Patient Safety & Outcomes

The emergency department is one of the most critical departments of a hospital as its patients contribute to a significant portion of the hospital's revenue. However, emergency departments are notoriously difficult to staff as the influx of patients can be…

One of every three people who died in 2007 in the United States was in the hospital for treatment at the time of death, and the cost of their hospital stays totaled nearly $20 billion, according to the Agency for…

Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I., has been fined $150,000 by the Rhode Island Department of Health for a wrong-site surgery, marking only the second time the Department has fined a hospital for this kind of error, according to a…

ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, in collaboration with the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, has released important changes to its recommendations for preventing surgical fires, according to an ERCI news release.

A study recently published in Gastroenterology suggests the endoscopist-directed propofol sedation is safer than endoscopist-delivered benzodiazepines and opioids and as equally safe as general anesthesia delivered by anesthesiologists.

Mortality rates in U.S. hospitals have improved since last year but there are still wide variations in mortality among hospitals, according to the 2009 HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study.

The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program has adopted the 34 safe practices endorsed by the National Quality Forum's Safe Practices 2009 Update, and these practices will be implemented by HFAP-accredited hospitals, effective Dec. 1, 2009, according to a HFAP news release.

A new study, which tracked 35 Maryland hospitals between 2005 and 2007, found that the hospitals made significant improvements in reducing errors associated with mislabeling medications and educating healthcare workers on safe drug use, according to a report in the…

More than 1,800 patients were put at risk of contracting hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS and other diseases due to unsanitary practices involving IV bags at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., according to a report from NBC…

Starting Oct. 5, hospitals will be required to submit two claims to Medicare when a surgical error is reported along with a covered service, according to a news release from the American Hospital Association.