Patient identification problems, the mismanagement of behavioral health issues and measurement-related medication errors appear on this year's edition of ECRI Institute's "Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations."
For the 2016 report, ECRI Institute looked into its own database of reported safety events, consulted literature and asked experts for their opinion on what to include.
The resulting list is of "real things that are happening," said Catherine Pusey, RN, associate director of ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization. "They're happening at a serious level."
The following are ECRI Institute's 10 picks for the top patient safety concerns of this year.
1. Health IT configurations and organizational workflow that don't support each other
2. Patient identification errors
3. Inadequate management of behavioral health issues
4. Inadequate cleaning and disinfection of flexible endoscopes
5. Inadequate test result reporting and follow-up
6. Inadequate monitoring for respiratory depression in patients on opioids
7. Medication errors related to pounds and kilograms
8. Unintentional retained objects during surgery even with correct count
9. Inadequate antimicrobial stewardship
10. Failure to embrace a culture of safety
Access the full report here.