Earlier this year, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a report identifying the top 10 patient safety strategies that can be implemented immediately by health care providers. AHRQ developed 41 recommended strategies based on an assessment of evidence about patient safety interventions, finding that the top 10 strategies have the potential to vastly improve patient safety and save lives in hospitals and other healthcare institutions in America. The top 10 patient safety strategies include:
- Preoperative checklists and anesthesia checklists to prevent operative and postoperative events.
- Bundles that include checklists to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections.
- Interventions to reduce urinary catheter use, including catheter reminders, stop orders, or nurse-initiated removal protocols.
- Bundles that include head-of-bed elevation, sedation vacations, oral care with chlorhexidine, and subglottic-suctioning endotracheal tubes to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.
- Hand hygiene.
- The do-not-use list for hazardous abbreviations.
- Multicomponent interventions to reduce pressure ulcers.
- Barrier precautions to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
- Use of real-time ultrasonography for central line placement.
- Interventions to improve prophylaxis for venous thromboembolisms.
“We have the evidence to show what really works to make care safer,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. in a press release. “Armed with this knowledge about what works and how to apply it, we can continue to advance our efforts to ensure patient safety.” The AHRQ’s report – which can be found at http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/ptsafetyuptp.html – emphasizes evidence about implementation, adoption, and the context in which these safety strategies have been used in order to help healthcare providers understand what works, how to apply it, and under what circumstances it works best so it can be adapted to local needs. Many of the strategies are already widely in use and some are based on CDC guidelines; others are not readily used in practice, but show great potential for patient safety.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
The Chicago medical malpractice lawyers at Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish are committed to patient safety and helping the victims of medical malpractice obtain full and fair financial recovery for their injuries. If you have questions about the patient safety recommendations of AHRQ, contact our office at (312) 445-9084 to speak with one of our medical malpractice lawyers. Additional Information:
- 10 Facts about Medical Malpractice
- What to Do If You Suspect Medical Malpractice
- When a Hospital Death Involves Medical Malpractice
- Are Technological Advances Helping or Hurting Patient Safety?
Steinberg Goodman & Kalish (www.sgklawyers.com) is dedicated to protecting victims and their families. We handle medical malpractice, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, auto accidents, professional negligence, birth trauma, and railroad law matters. Contact us at (888) 325-7299 or (312) 445-9084.
