As you look through the last several years of ECRI Patient Safety List, you will see some recurring themes. They may change slightly, but in general they keep coming up. If you review these and you consider how difficult it may be to address some of these, I think it is understandable that they remain on the list, year upon year.
As reported previously, ECRI (Emergency Care Research Institute) releases an annual list of the top patient safety concerns for healthcare organizations. These lists pinpoint areas that require attention to minimize the risks associated with patient care. Below is a comparison of the recurrent issues from the ECRI top 10 patient safety concerns for the period of 2020-2022
So…If we review each year, we can then start to look for recurrent concerns over the last few years. This is not meant to downplay many of the issues that may be mentioned in only a single year.
- Diagnostic Stewardship and Test Result Management Using EHRs
- Medication Safety Events
- Maternal Health Across the Continuum
- Early Recognition of Sepsis Across the Continuum
- Infection Risk from Perioperative Anesthesia
- Device Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization
- Patient Matching in the EHR
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Overrides of Automated Dispensing Cabinets
- Fragmented Care Coordination During Transitions
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare
- Emergency Preparedness and Response in Aging Services
- Pandemic Preparedness Across the Health System
- Supply Chain Interruptions
- Drug Shortages
- Telehealth Workflow Challenges
- Imported Disinfectants: Lack of Effectiveness or Toxicity
- Methotrexate: Misunderstood Dosing Leading to Overdoses
- Peripheral Vascular Harm
- Inadequate Staffing and Staff Burnout
- Biases That Impact Care Delivery
- Cybersecurity Attacks
- Supply Chain Shortages
- Emergency Preparedness During Ongoing Crisis Conditions
- Missing and Delayed Diagnoses and Treatment
- Nonventilator Healthcare-associated Pneumonias
- Inadequate or Unclear Policies and Procedures
- Medication Errors from Incorrect Patient Weight Information
- Threats to Maternal and Child Health Due to Deferred Healthcare
- Risks Associated with Behavioral Health Emergencies
Recurrent Issues From 2020 to 2022:
- Medication Safety: Medication safety is a perennial concern for healthcare providers as errors can occur at many stages, from prescribing to dispensing to administration.
- Maternal Health: Continued emphasis on maternal health indicates ongoing challenges in ensuring safe outcomes for mothers during and after pregnancy. Concerns about health disparities also show up here.
- Supply Chain Shortages: The supply chain difficulties mentioned in both 2021 and 2022 became particularly evident with the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued to affect healthcare delivery. This has remained a concern into subsequent years.
- Emergency Preparedness: Various aspects of emergency preparedness have been highlighted, emphasizing the need for improved readiness in the face of crises, whether due to a pandemic or other emergencies. The halting response to COVID showed that we are not ready for widespread pandemics.
- Inadequate Staffing and Staff Burnout: Workforce concerns, such as staffing and burnout, began appearing as major issues due to the immense pressure on healthcare workers, particularly during the pandemic. This has continued in subsequent years.
Please note that while certain issues might seem thematic over the years, the specific concerns outlined by ECRI can differ as they evolve with the changing landscape of healthcare challenges. Moreover, issues might recur in a slightly modified form, reflecting the complexity and dynamism of patient safety challenges.