Patient Safety & Outcomes

Vaccinated people with a history of certain psychiatric conditions may have a higher chance of contracting breakthrough COVID-19, according to a study published April 14 in JAMA Network Open.

Health officials have not observed a change in severity among people infected with the omicron "sister variants" BA.4 and BA.5, Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, COVID-19 technical lead for the World Health Organization, said during an April 13 media briefing.

CMS will roll out a new "birthing-friendly" designation for hospitals in fall 2023 as part of a larger effort to improve maternal health outcomes, the agency said April 13. 

Mother's Day is fast approaching, a time when our focus turns to showing love to our moms with candy and flowers.

Loss of smell from COVID-19 may be a consequence of inflammation caused by the infection, versus a direct outcome from the virus itself, according to a study published April 11 in JAMA Neurology.

New data from Madison, Wis.-based UW Health Kids shows the number of cases of Type 2 diabetes in pediatric patients increasing from 5.8 percent in 2018 to 16.4 percent in 2021, a trend that may be linked to COVID-19, Wisconsin…

The U.S. lags behind other high-income countries when it comes to serving women ages 18 to 49 — whether for maternal care, primary care or mental healthcare, according to an analysis released April 5 by the Commonwealth Fund.  

Once a month at Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, some COVID-19 patients who have lost their sense of smell have their plasma extracted and inserted high up in their nose using a sponge, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported April 4.

Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug used as an alternative treatment for COVID-19, did not reduce hospital admissions, a study published March 30 in The New England Journal of Medicine found. 

RaDonda Vaught's conviction for a fatal medical error has already damaged patient safety and should serve as a wake-up call for health system leaders to improve harm prevention efforts, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement said March 30.