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Journal of Patient Safety Aug 2021There have been efforts to understand the epidemiology of iatrogenic harm in hospitals and primary care and to improve the safety of care provision. There has in...
BACKGROUND
There have been efforts to understand the epidemiology of iatrogenic harm in hospitals and primary care and to improve the safety of care provision. There has in contrast been very limited progress in relation to the safety of ambulatory dental care.
OBJECTIVES
To provide a comprehensive overview of the range and frequencies of existing evidence on patient safety incidents and adverse events in ambulatory dentistry.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for articles reporting events that could have or did result in unnecessary harm in ambulatory dental care. We extracted and synthesized data on the types and frequencies of patient safety incidents and adverse events.
RESULTS
Forty articles were included. We found that the frequencies varied very widely between studies; this reflected differences in definitions, populations studied, and sampling strategies. The main 5 PSIs we identified were errors in diagnosis and examination, treatment planning, communication, procedural errors, and the accidental ingestion or inhalation of foreign objects. However, little attention was paid to wider organizational issues.
CONCLUSIONS
Patient safety research in dentistry is immature because current evidence cannot provide reliable estimates on the frequency of patient safety incidents in ambulatory dental care or the associated disease burden. Well-designed epidemiological investigations are needed that also investigate contributory factors.
Topics: Dental Care; Hospitals; Humans; Medical Errors; Patient Safety; Primary Health Care
PubMed: 27611771
DOI: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000316 -
Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 2023Safety culture is an important aspect of quality in healthcare settings. There are many risks that patients can encounter in hemodialysis settings one of which is the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Safety culture is an important aspect of quality in healthcare settings. There are many risks that patients can encounter in hemodialysis settings one of which is the infection risks due to the regular need to access bloodstreams using catheters and needles. Implementation of prevention guidelines, protocols and strategies that reinforce safety culture excellence are essential to mitigate risks. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the main strategies that enhance and improve patient safety culture in hemodialysis settings.
METHODS
Medline (via PubMed) and Scopus were searched from 2010 to 2020 in English. Terms defining safety culture, patient safety were combined with the term hemodialysis during the search. The studies were chosen based on inclusion criteria.
RESULTS
A total of 17 articles reporting on six countries were identified that met inclusion criteria following the PRISMA statement. From the 17 papers, practices that were successfully applied to improve safety culture in hemodialysis settings included (i) training of nurses on the technologies used in hemodialysis treatment, (ii) proactive risk identification tools to prevent infections (iii) root cause analysis in evaluating the errors, (iv) hemodialysis checklist to be used by the dialysis nurses to reduce the adverse events, and (v) effective communication and mutual trust between the employee and leadership to support no-blame environment, and improve the safety culture.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review provided significant insights on the strategies that healthcare safety managers and policy makers can implement to enhance safety culture in hemodialysis settings.
PubMed: 37069892
DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S407409 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022Patient safety in long-term care is becoming an increasingly popular subject in the scientific literature. Organizational problems such as shortages of medical staff,... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Patient safety in long-term care is becoming an increasingly popular subject in the scientific literature. Organizational problems such as shortages of medical staff, insufficient numbers of facilities or underfunding increase the risk of adverse events, and aging populations in many countries suggests that these problems will become more and more serious with each passing year. The objective of the study is to identify interventions that can contribute to increasing patient safety in long-term care facilities.
METHOD
A systematic review of secondary studies was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Searches were conducted in Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via OVID) and Cochrane Library. The quality of the included studies was assessed using AMSTAR2.
RESULTS
Ultimately, 10 studies were included in the analysis. They concerned three main areas: promoting safety culture, reducing the level of occupational stress and burnout, and increasing the safety of medication use. Promising methods that have an impact on increasing patient safety include: preventing occupational burnout of medical staff, e.g., by using mindfulness-based interventions; preventing incidents resulting from improper administration of medications, e.g., by using structured methods of patient transfer; and the use of information technology that is more effective than the classic (paper) method or preventing nosocomial infections, e.g., through programs to improve the quality of care in institutions and the implementation of an effective infection control system.
CONCLUSIONS
Taking into account the scientific evidence found and the guidelines of institutions dealing with patient safety, it is necessary for each long-term care facility to individually implement interventions aimed at continuous improvement of the quality of care and patient safety culture at the level of medical staff and management staff.
Topics: Humans; Patient Safety; Long-Term Care; Skilled Nursing Facilities; Nursing Homes; Safety Management; Burnout, Professional
PubMed: 36430073
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215354 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2023The quality and safety of health care are a priority for health organizations and social institutions to progressively provide people with a higher level of health and... (Review)
Review
The quality and safety of health care are a priority for health organizations and social institutions to progressively provide people with a higher level of health and well-being. It is in the development of this path that home care currently represents an area of gradual investment and where health care services and the scientific community have shown interest in building circuits and instruments that can respond to needs. The purpose of this article is to identify areas and criteria for quality and safety in home care. The method used was a systematic review registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022380989). The search was systematically carried out in CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE with Full Text and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, using the following criteria: articles published in Portuguese and English, from January 2017 to November 2022. The results of the analysis of the articles showed areas of quality and safety in home care with their respective dimensions and operational criteria. We concluded that there are three areas: the intervention with the patient, with proximity and patient-centered care, which integrates the individual care plan and the proximity of professionals to the patient and family; the intervention of care and service management, with care management and clinical governance that includes the integrated model of health care, goal management, and context management; and the intervention related to training and professional development, where we have the skills and training of professionals.
