Posts Tagged ‘patient safety’
There’s no easy cure for bad diagnoses
JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Diagnosis errors, not surgical mistakes or drug overdoses, account for the largest share of malpractice payouts and the most severe patient harm. Continue…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 11:41 - 2 Comments
Health & Medicine - Apr 16, 2013 15:27 - 0 Comments
Drug sales reps rarely discuss side effects
UC DAVIS (US) —Pharmaceutical sales reps often fail to give family doctors information about the harmful side effects of drugs, an international study finds. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Mar 26, 2013 14:09 - 2 Comments
New docs: Fewer hours, but more mistakes
U. MICHIGAN (US) — New rules that require young doctors to work fewer hours without a break were supposed to protect patients from sleepy physicians, but a new study finds that medical errors may have actually increased. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 20, 2012 14:10 - 4 Comments
Surgery ‘never events’ happen every week in US
JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Surgeons in the US leave a foreign object such as a sponge or a towel inside a patient’s body 39 times a week, perform the wrong procedure 20 times a week, and operate on the wrong body site 20 times a week. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 5, 2012 10:52 - 0 Comments
Power naps keep docs-in-training sharp
U. PENNSYLVANIA (US) — Protected rest periods ease the effects of sleep deprivation for medical residents on the night shift, who previously were expected to work for periods up to 30 hours straight. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 26, 2012 12:03 - 1 Comment
Patients are safer when nurses ‘fess up’
PENN STATE (US) — When nurses feel safe admitting patient-related mistakes to their supervisors, they’re more likely to report errors—leading to a stronger commitment to safe practices and a lower error rate. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Oct 5, 2011 9:36 - 18 Comments
MRI no longer off limits for pacemakers
JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Patients with cardiac implants can safely undergo MRI scans if their doctors follow new guidelines, researchers say. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jun 24, 2011 13:07 - 2 Comments
‘Co-pilots’ in ICU reduce death rates
NORTHWESTERN (US) — Mortality rates in the intensive care unit dropped 50 percent when the attending physician was assisted by someone prompting him to address items on a checklist. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Mar 23, 2011 8:43 - 3 Comments
Extreme makeover: Hospital edition
VANDERBILT (US) — Medical errors—which are already at epidemic proportions at U.S. hospitals—will likely surge without dramatic organizational and cultural reforms within health care organizations, a new study suggests. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Mar 8, 2011 11:35 - 1 Comment
In aviation and medicine, safety first
INDIANA U. (US) — An essential piece missing from the health care puzzle is communication between doctor and patient, particularly when complex information is being relayed in stressful situations. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Mar 3, 2011 17:09 - 0 Comments
Precise med labels clear confusion
U. LEEDS (UK) — Simple words will replace commonly used, but often misunderstood phrasing on medicine bottles dispensed from UK pharmacies to ensure patients are taking prescriptions as intended. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 20, 2010 16:24 - 1 Comment
Lithium guidelines made easy
U. LEEDS (UK) — Serious side effects linked to lithium therapy can be avoided if patients are given clear guidance on taking the medicine. (more…)
