Improving Patient Safety: Tools and Strategies for Quality Improvement

Description

Based on the IOM's estimate of 44,000 deaths annually, medical errors rank as the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S. Clearly medical errors are an epidemic that needs to be contained. Despite these numbers, patient safety and medical errors remain an issue for physicians and other clinicians. This book bridges the issues related to patient safety by providing clinically relevant, vignette-based description of the areas where most problems occur. Each vignette highlights a particular issue such as communication, human facturs, E.H.R., etc. and provides tools and strategies for improving quality in these areas and creating a safer environment for patients. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Editors List of Contributors 1 Introduction to Patient Safety and Medical Errors 2 Developing an Outline for Patient Safety Curriculum 3 Understanding System Errors Section 1 Human Factors Engineering Clinical Vignette 1: Every Sound Alarms Clinical Vignette 2: Man and His Machine Clinical Vignette 3: Expensive Gift Section 2 Communication Issues Clinical Vignette 1: Doctors Are from Mars and Nurses Are from Venus! Clinical Vignette 2: Different Paths Yet the Same Goal Clinical Vignette 3: It Was Erik’s Fault! Clinical Vignette 4: You Are Not Alone! Section 3 Culture of Patient Safety Clinical Vignette 1: A Husband’s Worst Nightmare Clinical Vignette 2: A Big No-No Clinical Vignette 3: Alice in Wonderland Clinical Vignette 4: A Doctor’s Curse Clinical Vignette 5: The Real Price of Smoking? Clinical Vignette 6: A Rainy Night Clinical Vignette 7: Customer Service 101 Clinical Vignette 8: The Empty Crash Cart Clinical Vignette 9: A Punch in the Face Clinical Vignette 10: As the Kings So Are the Subjects Clinical Vignette 11: The Encrypted Message Section 4 Electronic Medical Records and Patient Safety Clinical Vignette 1: Rubik’s Cube Clinical Vignette 2: A Hurried Miss Clinical Vignette 3: A Case of Mistaken Identity 4 Understanding Diagnostic Errors Clinical Vignette 1: Is First Love the True Love? Clinical Vignette 2: Experience Is the Teacher of All Things or Is It? Clinical Vignette 3: The Man with the Black Coat Clinical Vignette 4: Don’t Question Me! Clinical Vignette 5: Trouble with the Curve Clinical Vignette 6: The New Epidemic 5 Understanding Human/Provider Errors Clinical Vignette 1: Does Age Bring Wisdom? Clinical Vignette 2: The Zero-Sum Game Clinical Vignette 3: Do We Owe our Patients our Lives? 6 Tools and Strategies for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety: A Primer for Healthcare Providers Index