Topics: Humans; Delivery of Health Care; Home Care Services; Health Facilities
PubMed: 38131740
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20247189 -
The British Journal of Oral &... Feb 2021The "nurse-led" oral and maxillofacial (OMFS) head and neck (H&N) clinic has been introduced and developed over the last decade, and we are now close to a point that... (Review)
Review
The "nurse-led" oral and maxillofacial (OMFS) head and neck (H&N) clinic has been introduced and developed over the last decade, and we are now close to a point that this endeavour can potentially be implemented nationwide. This paper is a systematic review of the proposed OMFS H&N nurse-led clinic model. Literature on the topic is limited: only eight eligible papers were identified and reviewed. These were appraised focusing on four domains: requirement/necessity, true cost, patient safety and outcomes, and education and training. Most of the advantages/proposed benefits of these clinics have previously been discussed. This current review has revealed that the available published evidence on the concept of OMFS H&N nurse-led clinics demonstrates that they might not be necessary. The alleged cost savings have not been described in detail and might not be as significant as expected, more intense collaboration is required to establish watertight quality assurance processes concerning patient safety, and the clinics might have an impact on the education and training of OMFS trainees. The nurse-led clinic concept is interesting and exciting, but more discussion and planning is needed prior to it being launched nationwide.
Topics: Ambulatory Care Facilities; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Nurse's Role
PubMed: 33148483
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2020.08.089 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2021This systematic review aims to summarise available patient-reported questionnaires to detect adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that can be utilised by healthcare... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
This systematic review aims to summarise available patient-reported questionnaires to detect adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that can be utilised by healthcare professionals in clinical practice and to summarise the psychometric properties (validity, reliability, and responsiveness) of the questionnaires.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted using Medline, Pubmed, Embase, and Emcare databases to screen for articles published between January 2000 and July 2020. Data items regarding validity, reliability, and responsiveness were extracted independently by two authors. The methodological quality was assessed using the COSMIN (Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments) checklist.
RESULTS
A total of 1563 unique article titles were identified after removing duplicates. Following shortlisting of relevant articles, 19 patient-reported ADR questionnaires were identified. Questionnaires most commonly focused on mental health medications (42.1%, = 8), followed by general questionnaires applicable to any medication (21.1%, = 4). Many questionnaires did not report assessing the validity and reliability of the measurement tool. For example, only 11 questionnaires (58%) mentioned assessing content validity, in addition to criterion or construct testing.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review summarised the available patient-reported questionnaires that can be used in research and clinical practice to identify ADRs. Results of this systematic review highlight the need for more robust validity and reliability testing when developing patient-reported ADR questionnaires.
Topics: Humans; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34831635
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182211877 -
Research in Social & Administrative... Jul 2023Unlicensed medicines are used across the UK to treat an individual's clinical needs when there are no appropriate licensed alternatives. Patients, carers and parents... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Unlicensed medicines are used across the UK to treat an individual's clinical needs when there are no appropriate licensed alternatives. Patients, carers and parents have reported facing challenges with unlicensed medicines at the points of transfer of care between settings, a key time when medication errors may occur. There is little known about the patient journey as a whole, or the factors affecting patient care when receiving an unlicensed medicine.
OBJECTIVE
A systematic review of UK literature to better understand factors that affect the entire patient journey from the decision to initiate treatment with an unlicensed medicine to the point at which treatment is supplied through a community pharmacy or ends.
METHODS
Scopus, OVID EMCARE, EMBASE, OVID Medline ALL, CINAHL, Web of Science and Joanna Briggs Institute were searched from 1968 (introduction of the Medicines Act) until November 2020, using the PRISMA guidelines. Narrative synthesis of UK studies was employed to analyse descriptive and qualitative data on any reported findings that would impact the patient journey or care related to the use of unlicensed medicines, and any described barriers or enablers.
RESULTS
Forty-five studies met criteria for final inclusion, with high levels of heterogeneity in terms of designs and methods. Specific challenges that were seen to impact the continuity of care across care settings, patient safety and provision of patient-centred care included diversity of clinical needs and impact of patient population age; healthcare professional awareness and acceptability of the use of unlicensed medicines; the hierarchical structure of the NHS; inconsistent doses and formulations with varying bioequivalence; patient/parent/carer/public awareness of unlicensed medicines use and perceived acceptability.
CONCLUSIONS
This review identified a clear need for consistent information to be provided to healthcare professional and patients alike to support the safe and effective use of unlicensed medicines across care settings.
