The ECRI Institute detailed the top 10 health technology hazards for 2015 in its new report, created to help hospitals recognize and prioritize patient safety issues. They are listed below.
1. Inadequate alarm configuration policies, practices
2. Incorrect, missing data in EHRs
3. Mixed-up IV lines leading to drug, solution misadministration
4. Inadequate reprocessing of endoscopes, surgical instruments
5. Miss-set or missed alarms leading to uncaught ventilator disconnections
6. Patient-handling device use errors, failures
7. Unnoticed variations in diagnostic radiation exposures
8. Robotic surgery complications from insufficient training
9. Insufficient medical device, system protections
10. Overwhelmed recall, safety-alert management programs
The full report includes recommendations from the ECRI Institute for how hospitals can mitigate these issues.
More articles on patient safety:
Physicians rarely apologize after patient adverse events, survey finds
Boulder Community Health responds to waiting room patient safety concerns
EHR-based alerts can increase providers’ intention to quit, study finds
