case study illustrates the various tools available to ensure the correct position of a central venous line, and their clinical implications.

La mise en place d'une voie veineuse centrale est de pratique courante aux soins intensifs, en anesthésie et aux urgences. Il s'agit cependant d'un acte technique relativement invasif, délicat et potentiellement sujet à complications. Nous présentons un cas clinique relatant la mise en place d'une voie veineuse centrale jugulaire gauche en salle de déchocage, manœuvre réputée banale. Cependant, l'opérateur objective visuellement du sang d'allure artérielle lors du prélèvement sanguin sur le cathéter. En outre, l'imagerie par radiographie thoracique décrit une malposition de ce dispositif. Après vérifications et examens complémentaires, nous découvrons finalement l'existence d'une veine verticale chez ce patient, reliant la veine pulmonaire supérieure gauche au tronc brachio-céphalique. Une voie veineuse centrale, apparemment mal positionnée, peut, dès lors, conduire à la découverte d'anomalies vasculaires congénitales asymptomatiques, sans lien nécessaire avec le contexte clinique sous-jacent. Ce cas clinique nous permet d'aborder les différents outils à notre disposition actuelle afin de déterminer le positionnement adéquat d'une voie veineuse centrale et les implications cliniques qui en découlent.

Crowdsourced Feedback to Improve Resident Physician Error Disclosure Skills: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Residents must prepare for effective communication with patients after medical errors. The video-based communication assessment (VCA) is software that plays video of a patient scenario, asks the physician to record what they would say, engages crowdsourced laypeople to rate audio recordings of physician responses, and presents feedback to physicians. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of VCA feedback in resident error disclosure skill training. Design, Setting, and Participants: This single-blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted from July 2022 to May 2023 at 7 US internal medicine and family medicine residencies (10 total sites). Participants were second-year residents attending required teaching conferences. Data analysis was performed from July to December 2023. Intervention: Residents completed 2 VCA cases at time 1 and were randomized to the intervention, an individual feedback report provided in the VCA application after 2 weeks, or to control, in which feedback was not provided until after time 2. Residents completed 2 additional VCA cases after 4 weeks (time 2). Main Outcomes and Measures: Panels of crowdsourced laypeople rated recordings of residents disclosing simulated medical errors to create scores on a 5-point scale. Reports included learning points derived from layperson comments. Mean time 2 ratings were compared to test the hypothesis that residents who had access to feedback on their time 1 performance would score higher at time 2 than those without feedback access. Residents were surveyed about demographic characteristics, disclosure experience, and feedback use. The intervention's effect was examined using analysis of covariance. Results: A total of 146 residents (87 [60.0%] aged 25-29 years; 60 female [41.0%]) completed the time 1 VCA, and 103 (70.5%) completed the time 2 VCA (53 randomized to intervention and 50 randomized to control); of those, 28 (54.9%) reported reviewing their feedback. Analysis of covariance found a significant main effect of feedback between intervention and control groups at time 2 (mean [SD] score, 3.26 [0.45] vs 3.14 [0.39]; difference, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.08-0.48; P = .01). In post hoc comparisons restricted to residents without prior disclosure experience, intervention residents scored higher than those in the control group at time 2 (mean [SD] score, 3.33 [0.43] vs 3.09 [0.44]; difference, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.01-0.48; P = .007). Worse performance at time 1 was associated with increased likelihood of dropping out before time 2 (odds ratio, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.06-7.84; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, self-directed review of crowdsourced feedback was associated with higher ratings of internal medicine and family medicine residents' error disclosure skill, particularly for those without real-life error disclosure experience, suggesting that such feedback may be an effective way for residency programs to address their requirement to prepare trainees for communicating with patients after medical harm. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06234085.

The weekend factor: the effect on healthcare quality. A medico-legal, retrospective study.

Background: In the healthcare system, in the last 30 years, the prognostically negative value of the so-called Weekend Effect (WE) has been internationally recognized. The WE is regarded as the increased risk a patient might incur when hospitalized during non-working days, of enduring severe complications in comparison to the same hospitalization that occur on working days. The aim of this study was to retrospectively verify whether, once a mistake was made during weekends or on holidays, in comparison to a mistake occurred on workdays, it subsequently implied a higher risk of complications, death included, in a statistical and medico-legal way. Methods: Three different evaluators independently examined a total of 378 medico-legal cases over a more than 20-year period. Eventual medical actions and omissions were labelled as 'mistake' when the AJ claimed that at least one occurred; 'alleged mistake' included the cases where the EW's report disagreed with the AJ's one; finally, 'no mistake' when both the AJ and the EW agreed in their evaluations. During weekends there is a higher risk that a mistake occurs (OR=3.3, 95% CI=1.6;7.4; p-value<0.001) compared to weekdays. When death occurs, delayed diagnosis is the main cause (p=0.02), whereas a damaging action is more frequently claimed in general. Conclusions: We verified as actual the impact of the WE on patients' outcome from a medico-legal point of view. The implications for an improvement of the several settings of the Italian NHS are various, and many are the consequences in the healthcare management.