Insights & News in Healthcare Safety

Building Effective Policies for Comorbidity Management

​​​​Policies for managing comorbidities, as well as multimorbidity and multiple chronic conditions, vary based on the medical conditions involved; therefore, developing a uniform policy is not nece...

10 Ways to Prevent Falls in Assisted Living Facilities

September 18 -22, 2023, marks Falls Prevention Awareness Week in the United States. Despite widespread fall prevention programs, fall incidence rates are on the rise in the United States, with an a...

10 Steps to Preventing Patient Elopement

Patient elopement is when individuals leave an area they are expected to stay within, for their safety. Elopement from a healthcare facility can have devastating consequences for a patient, includi...

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...