Of the more than 1,600 events reported through the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System, 37 percent were reported as harmful events including four patient deaths. Medication errors and errors related to a procedure, treatment or test made up 88.5 percent of all events reported with healthcare worker fatigue as a contributing factor.
The article also notes that fatigue risk management system can limit the potential for human errors. An effective system will provide the following:
1. Education and training on the effects of fatigue.
2. Strategies to increase alertness and mitigate fatigue.
3. Opportunities to identify and treat any medical conditions that may affect alertness or fatigue, such as sleep disorders.
4. Scheduling policies.
5. Adverse event, medical error and occupational injury investigation.
According to the article, “Fatigue risk management systems are emerging as a more scientific and comprehensive method for mitigating the causes of fatigue and reducing the impact fatigue has on patient safety.”
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