Insights & News in Healthcare Safety

How To: Providing Obstetrical Services When Understaffed

In recent years, more OB units in rural areas have experienced closures and maternity care deserts have grown. In response, many rural healthcare organizations are exploring creative approaches in ...

Three Ways to Make Safer Decisions when Selecting Substitute Products in Nonacute Care

​​​​Healthcare providers continue to face widespread economic challenges that directly affect the supply chain—from record inflation and dwindling margins, to shortages of supplies and workers, to ...

The da Vinci Surgical Robot and the Importance of Iterative Evidence Review

Medical technology is constantly evolving. As new medical devices are developed and existing devices are updated, clinical trials are conducted to confirm the technology is safe and provides the in...

Video Recordings of Surgical Procedures: How to Ensure Consent, Privacy, and Confidentiality

Many organizations record surgical procedures performed at their facilities with the intention of using the footage for educational or quality assurance purposes, among other reasons. However, it i...

Medical Errors and Health IT: What Does the Data Say?

Health information technology (IT) is a powerful tool for documenting and sharing information about patients’ health and helping providers to make well-informed decisions about patient care. Howeve...

Non-medical Discharge: Navigating Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Considerations

Hospitals may wish to discharge patients for a variety of non-medical reasons (e.g., if the patient is being violent towards staff, patients, or visitors; if the patient is exhibiting racist behavi...

Preventing Short-Stay Readmissions

​Every care transition carries increased risk of adverse events, poor health outcomes, emotional instability, and high healthcare costs—and the risks are even more elevated for older adults, especi...

Bringing Everyone to the Table: Rapid Evidence Assessments Facilitate Meaningful Dialogue Across the Stakeholder Spectrum

In the last two decades, the number of commercially available genetic tests is thought to have increased by more than 5,000%—from approximately 1,500 to an estimated 100,000 or more. This number on...

The Role of Primary Care Staff in Coordinating Care for Patients with Complex Medical Conditions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 in 10 American adults have one chronic disease, such as heart, lung, or kidney disease; cancer; Alzheimer's disease; and diabetes, and...