Topics: Humans; Patient Care; Health Personnel; Caregivers; Medicine; Medication Errors
PubMed: 37121796
DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.04.120 -
Respiratory Care Feb 2021Although studies have confirmed the safety and feasibility of early active mobilization, its implementation status is still unsatisfactory. The most important obstacle... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Although studies have confirmed the safety and feasibility of early active mobilization, its implementation status is still unsatisfactory. The most important obstacle is ensuring patient safety. Comprehensively assessing the physical condition of patients considered for mobilization is the basis of safety. However, appropriate guidance is lacking. We performed a systematic review to extract and summarize current safety assessment criteria for the early active mobilization of mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted using English and Chinese databases according to the PRISMA checklist and guidelines to identify relevant original studies that evaluated safety assessment variables and specific parameters.
RESULTS
A total of 24 medium- and high-quality articles involving a total of 4,842 subjects were included in the analysis. Among these studies, there were 15 randomized controlled trials involving 1,777 subjects (888 in the control groups, 889 in the interventional groups) and 9 cohort studies involving 3,065 subjects (1,240 in the control groups, 1,825 in the exposure groups). There were 5 safety assessment criteria, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, musculoskeletal, and other. Within these were 17 different variables and 48 specific parameters.
CONCLUSIONS
The safety assessment criteria should focus on cardiac reserve, respiratory reserve, consciousness, and muscle strength. It is especially important to note whether the parameters are stable because parameter stability can be more representative of a patient's condition than absolute values. We provide a flow diagram for clinical safety assessments; however, some limitations exist, and this assessment requires further validation and optimization.
Topics: Early Ambulation; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Muscle Strength; Patient Safety; Respiration, Artificial
PubMed: 32900917
DOI: 10.4187/respcare.07888 -
Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Surgery &... Jun 2023Planned overlapping surgery can improve efficiency, reduce costs and help manage long waiting lists; yet, this practice has been questioned due to patient safety... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Planned overlapping surgery can improve efficiency, reduce costs and help manage long waiting lists; yet, this practice has been questioned due to patient safety concerns. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to answer the question: (1) are there any differences in the risk of postoperative adverse outcomes; and (2) are there any differences in length of stay or length of surgery, in elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed either as non-overlapping surgery (NOS) or overlapping surgery (OS).
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A systematic search of literature in the databases of MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane from dates of inception was performed. All studies published in English were included. Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I) and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework were utilised. Relative risk (RR) was used for dichotomous outcomes, while mean difference (MD) was used for continuous variables, with 95% confidence intervals. Alpha was set at 0.05.
RESULTS
A total of nine studies with 120,625 patients were included for analyses. There were no statistically significant differences for overall rates of postoperative complications, dislocations, fractures, infections, readmissions or revision surgery nor with length of stay or length of surgery (p>0.05). Patient characteristics between groups were similar (p>0.05).
DISCUSSION
There were no differences in postoperative adverse outcomes for elective orthopaedic THA and TKA performed as NOS when compared to OS. Operating schedules for OS in elective lower limb arthroplasty appear to be safe, given appropriate patient selection processes and may be a useful method to improve hospital efficiency. Informed consent and preoperative patient education should remain paramount.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
IV.
Topics: Humans; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; Postoperative Complications; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; Reoperation; Preoperative Care; Length of Stay
PubMed: 35472455
DOI: 10.1016/j.otsr.2022.103299 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024Healthcare systems represent complex organizations within which multiple factors (physical environment, human factor, technological devices, quality of care)... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Healthcare systems represent complex organizations within which multiple factors (physical environment, human factor, technological devices, quality of care) interconnect to form a dense network whose imbalance is potentially able to compromise patient safety. In this scenario, the need for hospitals to expand reactive and proactive clinical risk management programs is easily understood, and artificial intelligence fits well in this context. This systematic review aims to investigate the state of the art regarding the impact of AI on clinical risk management processes. To simplify the analysis of the review outcomes and to motivate future standardized comparisons with any subsequent studies, the findings of the present review will be grouped according to the possibility of applying AI in the prevention of the different incident type groups as defined by the ICPS.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
On 3 November 2023, a systematic review of the literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was carried out using the SCOPUS and Medline (via PubMed) databases. A total of 297 articles were identified. After the selection process, 36 articles were included in the present systematic review.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The studies included in this review allowed for the identification of three main "incident type" domains: clinical process, healthcare-associated infection, and medication. Another relevant application of AI in clinical risk management concerns the topic of incident reporting.
CONCLUSIONS
This review highlighted that AI can be applied transversely in various clinical contexts to enhance patient safety and facilitate the identification of errors. It appears to be a promising tool to improve clinical risk management, although its use requires human supervision and cannot completely replace human skills. To facilitate the analysis of the present review outcome and to enable comparison with future systematic reviews, it was deemed useful to refer to a pre-existing taxonomy for the identification of adverse events. However, the results of the present study highlighted the usefulness of AI not only for risk prevention in clinical practice, but also in improving the use of an essential risk identification tool, which is incident reporting. For this reason, the taxonomy of the areas of application of AI to clinical risk processes should include an additional class relating to risk identification and analysis tools. For this purpose, it was considered convenient to use ICPS classification.
PubMed: 38470660
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12050549