Articles

The work to improve the culture of patient safety is creating headlines all over the country. The following articles provide interesting perspectives on a wide variety of patient safety issues.

Disclosure

Lewis, A. (2007, February 4). What ails hospitals is silence. The Denver Post.
Retrieved February 4, 2007
A bill has been introduced to give health care workers whistle-blower protection.

Rice, B. (2006, January 20). Is Whistleblowing worth it? Medical Economics.
Retrieved February 2, 2006
Doctors who are reporting patient safety problems are often deemed “disruptive.”

Smith, T. (2006, December 4) Infected at the hospital. Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Retrieved December 4, 2006
Virginia law is now requiring that acute-care hospitals report hospital acquired infections.

Zitrin, R. (2007, February 8) Secrecy’s dangerous side effects. The Los Angeles Times.
Retrieved February 9, 2007
Many legal settlements allow large companies to conceal mistakes.
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Education

Kranish, M. (2005, August 15). Flaws are found in validating medical studies. Boston Globe.
Retrieved September 02, 2005
Many are questioning the validity of peer review in medical studies.

Health Business

Colliver, V. 2005, February, 9. Study finds that half of health care dollars are wasted. SF Gate
Retrieved February 13, 2005
About 50% of healthcare spending is wasted on administrative costs, theft, fraud and other frivolous expenditures.
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Legal Issues

Brady Shea, K. (2006, June 30). Malpractice suit settled in Chesco. Philadelphia Inquirer.
Retrieved July 1, 2006
Brandywine Hospital in Pennsylvania settles a malpractice lawsuit.

Carman, D. (2005, February 6). Son’s death personalizes tort reform. Denver Post
Retrieved February 12, 2005
Following the death of their son Michael, the Skoinik set about to educate that malpractice suits are not about money, but rather accountability.
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Gerencher, K. “U.S. health costs highest: malpractice no factor: study”. MarketWatch. July 2005.
Retrieved July 16, 2005
Malpractice lawsuits seem to have little to do with the high costs of health insurance.

Lowes, R. (2003, July 25). Malpractice: Do other countries hold the key? Medical Economics.
Retrieved January 13, 2005
The author suggests that we should turn to legal practices in other countries for more effective malpractice trial outcomes.

Warren, E. (2005, February 9). Sick and broke. Washington Post.
Retrieved February 12, 2005
Each year about 2 million Americans are facing medical bankruptcy. Rates of hospital acquired infections are on the rise in LA County, but confidentiality laws prevent patients and families from learning the names of the hospitals involved.
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Patient Safety Program

Patient Safety – Programs and Practices, Hospital Acquired Infections, Medication)

Appleby, J. 2005, June, 6. Plan aims to cut hospital deaths. USA Today.
Retrieved June 20, 2005
Projects like the 100,000 Lives Campaign are cutting morbidity and morality rates in many hospitals.
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Basler, B. “Undercover Resident.” September 2004. AARP Bulletin.
Retrieved September 5, 2004
In New Mexico, undercover investigators are trained to act like nursing home residents in order to document abuses.

Berwick, D. 2006, October 16. Perfect is possible. Newsweek.
Retrieved October 9, 2006
Decreased rate of morbidity and mortality have been shown in patient safety projects like Pursuing Perfection Project, 1000,000 Lives Campaign and the Keystone Project.

Freeman, L. 2005, May 28. Going to the hospital might be a health risk, study finds. Naples Daily News.
Retrieved June 20, 2005
Evidence suggests an increase in morbidity and mortality rates during hospital stays.

Greider, K. January 2007. “Two Million Patients Are Infected in Hospitals Each Year and 90,000 of Those Americans Die.” AARP Bulletin.
Retrieved January 13, 2007 from
Hospital acquired infections continue to be a cause of grave concern in hospitals.

Groopman, J. January 2007. What’s the trouble? How doctors think. The New Yorker.
Retrieved January 28, 2007
Short cuts and “rules of thumb” may cloud a doctor’s diagnoses and treatment. Is it possible to change the may doctors think?
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Griffin K. “No More Knife Guys.” September 2004. AARP Magazine.
Retrieved October 03, 2004
Because there is a new philosophy as to why heart attacks occur, therapies for the prevention of an attack are shifting.

Hall, G & Flayheart D. 2006, February 1. Active surveillance culture as a promising new tool. Infection Control Today.
Retrieved February 2, 2006
Some promising mechanisms for fighting hospital acquired infections.

Hogan, B. September 2004. “The Pharmacist Who Says No to Drugs.” AARP Bulletin.
Retrieved September 05, 2004
Through the work of a determined pharmacist, over prescription of medication is highlighted.

Kalb, C. 2006, October 16. Fixing America’s hospitals. Newsweek.
Retrieved October 10, 2006
Myriad patient safety and patient advocacy programs are highlighted.

McCaughey, B. (2005, June 6). Coming Clean. The New York Times.
Retrieved June 12, 2005
Simple solutions can decrease rates of hospital acquired infections.
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Monk, J. 2007, January 28. S.C. Hospitals launching patient safety initiatives. The State.
Retrieved January 28, 2007
Throughout South Carolina, hospitals are initiating patient safety initiatives.
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Smith, T. 2006, December 4. Infected at the hospital. Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Retrieved December 4, 2006
Virginia law is now requiring that acute-care hospitals report hospital acquired infections.

Szabo, L. 2007, February 4. Patient, protect thyself. USA Today.
Retrieved February 7, 2007
Effective ways for a patient to protect him or herself from medical errors and infections in the hospital.
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Trafford, A. 2005, May 31. Holdover in the ER. Washington Post.
Retrieved May 31, 2005
ER “Borders”, patients who wait in the ER for a hospital bed to open up, pose a significant gap in medical care.
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