tools to augment provider judgment. The Centers for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERTs) will conduct research to increase understanding of ways to improve the appropriate and effective use of drugs, biologicals, and devices in treatments and to avoid adverse events by standardizing protocols. Drug legislation and safety The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for creating guidelines for the approval and use of drugs. Gaining FDA approval usually takes several years to attain. The FDA requires that all approved drugs fulfill two requirements: ● The drug must be found to be effective against the disease for which it is seeking approval. ● The drug must meet safety criteria by being subject to extensive animal and controlled human testing.
in intensive care units. Other settings that could benefit would be schools and home healthcare. Computerized ADE monitoring works by setting an application called an event monitor over the clinical database. When an event is identified, a pharmacist can review it and take appropriate action including intervention if necessary. One organization estimated a savings of $900,000 annually with such a system due to a decrease in adverse drug events. Long-term, major benefits may be realized by improving communication between patients and providers and implementing monitoring at home. Standardized protocols One study of patients with severe respiratory disease found a four-fold increase in survival rate with the use of standardized protocols. Much of the current research efforts are committed to improving patient safety by providing
Case study Sherlyn walked into the emergency department (ED) one Monday morning in October unable to breathe. Preliminary tests were performed, objective data was collected, and a detailed subjective history was taken. Time went by, but a diagnosis eluded the attending physician. She was given a dose of Lasix as a preventative measure, in case her shortness of breath was related to congestive heart failure. Finally, all the tests were returned and the physician was able to determine that Sheralyn had two massive pulmonary embolisms (one lodged in each lung). But why? She was overweight and had a sedentary lifestyle but was otherwise in average health. Throughout the day, various doctors, nurses, and other medical staff had taken a subjective history on Sherlyn in the ER as well as collected objective data. They all missed one key item. She had been prescribed Megace, a coagulant, 18 months earlier. Sherlyn had faithfully itemized medications she was on to every medical professional for the last 24 hours, but no one caught it. Safety needs of special populations
essential in communicating effectively and accurately. Research shows that patients are safer when a medical interpreter is used, but that hospital staff often still tries to “get by” without using them (Wasserman et al., 2014). ● Individuals with low health literacy : Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions” (Nielsen-Bohlman et al., 2004, p. 2). Low health literacy is associated with higher medication errors, and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a mandate in 2016 to address health literacy worldwide (Parekh et al., 2018). A single-question screening tool has been validated to assess low health literacy and consists of “How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?” Answers are “extremely,” “quite a bit,” “somewhat,” “a little bit,” or “not at all.” People who answer “somewhat” or “not at all” are considered to have inadequate health literacy (Keene et al., 2017). therapist assistants play a vital role in the field of patient safety because of holistic, client-centered approaches and the development of unique relationships. This position in the care delivery system places occupational therapy professionals at the forefront for advocating, guiding, and leading patient safety initiatives and working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals for the benefit of keeping all patients and the public safe.
Per 64B9-5.011 of the Florida Statutes, it is essential that all healthcare professionals who practice in the State of Florida be aware of special populations that are at particular risk for medical errors in order to be another layer of protection for these vulnerable patients. Some populations that are at increased risk for errors include: ● Infants and children : Pediatric populations are at an increased risk for medication errors due to the way dosage is calculated (Mueller et al., 2019). Limited communication abilities may also contribute to errors. ● Older adults : Older adults often experience communication problems due to impaired vision, hearing, and/or cognition. These impairments, along with frequent polypharmacy, can contribute to medication errors. Also, older adults are at increased risk for falls which can cause injury (Aldila et al., 2021). ● Individuals with limited English skills : Since communication is a vital part of medical error prevention, limited language skills put patients at a higher risk of errors. The use of medical interpreters is Conclusion Protecting patients is the responsibility of all healthcare professionals. Leaders of healthcare organizations have made concerted progress toward attaining an environment that embraces teamwork, engagement of patients in their care, and standardization of practices. However, patients continue to suffer the harmful consequences of medical errors. All members of the healthcare team share joint responsibility for ensuring safe care of patients through the care continuum. Occupational therapists and occupational Resources ● Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality http://www.ahrq.gov/ ● AHRQ Patient Safety Network http://www.psnet.ahrq.gov https://psnet.ahrq.gov/ primers/primer/5/safety-culture
● Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services https://cms.gov ● Florida Statutes & Constitution http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index. cfm?Tab=statutes&submenu=-1
Page 115
Book Code: MFL1225B
EliteLearning.com/Massage-Therapy
Powered by FlippingBook