New Year's Day seems to prompt lots of "top" lists: Top books, top movies, whatever. Many are cause for wonder, nostalgia, or appreciation.
Here's one such list* from Becker's Hospital Review that prompts discouragement. It is the list of the top ten patient safety issues for 2015.
Why discouragement? Because it's virtually the same list that has existed for years. It does not exist because of technical complexity or financial constraints. More than anything else, it is a list that documents the failure of leadership by all too many boards of trustees, senior administrators, and chiefs of clinical service in America's hospitals. There are, of course, some who have done better, and they deserve our thanks, but hospitals unfortunately remain one of the top-ranked public health hazards in the country.
Healthcare-associated infections.
Antibiotic resistance.
Personal protective equipment protocol.
Hand hygiene.
Health IT issues.
Medication errors.
Workforce safety.
Transitions of care.
Diagnostic errors.
Patient engagement.
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* With thanks to Mark Graban for the call out.
Here's one such list* from Becker's Hospital Review that prompts discouragement. It is the list of the top ten patient safety issues for 2015.
Why discouragement? Because it's virtually the same list that has existed for years. It does not exist because of technical complexity or financial constraints. More than anything else, it is a list that documents the failure of leadership by all too many boards of trustees, senior administrators, and chiefs of clinical service in America's hospitals. There are, of course, some who have done better, and they deserve our thanks, but hospitals unfortunately remain one of the top-ranked public health hazards in the country.
Healthcare-associated infections.
Antibiotic resistance.
Personal protective equipment protocol.
Hand hygiene.
Health IT issues.
Medication errors.
Workforce safety.
Transitions of care.
Diagnostic errors.
Patient engagement.
---
* With thanks to Mark Graban for the call out.
Well said, Paul. Like you said, the challenge is leadership. I had a chance to ask Paul O'Neill (a great leader in the patient safety movement, former CEO, former Treasury Secretary) about what was preventing more progress with safety improvements and, without hesitation, he said, "leadership."
ReplyDeleteQuality & Patient Safety issues has been discussed since long I do not think a great headway has been made world over. What is lacking is LOYALTY TO PATIENT-COMMUNITY-ORGANISATION the reasons are Drs & non Drs miss match. Leadership& Top Management only directed towards to make more & more wealth by non-ethical manners.They are least interested on their mission-vision-objective.
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